Vaccination

The WHO estimates that flu causes about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. Providing a vaccine service or signposting at-risk patients to somewhere they can receive their vaccination is an important public health service that can help stem the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Vaccines can decrease the use of antibiotics directly by preventing primary infection and indirectly by preventing bacterial superinfection after a primary vaccine-preventable illness, such as influenza.

Managing self-limiting infections

Community pharmacists and their teams are well placed to provide advice for patients with self-limiting infections. Promoting self-care and managing patient expectations by explaining the likely duration of self-limiting infections (see below) and the symptoms that require medical attention are also important contributions. For instance, one-third of the public believe that antibiotics will treat coughs and colds, and one in five people expect antibiotics when they visit their doctor.

Duration of some common self-limiting illnesses

Common self-limiting / viral infection
Middle ear infection – without antibiotics most better by: 8 days
Sore throat – without antibiotics most better by: 7-8 days
Common cold – without antibiotics most better by: 14 days
Sinusitis – without antibiotics most better by: 14-21 days
Cough or bronchitis – without antibiotics most better by: 21 days

Reflection exercise

With your team, look at the above table showing the expected duration of a sore throat, common cold, sinusitus and cough/ bronchitis. How would you explain the expected duration to a customer?

Self-care advice that can also be offered includes:

• Getting plenty of rest and drinking enough fluids
• Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain relief or to relieve a fever
• Protecting themselves and others against colds and flu (vaccination, hand washing to prevent spread of viruses, using paper tissues and carefully disposing of them)
• Avoiding smoking or being in a smoke-filled environment.