Did you know that you can receive routine injections at Bowman's Pharmacy? No need to make an appointment or wait in clinics.

Go ahead and let the Olympics inspire you to get outside and play. Just...I mean, be safe. Leave the ski jumping to the pros. Go Team Canada!

This made me laugh more than it should. Pharmacists can do much more for you than just read your prescription but this is obviously an important part of the job :)

This feels like a perfect day to talk about shovelling safety....and remember - lift with your legs- not your back!

When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease. High blood pressure is when the blood pressure in your arteries is elevated and your heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood through the blood vessels. It is important that you have your blood pressure checked regularly by your healthcare provider, like your pharmacist. Did you know that women over 65 are more likely to have high blood pressure than men? Don't be in the dark about your blood pressure. Drop into Bowman's Pharmasave anytime to have your blood pressure checked. You and Paul can discuss how often you should have it checked, and he can even keep a record for you at the pharmacy that can be printed out and taken to your doctor when you go. All free of charge.

We know. This weather is making for rough spring race training. We can't guarantee clear trails, but we can help with recovery. PS. Did you know a lot of health plans cover compression gear? Come get measured by Paul today!

Yes we can. Fungal skin infections, mild eczema, nicotine dependence, thrush, urinary tract infections, cold sores to name but a few. Check in with your pharmacist.

Really got to start work on my presentation skills ( 🙁🙁) but congratulations to the winner of our new year new you competition! Melissa Wilson!!! An awesome prize to help you with healthy lifestyle goals from the amazing people at Precision Pilates, Breathing Space Yoga Studio, Live Well / Bien Vivre and SLS Health Coaching. Stay healthy Fredericton 😃😃

Did you know that pharmacists like Paul, at Bowman's Pharmasave can assess and prescribe for minor ailments? What are minor ailments you ask? A minor ailment is a less serious medical condition that does not require lab or blood tests. Minor ailments are usually short-term health conditions that can be managed with minimal treatment. Pharmacists receive specialized training to be able to offer this service. There are actually 32 minor ailments that Paul can prescribe for. The full list can be found here https://nbpharma.ca/your-pharmacist-can/6 but to give you a teaser, minor ailments include such things as Urinary Tract Infections, cold sores, acid reflux, rashes and fungal infections, dry eyes, nausea and thrush. You can come to the pharmacy anytime, without an appointment. We have a private counselling room, where Paul will discuss your symptoms and history, and then prescribe a prescription medication or an over the counter solution if the situation requires it. We might be biased, but we think this is a pretty great service. It saves you time, it prevents trips to the emergency room and it saves the health care system a lot of money. Did you know that UTIs are the 5th leading cause of ER visits in Canada, affecting 12% of women each year and that 50% of women will experience a UTI before the age of 32? UTIs are no joke. No one should have to wait hours in the Emergency Room for something that a pharmacist can treat within minutes. There's a catch though. Right now, these services are not paid for by the New Brunswick health care system. Patients like you actually have to pay out of pocket for this service. Typically it'll cost you $25. (The only exception to that right now is UTIs, because there's currently a study happening. However, when that study finishes, you'll have to pay $25 for the pharmacist's assessment and get relief.) We'd like to see that changed. We'd like those services paid for by the health care system like they are in other provinces. Pharmacists can deliver these services a lot cheaper than emergency rooms can, and patient's get to have greater access to health care, at times that work for you. We met with our MLA David Coon MLA last week and were really pleased to see that he raised this issue in the Legislature this week. The Minister of Health Benoît Bourque seems open to fixing this problem, but the government needs to hear how important this is to you. If you see value in having these services at pharmacies, and having them paid for like they would be in ERs and clinics, send your MLA a quick message to let them know. If you want to learn more, we're keen to talk. Radio Canada nous a rendu visite hier et a une belle histoire sur son site Web: http://ici.radio-canada.ca/tele/le-telejournal-acadie/site/segments/reportage/57445/actualite-soins-urgences-assurance-maladie

