This week is Dental Health Week, the Australian Dental Association’s major annual oral health promotion event. Its aim is to educate Australians about the importance of maintaining good oral health by promoting these key messages:

• Brush twice a day with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
• Clean in between teeth at least once a day with floss or an interdental brush.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and limit sugar intake.
• Regularly visit the dentist for check-ups and preventive treatment.

This year, these important messages will be reinforced via the tagline ‘How’s Your Oral Health Tracking?’, which draws off the Australian Dental Association’s Oral Health Tracker report cards, a world-first initiative that documents and tracks Australia’s oral health status.

Tempting though it is to think everyone is practicing good oral health, the reality is that the oral health of many Australians is not where it should be.

• 65% of Australians haven’t seen a dentist in the last two years.
• 50% of Australians brush their teeth only once-a-day.
• Nearly 40% never floss or clean between their teeth.
• 73% of young people (14-18 years) are consuming too much sugar.

All of which means that getting the message out there about good oral health is more important than ever. Since the best oral care education occurs face to face, from dental professional to patient, the ADA encourages you to use the Dental Health Week website, the associated resources, and even the ADA’s Oral Health Tracker to help start conversations about keeping track of mouth health and making oral health a high priority.

(Source: www.ada.org.au)

Did you know that over 2 million Australians are affected by osteoporosis. Flannery’s Pharmacy is hosting a Health Bones clinic to assess risk factors and measure bone density using a Qualitative Heel Ultrasound.

Sarah Hazell, Pharmacist at Flannery’s Pharmacy advises that some people are more at risk of osteoporosis. “There are a number of risk factors including smoking, drinking more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day, lack of exercise, menopause and having a diet lacking in calcium” said Sarah.

“The clinic will provide an assessment of personal risk factors affecting bone health and measurement of bone density” said Sarah. Customers will receive a personalised consultation summary and information brochure. Please note that the bone density test requires a bare heel. Pantyhose or stockings should not be worn.

The Healthy Bones clinic is being held on Tuesday 13 August at Flannery’s Pharmacy.

Cost is $25. Bookings are essential so please call Flannery’s Pharmacy on 68521111 or call in to arrange an appointment.

It’s hard, but with help and support, you can quit smoking. Quitting smoking can be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding, things a person can do. Most smokers say they want to quit, and may have tried at least once.

Some are successful the first time, but others try numerous times before they finally quit for good. It might take time, as your body has become dependent on nicotine, but many people have succeeded in giving up smoking. The benefits of quitting are felt almost straight away. Depending on how much you smoked, you should start seeing benefits in a week.

The first month
• In 12 hours excess carbon monoxide is out of your blood
• In 5 days most nicotine is out of your body
• In 1 week your sense of taste and smell improves
• In 1 month your skin appearance is likely to improve

The first year
• In 2 months your lungs will no longer be producing extra phlegm caused by smoking
• In 3 months your lung function and blood flow improves
• In 12 months your risk of heart disease has halved

Longer term benefits
• In 5 years your risk of a stroke has dramatically decreased
• In 10 years your risk of lung cancer is less than half that of a continuing smoker and continues falling
• In 15 years your risk of heart attack and stroke is almost the same as a person who has never smoked.

If you’d like to quit smoking for good, call into Flannery’s Pharmacy and talk to one of our pharmacists. They can give you information, advice and support to help you quit for good.

Winter months in cold climates can be a recipe for dry, itchy, angry skin.

Winter-dry skin isn’t your fault. There’s a vicious cycle at work. It’s a combination of dry winter air, and the skin that’s right under your nose, your face, and your hands. Actually, it’s covering the surface of your entire body.

The uppermost layers of your skin are called the stratum corneum, and they’re  what’s inside, while keeping out bad elements from the environment.
This stratum corneum, is made from about 10-15 micrometres of dead-cell skin. These outermost layers play an important part in keeping natural moisture inside the skin.

But when the humidity drops, and winter chill creeps in, the outside air is drier. Then, making matters worse, we use radiators and heaters to stay warm inside, drying out those environments, too.

Our stratum corneum starts to dry out, opening up the skin’s natural barrier. That’s when we start getting dry, itchy skin.

The most important thing you can do for your skin is to moisturize it. Keep the temperature of your winter showers warm, not hot. When you step out of a hot shower, water evaporates quickly, taking with it some of the moisture on the surface of your skin.

That’s why it’s more important to keep showers short during the cold winter months and to apply moisturiser straight after showering or bathing as it helps trap in moisture.

If you’re just dealing with problem skin, eczema or dermatitis, Flannery’s Pharmacy has a great range of products.

Call in and ask one of the friendly, experienced team members for advice on dry skin this winter.

Early in March, Sarah Hazell, Michael Flannery, Debbie Prior, Tracey Edwards, Jack Buckley and Ange Hennock from Flannery’s Pharmacy, headed to the Gold Coast for the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Pharmacy of the Year Awards. The pharmacy team were aware that Flannery’s was a finalist in the awards and that they would be receiving an award for Business Development, however, they were not aware who the winner of the Pharmacy of the Year would be.

