Help2Health Enables Pharmacists to meet
2009 White Paper - August 08

A HAMPSHIRE based health marketing company will be helping pharmacies make the transition from corner chemist shop to one-stop 'healthy living centres' as envisaged in the Government's White Paper.

IDS UK has set up Help2Health to enable pharmacists to meet the requirements of the Government's White Paper that call for them to take on a greater role 'promoting health and self-care.'

No longer just the place you go to for your prescriptions, pharmacies will have a more pro-active healthcare role under the government plans.

The White Paper states the Government's aim is to create a shift from dispensing to clinical services that will exploit the location of pharmacies and their opening times.

Pharmacies will:

• become ‘healthy living’ centres – promoting health and self-care
• be the first port of call for minor ailments and supply common medicines (saving up to 57 million GP consultations per year or 1 hour per day per GP)
• support patients with long-term conditions

Help2Health, the medical leaflet supply service, is already being used by 750 pharmacies across the UK and many are witnessing a positive response.

Kettering based pharmacist Rakesh Patel said his customers have welcomed the leaflet stand in his pharmacy.

“When people are waiting for their prescriptions, they pick up the leaflets and it is a great source of information for them,” he said. “If I have customers who are newly diagnosed as diabetic or they are suffering from epiliepsy, I point them in the direction of the leaflet stand so they can get more information about their condition.”

Superintendant pharmacist Jagdeesh Cheema from Essex explained the H2H leaflet stands allow him to promote a healthy lifestyle to his customers in a professional way.

“In the past having leaflets in pharmacies has been pretty haphazard – they can end up looking messy and you have no idea what information is being given out,” he said.

Mr Cheema said he was attracted to the H2H service because it presented the leaflets in a professional manner and they were regularly re-stocked and updated.

“There is a real trend for people to take more control of their health and be more pro-active. When they come to my pharmacy, they can now pick up a leaflet and find out more about a particular condition or ailment. It fits in with the Government White Paper and I am all for empowering people when it comes to their health,” he said.

Business Development Manager for H2H, Sarah O'Reilly said: “Pharmacies will have to change their role in the coming years under the proposals in the White Paper. We can help them to meet the aims of the Government and take away all the hassle of sourcing and updating the information they make available for their customers,” she said.

For more details about Help2Health contact Sarah O'Reilly on 01489 860006 or

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