As summer comes to an end and the school term starts again, you need to get ready for the parents who will be coming to the pharmacy for advice and treatment for things like head lice and threadworms. These parasites are a real worry to parents as it is so easy for children to pick them up and an infestation may make families feel unhygienic – as if they should have done something to prevent these pests. You and your team are ideally placed to dispel myths about head lice, which have nothing to do with hygiene or the type or length of a person’s hair, and advise on good hygiene, which can help prevent the spread of threadworms.

But remember to be sensitive in your conversations with customers as they may well feel embarrassed. Neither head lice nor threadworms occur as a result of people being ‘dirty’ or unhygienic. Respect their need for some privacy and one-to-one care and invite them into your counselling area.

Remember too that the pharmacy has the products necessary to treat these little parasites, so it’s important to get to know your product range to be able to give advice and appropriate recommendations. Those who are leading the training will find accompanying learning prompts and teaching notes here.