For this session, use our coughs, cold and flu article, as well as other sources of information and practical experience within the pharmacy team to strengthen your knowledge of coughs, cold and flu. This will give you more insight and information to pass on to your customers. You can use information sources you may have in the pharmacy, such as other articles, or OTC medicines guides and manufacturers' literature (e.g. on cough, cold and flu remedies) or websites (e.g. NHS Choices on coughs, colds and flu). Think about how you feel when you have a cough or cold. Have you been prescribed antibiotics when perhaps you didn't need them? And if you did need them, did you finish the course? Taking antibiotics when you don't need them and/or not finishing the course can increase the risk of antibiotic resistance. How do you self-treat coughs, colds and sore throats? Can you use this information to pass on useful tips to your customers? For further inspiration, visit the websites listed in the 'information sources' section.

You will find plenty of information, including expert opinion, on the misuse of antibiotics and the treatment of coughs, colds and flu in our article. In order to make it useful and relevant to your work, think about the following:

• Can you explain to a customer why antibiotics should not be used to cure a cold?
• Can you explain to a customer what antibiotic resistance is, and what the problems of antibiotic resistance are both now and potentially in the future?
• How can you as a pharmacy team ensure that you give simple, straightforward, coherent messages about antibiotics? Are you all giving the same message?
• Identify cough, cold and flu treatments which are safe to use in pregnancy and during breastfeeding
• Are you confident enough to give advice on flu vaccination? Which patient groups are recommended to have the flu vaccine?
• Can you identify the differences in symptoms between a cold and flu?
• What myths surround coughs and colds? What do you hear your customers say? Are their beliefs correct? If not, to what extent do they matter? Can each member of the team come up with one common belief associated with coughs and colds?