Pharmacies play an important role in cancer care, said Chris Chiew, London Drug’s Vice President of Pharmacy and Healthcare Innovation.
In addition to the regular services that pharmacies provide, pharmacists can help the patient and their caregivers in a variety of ways. Such as offering insight into any possible side effects of cancer treatment care.
Certain pharmacies, such as London Drugs, also have a free skincare kit for individuals undergoing cancer treatment. The cancer care skin care kits can be obtained by speaking to a staff member in the cosmetic department.
“A lot of the therapies do cause issues with the skin, whether it be dry skin, extreme hair loss, sores, wound recovery from surgery,” Chiew said. Items in the kit can help prevent any severe skin issues that might arise during treatment, Chiew said.
The kit has an informative brochure that discusses what to expect when going through chemotherapy and radiation and preventative measures patients can take, Chiew said.
“We know of cancer patients that actually have used it and have since seen success from them using this particular kit,” he added.
The Canadian Cancer Society also encourages patients to talk to their radiation therapy team about any symptoms or problems they might be experiencing. Their team can give them specific tips for taking care of their skin during treatment.
Select London Drugs locations offer workshops called learning labs at least once every three months. They discuss topics like what to expect when starting chemotherapy or how to prevent skin issues during treatment.
The experts leading the labs talk about “how to get through it (cancer treatment) as a patient, then as well to provide more information in terms of the drugs that they might be using,” Chiew said.
Patients have an opportunity to share their personal experiences as well as ask questions. The learning labs will be advertised in store and online, Chiew said.
London Drugs also has services available for caregivers. It has partnered with the organization Teva Canada to help support caregivers. It offers a wide variety of resources for caregivers, including power of attorney templates.
For more information, visit London Drugs online.