Most people who work in pharmacy will have talked to customers who are worried or want more information about the health stories that they see in newspapers. In this Team Training feature, we focus on child health-related headlines. Having a poorly child is stressful for parents at the best of times, but their concerns can be amplifi ed by scaremongering headlines and the clickbait tactics that some journalists employ to appeal to readers online. This can make some health stories seem overwhelming and cause unnecessary worry.

Pharmacy staff can, however, be on hand to calm these fears and provide information and reassurance about the truth that lies behind the headlines. Think about the impact that these headlines have on the information you provide to concerned customers. Do you feel confi dent and equipped to answer questions about child health stories? How would you go about judging the veracity of and evidence behind a story? Which health headlines are helpful and which are hype? How would you form an opinion?

Any advice you give will centre on helping children and their parents to build healthy habits, which is important because unhealthy habits can be a source of illness in later life, as well as during childhood.