With autumn upon us, public health campaigns start to step up a gear and there are plenty of opportunities for pharmacies to get involved

Stoptober

What? The 28-day national stop smoking challenge is returning for its fifth year this October. Stopping smoking for 28 days means people are five times more likely to quit for good and Stoptober offers a platform to have conversations with customers to encourage them to quit smoking, discuss support options and tailor advice.

Get involved! Public Health England (PHE) has developed a new pharmacy toolkit for 2016 to help pharmacy teams remind smokers that help is available. These will be distributed to all pharmacies in England from 19 September.

Stay Well this Winter

What? Following the success of last year’s campaign, which drove an estimated 1.1 million extra visits to pharmacy, NHS England and PHE are launching Stay Well this Winter to help at-risk groups prepare for the winter months. The campaign will encourage parents of two to seven-year-olds, pregnant women, those with long-term health conditions such as asthma or heart disease, and people over 65 years of age to get the free NHS flu vaccination and take simple, easy to achieve actions that may prevent admission to hospital.

Get involved! Distribution of toolkits to all pharmacies in England will begin from 19 September.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

What? Every year, 55,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October highlights the importance of breast awareness, education and research and is a great platform from which to encourage customers to check their breasts regularly and advise them of the signs and symptoms to look out for.

Get involved! Find out more via: Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now.

Caring for Carers: BackCare Awareness Week

What? This year’s BackCare Awareness Week (3-8 October) focuses on the seven million unpaid carers in the UK, over 70 per cent of whom suffer from back pain and are at increased risk of developing chronic pain. 

Get involved! For more information and to order a resource pack, visit the BackCare website.