Australian women in every state and territo­ry can now access treatment for uncompli­cated urinary tract infections at a community pharmacy, without a prescriptionIt follows a decision to empower commu­nity pharmacists to do more for their female patients. UTIs are the second most frequent preventable cause of hospitalisation and on average 1 in 2 women develop a UTI in their lifetime.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President Trent Twomey said “Women are busy mothers, carers, bosses who need timely easy-to-access access relief to get on with their day and prevent long-term health complications.”

Professor Twomey said increased access to UTI treatment was part of a larger evolu­tion of women’s health services in commu­nity pharmacies across Australia.

There are more than 6000 community pharmacies across Australia that have the opportunity to provide additional services and prescriptions for everyday health condi­tions.

“The widening of the services provided in community pharmacy is meeting the expec­tation of the modern patient and is reliev­ing the pressure on other parts of the health system.

“Community pharmacists are highly skilled health professionals and we’re ready, willing and able to deliver more for our pa­tients,” Professor Twomey said.

Stephen Lawrence MLC has today an­nounced that the NSW Government is im­proving access to healthcare for people living in rural and regional communities, pro­viding financial assistance to over 81,000 patients from Local Health Districts cover­ing inland NSW in the past year through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommoda­tion Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS).

IPTAAS provides financial assistance to patients who need to travel long distances for specialist healthcare that is not available locally. NSW patients have also received more money back in their pockets thanks to increased subsidies, with the average reim­bursement per patient to be $482.

The NSW Government is embracing a comprehensive range of measures to im­prove access to care in our regional, rural and remote communities, including: deliv­ering more health worker accommodation in the bush, doubling rural health worker incentives for the most critical and hard to fill positions to improve recruitment and re­tention, boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model, and deploying an extra 500 regional paramedics.

People prone to respiratory conditions like asthma or hayfever are being urged to take extra care ahead of predicted thunderstorm activity across Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

Each year from around mid-October to mid-November, asthma and hayfever suf­ferers may be at greater risk of severe symptoms due to high pollen counts, and weather conditions like those are predicted across the region in coming weeks.

Western NSW Local Health District Pub­lic Health Physician, Dr Victor Carey, is urging people with asthma or breathing problems, and those impacted by hayfever in spring, to take extra precautions when thunderstorms are expected.

“People should be alert, not alarmed. It is incredibly important for people to be aware they could be at risk. Airborne pollens are at their highest levels at this time of year,” Dr Carey said.

“Thunderstorms can cause pollen grains to explode and release fine particles which can be inhaled more deeply into the lungs.

Even people who don’t have asthma should take extra precautions during thunderstorm season.

“Anyone with diagnosed asthma should be proactively managing their symptoms.

Carry your asthma medication with you at all times during high-risk periods and make sure your family, school and workplace has a copy of your asthma management plan.

Breathing difficulties can be life threaten­ing. In the event of a breathing emergency dial Triple Zero (000) immediately.

More information can be found on the NSW Health website: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/thunderstorm-asthma.aspx

Pharmacist Sarah Hazell. Photo Credit to Monique Lovick Photography.

Forbes Pharmacist, Sarah Hazell, is cel­ebrating 26 years at Flannery’s Pharmacy.

The Forbes local, graduated from Forbes High School in 1997 and went on to study pharmacy at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, before returning to work at the local business.

“A lot of young people are amazed to learn I’ve only ever had one job. I started here at the age of 18 and that was my first job, at Flannery’s Pharmacy, and I’m still here today,” Life Pharmacy and Flannery’s Pharmacist Managing Partner, Sarah Ha­zell, said.

“I’ve just absolutely loved my role as a pharmacist in a small, rural community. I think it’s been so rewarding professionally, and it’s a great environment to get to know your patient and see the patient again, and again, and again and get that regular follow up. You build wonderful relationships and it’s really lovely.”

There are about 37 thousand pharma­cists across nearly six thousand community pharmacies in Australia. As scope of prac­tice initiatives are announced and rolled out in every state and territory, now more than ever pharmacists are stepping up to meet healthcare needs in their local communi­ties.

This year marks 26 years with Life Phar­macy Group for Sarah, 22 years as a regis­tered pharmacist and 17 years as a partner.

She credits her passion for pharmacy, the Forbes community, and her mentors as a driving force behind her success.

“It was never my plan to stay in Forbes, I always wanted to live by the beach, but I’ve always been presented with wonderful opportunity after wonderful opportunity. I met my husband at university, we moved to Forbes, and we’ve just made this our home.

We’ve both got businesses in town and just love the community, and I think it’s a great place to raise a family,” Sarah said.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, women aged 50-74 from Western NSW Local Health District are being urged to book in for a free mammogram, with more than 40 (41.4) percent of women in the region overdue for their two-yearly breast cancer screening.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, BreastScreen NSW is also encouraging women to Be A Friend, Tell A Friend about the importance of having regular mammograms. Be A Friend, Tell A Friend encourages word of mouth and social media promotion among women to their friends, family and colleagues about the need to have regular mammograms.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with age and being female the biggest risk factors – not family history. Wom­en aged 50 – 74 years are recommended to have a breast screen every two years.

BreastScreen NSW recommends Aboriginal women start screening at 40 years, with evidence showing that they are diag­nosed with breast cancer at a younger age, have more advanced cancer at diagnosis and poorer survival rates compared to the overall female population.

Any woman who has noticed a change in their breasts, like a lump, should see their doctor without delay. Make breast screen­ing a priority. It only takes 20 minutes and no doctor’s referral is needed.

For more information and to make an appointment at a local BreastScreen NSW clinic or mobile van, you can call 13 20 50 or book online at www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au.

Enter your submission for the 2025 Building Healthy Communities Challenge now.

Western NSW Local Health District (WN­SWLHD) is encouraging people who are passionate about improving their com­munity’s health to apply to take part in the 2025 Building Healthy Communities Chal­lenge.

The WNSWLHD Building Healthy Com­munities Challenge was established this year by the District’s Health Promotion team to help smaller communities take control of improving their overall health, by providing up to $12,000 in funding and in­tensive support to deliver a community-led health initiative.

WNSWLHD Health Promotion Coordina­tor Hayley Vaughan said applications are open to any community group in a town or community with less than 5,000 peo­ple who has an idea for an initiative which could improve people’s health.

“We encourage communities to apply if they have an idea which could increase physical activity or healthy eating in their community, reduce smoking and vaping rates or establishing infrastructure which promotes healthy living,” Ms Vaughan said.

“Any idea is a good idea, big or small, and they could be as simple as implement­ing a regular walking group or setting up community gardens to grow healthy food.”

WNSWLHD Health Promotion Officer Kelly Cook said an independent panel will assess applications and select two towns to compete in the friendly competition.

“The two chosen towns will each receive $8,000 in funding assistance and intensive support from the Health Promotion team to establish and implement their initiative, and we will also provide additional resourc­es and assistance with promotion too,” Ms Cook said.

Applications are open from Monday 2nd September to Friday 11th October 2024.

For more information contact the WNSWL­HD Health Promotion Team on WNSWL­HD-HealthPromotion@health.nsw.gov.au.