Stepping into action

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March is home to Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, World Sleep Day, and Young Carers Action Day. Pharmacy teams have the chance to get involved in one, two or all three campaigns, which more than anything else, need awareness to be generated for their respective causes.

Make a difference for ovarian cancer

Currently, only one in three women live more than 10 years after they are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. “It’s unacceptable,” says the charity Ovarian Cancer Action. “With 7,500 women receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis in the UK each year, it’s vital we make faster progress to reach a vision of ovarian cancer being survivable for all women.”

Early detection is crucial, and for those who spot symptoms early, survival chances are significantly higher.

By highlighting the symptoms of ovarian cancer in the pharmacy – and making a mental note of them in case a customer presents with them – more people will be aware of when they should visit a doctor.

Common symptoms include:

• Persistent bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Changes in urinary habits
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss or gain.

Ovarian Cancer Action has an ovarian cancer symptoms tracker that you can share with customers, as well as a leaflet with key information on ovarian cancer. Both can be accessed for free, along with a host of other resources, on the Ovarian Cancer Action website: bit.ly/49RRnk8.

Pharmacy teams can also help the cause by taking part in the “Walk in Her Name” initiative  – a challenge to walk 100km to raise funds in the name of someone who has lost their life to ovarian cancer. “A woman dies every two hours from ovarian cancer in the UK,” says Ovarian Cancer Action. “Together, we can change that.”

Let’s celebrate sleep

Since 2008, World Sleep Day has been both a celebration of sleep and a call to action for important issues related to sleep. It aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders, says the World Sleep Society, the organisation that runs the global campaign.

For World Sleep Day 2026, pharmacy teams can start conversations with customers about their sleep. Do they know how many hours of sleep they should be getting a night? Do they know about the different types of sleep we go through each night? And are they familiar with the symptoms of sleep disorders like sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome and insomnia?

Answering these questions via information displayed around the pharmacy or on social media could help customers better understand their relationship with sleep – which has a huge impact on cognitive function and overall wellbeing.

Knowing which support organisations to signpost customers to will also make a difference. Here are a few you could point them to:

• The British Society of Pharmacy Sleep Services: bspss.org
• The Sleep Charity: the sleepcharity.org.uk
• Sleep Action: sleepaction.org.

Looking after young carers

On Wednesday 11 March, Young Carers Action Day will look to raise awareness of the many young children and young adults who are in caring positions.

“Young carers face a huge array of challenges as a result of their caring role,” says Carers Trust, the organisation behind Young Carers Action Day. “Many young carers are disadvantaged across multiple aspects of their lives, including mental and physical health, finances, education and employment.”

Fairer futures

This year, the campaign will follow the theme of Fair Futures for Young Carers – “a call to ensure every young carer has the same chances to learn, grow and thrive as their peers,” say the organisers.

Young carers can vary in age, be caring for multiple adults as well as siblings or other family members, and they may be looking after things like household bills, housework and groceries. However, many do not know what support is available to them. So, pharmacy team members can help out in various ways.

As always, raising awareness is crucial. Displaying posters or leaflets in the pharmacy is a great place to start. Pharmacy team members can also learn how to chat to young carers who may come into the pharmacy with the person or people they are caring for, making sure they know the pharmacy is a safe space for them to ask for help, guidance, or just to take a break and have a chat.

Resources and information about Young Carers Action Day can be found at: carers.org/young-carers-action-day.