For this session, use our article on allergies and hayfever, as well as other sources of information to strengthen your knowledge of common allergies. This will give you more information to pass on to customers. Do you come across issues related to common allergies in the pharmacy that are not mentioned in our article? What are they? Are you confident enough to deal with them and do you know when to refer to the pharmacist or signpost people for further help?

As well as the information in our allergies and hayfever article, you can use information sources you may have in the pharmacy, such as other articles, OTC medicines guides and manufacturer literature (e.g. on oral antihistamines, eye and nasal products). 

In order to make the training and discussion useful and relevant to your work, think about the following:

• What are the most common allergies? Are you confident about recommending self care strategies and treatments for each?
• What are the most common foods linked with food allergy? Do different foods affect adults and children?
• What are the symptoms of food allergy?
• What is anaphylaxis? How is it treated?
• Do you know how to advise someone who needs to carry an adrenaline injection for
  self-administration for an anaphylactic episode?
• What would you do in the pharmacy if a customer suffered an anaphylactic episode?