As a follow up to yesterday's post if you or someone you love is looking for help with mental illness in Fredericton, here is what you need to know. First off - If you are considering harming yourself, or someone else, call 911 or get to the emergency room right away. Do not wait. Outside of emergencies, there are two options when accessing the mental health system in New Brunswick. The first is through an individual’s family doctor. That physician will assess the individual and decide whether to treat alone or provide a referral to a psychiatrist or counsellor. The second is to seek help directly from a community mental health clinic, a counsellor or therapist, or a psychologist. Waitlists are a reality in New Brunswick. We've still got a long way to go in the delivery of mental health care in NB. Wait times vary depending on the severity of the problem, where you live and how many people are seeking treatment in your region. This is especially true for publically funded programs. If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Program, you are able to access counselling services. These can be a really useful starting spot. If you have health care insurance, counselling or sessions with a psychologist may be covered. We certainly hope this offering is expanded. We're lucky in Fredericton that there are several counselling and psychology practices. You can find them through google, or through referrals from health care professionals, friends and family. You don't need a referral from your doctor to see these professionals, but know that counsellors and psychologists cannot prescribe medication. Here are some resources right here in Fredericton: CHIMO Helpline 1-800-667-5005 Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 Fredericton Community Mental Health Centre 453-2132 The Canadian Mental Health Association Fredericton Office can be reached at (506) 455-5231 or at http://cmhanb.ca/mental-health/find-help/ Please note, the mental health association does not provide counselling or doctors but can help navigate the system, and they have self-help groups and programming. Here is a link to their free programming (workshops on topics like depression, recovery, anxiety, kids and stress) http://cmhanb.ca/2017-2018-fredericton-programs/ Mental health is complex. Treatment will take time. You may need to try a few counsellors or psychologists before you find one you're comfortable with. If you need medication, you may have to try a few before you find the right one and dose. Living well with mental illness IS possible. We're here to talk and help navigate the health system so you can get the support you need.

Today is Bell Let's Talk Day. I am going to talk about my own journey with mental health – in the hope that it may provide someone, somewhere, some comfort, knowing hope is out there! Firstly, I think we still have a long way to go as a society to reduce stigma around mental health. I have written and re-written this post several times over, and this is not something I normally do. We still live in a world where it is difficult to tell your story. Many of us with mental illness keep our journey quiet. We worry even our people will look at us differently, treat us differently, even avoid us. More and more research now shows that living with this illness in silence makes it harder. By sharing our stories we can help end the stigma and perhaps, even feel better. Sharing my story with close family and friends really has helped me because I have realised that I am not alone and that somehow, whether directly or indirectly many people I know have had their lives impacted by mental illness. A year ago, I was in a very different space. I was spending my first night in 2SE, the psychiatric ward at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton. I would remain there for 5 nights in total. I will forever be grateful for the care I received in that ward from the team of medical professionals and to my wife Lindsay for remaining strong at a most difficult time. I had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder by my family doctor about a year earlier but if I am honest with myself I had been living with anxiety for quite some time prior to diagnosis. I had tried a couple of different medications but even as a healthcare professional who knew better, I didn’t really give them much chance to take effect. My anxiety is exacerbated by perceived, not actual, threats, especially around finances and the fear of failure. A lot was happening in my life this time last year. Everything that was happening was of my own doing. I left a job that had provided me security and stability because I wanted to get back to my passion of being a community pharmacist and I wanted to follow my dream of opening my own pharmacy. These life changes, that on one hand excited me like nothing had in a long time, also, unfortunately, led to a deterioration of my mental health. The first few weeks of 2017 were some of the hardest weeks of my life. Sitting on my own in my beautiful new pharmacy with too much time to think sent my anxiety out of control to the point that I called my psychologist and her advice was to get myself to the hospital. I look back now and think she probably saved my life and she has certainly helped since then by giving me many tools that help put my perceived threats into perspective. That was 365 days ago. Today I have come a long way but in many respects still, have a way to go. Out of the darkest times have come some great things! I now have a business I am proud of (still a work in progress 😊) in a community I love and have met so many new people that have enriched my life for the better. None of these things seemed possible in my mind only 365 days ago. Mental Health reflects life, it’s a journey, with good times and crappy times and opportunity for greater things to come. I have anxiety. I have also had the nerve to move halfway across the world to a country where I knew no one. I have also had the endurance to complete an Ironman. I have also had the strength to open my business despite my fear. Anxiety is not a weakness, although it is part of me, it does not define me. In many ways, I am thankful for finally coming to the realisation that I have this condition. I think I am a better health care professional because of this. Before I had sympathy for patients with mental illness. Now I have empathy. If you are living with mental illness, know that you are not alone. If you are caring for someone with mental illness, know that you are not alone. Today #letstalk