Hand hygiene

Cleaning hands is the single most important thing anyone can do to help reduce the spread of infections.

Hands should always be washed with soap and water if they are visibly soiled, or after using the toilet. Alcohol handrub can be used if hands are visibly clean but is not effective against some infections (e.g. Clostridium difficile). 

Washing hands properly takes about 20 seconds (as long as singing “Happy Birthday” twice).

An NHS video shows the correct way, while the World Health Organization (WHO)’s ‘My five moments for hand hygiene’ guidance, which defines the key moments when healthcare workers should carry out hand hygiene, can be adapted for pharmacy as follows. Wash hands:

Personal hygiene is also important. Long hair should be tied back, nails kept short and minimal jewellery worn. Rings with stones in them should not be worn as they are difficult to clean properly. Open wounds should be covered with an occlusive dressing and clinical gloves should only be put on immediately before use and disposed of appropriately afterwards. Glove use is not a substitute for hand hygiene.

Vaccination 

Providing a vaccine service or signposting at-risk patients to somewhere they can receive their vaccination is an important public health service that can help stem the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Vaccines can decrease the use of antibiotics directly by preventing primary infection, and indirectly by preventing bacterial superinfection after a primary vaccine-preventable illness, such as influenza.