Men’s health at heart of community
THe ReCeNT LOCKDOWN CLeaRLy SHOWeD THe INvaLuaBLe CONTRIBuTION THaT pHaRMaCy MaKeS TO ITS LOCaL COMMuNITIeS. THaNKS TO BuILDINg COMMuNITy pHaRMaCy paRTNeRSHIp (BCpp) pROJeCTS, THIS CONTRIBuTION CONTINueS ON aN ONgOINg BaSIS…
a
s lockdown commenced and gps pulled down the shutters, community pharmacists
across Northern Ireland (and beyond) were left as the main - if not only - port of call for patients, who were often desperate for one-to-one consultations.
This interaction was nothing new to the community of Ballinamallard in County Fermanagh, however, since the village has no gp surgery and so the pharmacy plays a vital role in primary care on a daily basis.
Before lockdown, the Fermanagh Sports & Cultural awareness association, which offers training and opportunities such as health projects and peace-building activities in this area of rural deprivation and isolation, had gained funding for a Level Two BCp grant to run a project, which was designed to build on the positive impact on the psychological wellbeing of its members created by a previous, similar project.
Working with the local village pharmacy, the association established a project with fourteen men aged 50 plus, some of whom were experiencing mental and physical health issues, in addition to feeling
socially isolated. Due to the small number of participants and the already well-founded relationships from the previous BCpp project, the men felt comfortable about discussing what were often very personal issues with the others in the group.
The sessions consisted of a range of health-based seminars and activities that would help improve the health of the group members. With the understanding that poor lifestyles were responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases, other organisations including aWaRe NI, NI Chest, Heart and Stroke and Diabetes uK presented at the sessions outlining the support they could provide to the men. Sessions on healthy eating, exercise and cooking were also delivered.
Through the project, the health literacy of the participants was improved as well as their understanding of how social factors, such as money worries, housing and stress can influence health. The sessions also made the men more confident to self-manage their health.
During the project, pharmacist Thomas Knox from village pharmacy
Blood pressure monitoring was just one of the services provided by pharmacist, Thomas Knox.
was available for one-to-one support and sessions on medicines management, repeat dispensing and health checks.
‘The men, who were involved in the project, found that when they met and engaged with others in similar circumstances, it reduced feelings of self-blame and hopelessness,’ Thomas told piF. ‘The men realised they were not alone and that they had support in making small changes to their health and wellbeing.
‘The fact that there is no gp surgery in Ballinamallard reinforces the importance of the pharmacy in the area, and I feel that, having been involved in this project, I now have a better understanding of the context and conditions of people’s lives and factors that influence health. I’ve also seen the pharmacy being better utilised and viewed as an integral part of healthcare provision.
‘The project has definitely helped me to engage more with the local community and I find the men will now call with me to seek help and advice. Obviously COvID-19 has held the project up, but hopefully we’ll up and running again in the near future.’
Even having a chat to other participants is excellent for mental health.
Needless to say, Fermanagh Sports & Cultural awareness association were equally delighted with the outcome of the project.
‘We are delighted with the support we have received from BCpp which has meant we have been able to build successfully on our phase 1 project,’ said John Quinn, project Officer at the association. ‘The men have really benefitted from the varied workshops, both the information received and the social interaction. They feel more confident to approach Thomas and the others in the pharmacy around health issues.’
Raymond Dowdalls, owner of the village pharmacy, was heavily involved in planning the BCpp programme and was a key member of the project.
‘Our community pharmacy,’ said Raymond, ‘prides itself on being an integral part of the community, going to football matches together and even sharing my personal health journey with the men. The BCpp project gave us a great opportunity to interact with local people and we are now their first port of call when they have an ailment or need advice.’
The project participants ready for kick-off! 14 - pHaRMaCy IN FOCuS
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