“The presentation was held at the Convention Centre at 8:30am in front of a huge crowd of people,” said Debbie Prior, Business Manager at Flannery’s. “We had no sooner accepted the Business Development award and resumed our seats, when the winner of the Pharmacy of the Year was announced and we were back on stage again.”

“It was amazing to be recognised by the Pharmacy Guild for the work we do,” said Debbie. “Our pharmacy has been in operation for over 60 years and is an integral part of the Forbes community,” said Debbie. “We love helping customers with their health needs and over the past few years have really taken this to a whole new level, providing flu vaccinations, Medschecks and leave certificates,” said Debbie. “Our new clinic rooms provide space for visiting health professionals including podiatrists, women’s health physiotherapist and audiometrist.” Flannery’s Pharmacy also employs a Registered Nurse, Rachel Hayes.

Last Saturday the pharmacy celebrated winning the award with a bbq to say thank you to the local community for their ongoing support. “We feel very proud of our team and our pharmacy and will be hosting some more celebrations throughout the year,” said Debbie.

With Autumn upon us and influenza vaccinations arriving in the next few weeks it is time to think about protecting yourself and those closest to you.

In 2018, we saw a record 11 million Australians vaccinated against the flu, nearly a third more than during 2017. Pharmacies were recently acknowledged by the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt as playing a large role in the dramatic expansion of herd immunity against influenza as he quoted a 90 percent reduction in deaths from flu during 2018 in comparison to 2017.

The Chief Medical Officer states that annual vaccination is important as the virus changes each year. He recommends that we begin immunisations in mid-April to allow people to develop immunity in time for the flu season while also providing coverage right through the peak winter months.

Tracey Edwards, Pharmacist in Charge at Flannery’s Pharmacy states: “We are proud of the role we play by providing readily accessible vaccinations to ensure the health of the whole community of Forbes.”

“This year we have expanded our services and are able to immunise anyone older than 10 years of age with no appointment necessary. Drop in to either Flannery’s or Life Pharmacies today and speak with our pharmacists and registered nurse about the importance of you and your family receiving your annual influenza vaccination,” said Tracey.

Putting Our Seniors First

The 2019 NSW Seniors Festival started on Wednesday and runs until Sunday, 24th February.

The NSW Seniors Festival is the largest festival for seniors in the Southern Hemisphere, reaching up to 500,000 seniors each year.

If you are over 60 years of age, the NSW Seniors Festival gives you the chance to make new friends or get together with old ones at an array of local community events, many which are free or heavily discounted.

Presented by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), the NSW Seniors Festival is designed to celebrate the role seniors play and the contributions they make to the NSW community, aligning to the policy objective of inclusive communities.

Every year during the NSW Seniors Festival, government, community and commercial organisations hold hundreds of events across the state, encompassing art, sport, music, entertainment, technology, recreation, health, good nutrition and much more! Who is NSW Seniors Festival for?

• people over 60 years of age

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over the age of 50

• people over 50 years of age that have a lifelong disability Each year, FACS directly supports around 800,000 people, reaching a further one million people through local community-based programs, and provides over a million Seniors Cards.

Cutting Edge Technology In Eye Care

Parkes Eyecare Plus has invested in the gold standard of eye health testing that is available today – Optical Coherence Tomography or OCT.

OCT uses optical ultrasound to look at the deeper layers of the eye underneath the surface of the retina. This enables optometrists to detect many eye diseases much earlier than with standard retinal photography.

This cutting edge technology allows more accurate identification and treatment of eye disease and conditions including Macular degeneration, Glaucoma, Diabetic eye disease and Optic nerve damage.

As these conditions can cause vision impairment and even blindness, early detection and management can help to safeguard your vision into the future.

If you are over 40, or have a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration, an OCT scan is essential in providing the best eye care possible.

Set yourself up for a healthy year ahead by starting with a health check at Flannery’s or Life Pharmacies. “High blood pressure, excess weight, smoking and physical inactivity are some of the main risk factors for preventable illness, so setting yourself up to improve one of these areas can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing,” said Tracey Edwards, pharmacist at Flannery’s Pharmacy.

“Our registered nurse or pharmacists can check a range of indicators, including blood pressure and weight, and discuss healthy lifestyle options with you,” said Tracey.

One way to reduce weight is to increase physical activity. “The recommended amount of activity for good health is at least 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity each week, which can be accumulated throughout the day,” said Life Pharmacy pharmacist, Clare Parmeter.

“Walking helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack, strengthens bones, reduces risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improves balance,” said Clare.

Ideas for increasing your step count include:

• walk to get the paper

• take the stairs instead of the elevator

• take the dog for a walk around the block (or beyond)

• park a bit further away from the shops

• take the rubbish out to the wheelie bin more often

• walk with others or form a walking group

If you’d like a health check or more information on improving your physical activity, call in to Flannery’s or Life Pharmacies and speak to one of our pharmacists.