WWHAM questions

Who is it for? It may not be the customer who needs the treatment; most sleep aid products are not suitable for children under 16 years.

What are the symptoms? Ask the customer to describe all of their symptoms as there may be an underlying physical condition that's disturbing their sleep.

How long have the symptoms been present? Any customer with long-term insomnia or sleep problems should be referred to the pharmacist.

Action already taken? This will help you establish what products the customer has already used; antihistamine sleep aids should only be used in the short term.

Medication? It is important to refer any customer who is taking any other medicines to the pharmacist so that they can assess if their current medication is causing the problem.

When to refer to the pharmacist

• Anyone taking prescribed medication
• Anyone with any diagnosed diseases/ conditions
• Anyone with possible depression
• Early morning waking
• Children under 16 years or the elderly
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• If symptoms have been present for longer than a week
• Anyone who has suffered from insomnia before
• Anyone who has unsuccessfully tried a sleep remedy before.