Who is it for? It may not be the customer who needs the treatment.

What are the symptoms? Ask the customer to describe all the symptoms so that you can establish what the most appropriate treatment will be and whether they need to be referred.

How long have the symptoms been present? The symptoms may flare up and then disappear between episodes. Remember to ask the customer if they have had these symptoms in the past and if they have been diagnosed with IBS.

Action already taken? This will help establish whether the customer has already used a product that wasn’t appropriate or hasn’t helped. Medication? It is important that you refer customers who are taking any other medication to the pharmacist.

You don’t have to ask these questions in order, and a customer might give you some of this information without you asking. As long as you get them into the conversation, you should be able to find out the information you need in order to make a recommendation. The golden rule to remember is: if in doubt, refer to the pharmacist. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for their advice as they have a lot of information about products and symptoms to hand that you may not be aware of.