Bedminster Pharmacy
A Bristol pharmacy turned its premises orange to raise awareness for World Meningitis Day and publicise the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Bedminster Pharmacy, an independent healthy living pharmacy, said the day was also about promoting NHS England’s campaign to use a community pharmacy more when seeking medical advice.
Local newspapers, websites and radio all covered the event, which saw staff wearing orange t-shirts, inflating balloons and handing out Meningitis Now signs and symptoms cards, and information leaflets.
Meningitis can affect people of all ages, not just babies and children, and it is important for people to recognise the signs, superintendent pharmacist at the pharmacy, Ade Williams, said.
He added that charities were starting to realise that pharmacies could reach far more members of the public than they could, and at the same time such initiatives also boost the profile of community pharmacy.
The team has previously raised awareness for pancreatic cancer and are planning an event in conjunction with a bowel cancer charity. Other charities are approaching them asking for their help in getting information out to the public.
“We deliberately fed into the NHS Stay Well campaign as well,” he said. “We get to remind everybody what pharmacies do and that we are trained in recognising symptoms.”
