By Stephanie Simons,
Head Pharmacist,
Lindo’s Pharmacy in Devonshire
PHARMACY SHAME: The feeling of shame which comes over you when you are spotted by someone you know (a friend, a neighbour, or heaven help you, your boss) popping something embarrassing into your trolley.
We’ve all felt it. Because while there are lots of fun things in our little corner of Lindo’s, there are also items which nobody would describe as fun. But which are, nonetheless, vital to keeping our lives on track.
Let’s look at some of the top entries in the Hall of Shame…
SANITARY PADS
If you’ve ever sidled into this aisle looking furtive, then stop and stand tall. When you think about it, at any moment many – MANY – other people in the shop will be wearing pads of some sort or another. Diapers, sanitary pads, incontinence protection. Where would we be without these things? Stuck at home for most of the time, that’s where.
Think of these items as liberating, not shaming.
We have a great range of products, whatever your needs. Check it out next time you’re in the store. Proudly!
NUTS TO NITS
Kids and head lice. They go together like love and marriage, or a horse and carriage, while not being nearly so nice as any of the above.
Head lice, or nits, are transmitted most easily by head-to-head contact – and children are always putting their heads together, literally. Bless them.
Remember: if your child has head lice, it’s not a sign that you are a slovenly parent. It’s a sign that you are a parent, full stop. Nits happen. So don’t panic. We have lots of different treatments, including Tea Tree Shampoo (Healthaid is a good brand) or a few drops of Tea Tree oil in your favourite shampoo, to deal with the problem. And our team will be happy to guide you towards the right solution for you and your child.
Many people find that teasing a fine-toothed comb through hair after shampooing and conditioning (lice dislike the smell of coconut, apparently, so that’s a good option) works well. This technique is gentle on your babies’ hair, does not involve chemicals (or strong smells). And helps keep track of your progress – body count – in the battle against the little blighters.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It’s a fact of life that pharmacy shame is often associated with our nether regions. You can get haemorrhoids, or piles, for any number of reasons, including pregnancy, being overweight, getting older (and losing muscle tone), or having a bad bout of diarrhoea – as in, Norovirus. Maybe there’s not enough fibre in your diet. As you can see, it’s a pretty big group.
We stock medicated wipes and creams to shrink haemorrhoids and ease your pain, including Anusol and Preparation H – though if the problem persists you should really speak to your doctor.
And if your troubles are related to a lack of fibre, you may find that using a gentle supplement – like Metamucil, or Miralax – can help.
Ask our helpful pharmacists for advice – and if you’re too embarrassed to do it face to face, you can always ring us we’ll be more than happy to answer your questions.
WARTS AND ALL
Plantar Warts – sometimes called Verrucas – are no fun. They pop up on the bottom of your foot, are round, sensitive to touch – and have a little black dot in the middle. Like an evil eye. They are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which can be picked up more easily if your feet are wet.
In children, they will usually go away fairly quickly on their own. But when passed on to other, older members of the family, whose immune systems are not quite so sporty, help may be required. We’ve got a number of products, from field leaders Scholl and Compound W, which can tackle the problem, while easing the pain.
Remember, some of these items can be ordered on dropit.bm, if you can’t get to the pharmacy.
Stephanie Simons is the head pharmacist at Lindo’s Pharmacy in Devonshire. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and has been practicing for over 20 years. She is a registered pharmacist with the Bermuda Pharmacy Council and is a member of the Bermuda Pharmaceutical Association.
