For this session, use the article on bowel health, as well as other sources of information, to strengthen your knowledge of conditions that can affect the bowel. This will give you more insight and information to pass on to your customers.

You can use information sources you may have in the pharmacy, such as other articles, OTC medicines guides and manufacturer literature (e.g. on laxatives, anti-diarrhoeals, haemorrhoid preparations or IBS remedies) or websites (see the 'Information sources' box). When you are dealing with people who have bowel problems, take time to discuss their symptoms as you may be able to spot the possibility of a serious problem which requires a doctor's attention, thus helping the person to make a good recovery. 

You will find plenty of information, including expert opinion, on bowel health in our article. In order to make it useful and relevant to your work:

• Consider how you might broach your concerns with a customer who has repeatedly bought a medicine that could indicate a serious bowel problem. Discuss this with your team and find some phrases you would be comfortable to use with customers
• What is the evidence of benefit for probiotics in bowel conditions such as IBS and various types of diarrhoea?
• What are the three main symptoms to look out for in bowel cancer? 
• Identify four foods associated with an increased risk of bowel cancer and four foods associated with a reduced risk of bowel cancer
• What is the bowel cancer screening programme in your area? Who is eligible? Discuss within the pharmacy team what you can do to raise awareness of cancer screening.