Responding to symptoms - conditions and their treatments summaries for pharmacy and medical students
- Pain (headaches, migraines, period)
- Eye
- Ear
- Paediatrics
- Skin
Advise on the most appropriate treatment options for patients in pain
Recognise common eye and ear conditions
Advise on the treatment & practical self care
Understand the situations where referral is most appropriate
⚡ What can the pharmacist provide?
Responding to symptoms - 11.10 1
, Diagnosis - usually comes from asking a series of questions such as WWHAM or
ASMETHOD.
Based on the diagnosis a pharmacist will then decide if there is an appropriate OTC
medication available or if a referral is warranted.
There will be associated advice with this so if a OTC medication is supplied how the patient
needs to take it or any other advice that is necessary.
⚡ WWHAM:
Who is it for?
What are the symptoms?
How long have they had them?
Action already taken?
Medicines being taken for other problems?
Responding to symptoms - 11.10 2
, Before a diagnosis is reached it is important to ask and obtain the relevant information. The
National Pharmaceutical association (NPA) have devised WWHAM to help pharmacy
counter staff remember the information they need to obtain from the patient.
⚡ ASMETHOD:
Age/appearance
Self or someone else
Medication
Extra medicines
Time persisting
History
Other symptoms
Danger symptoms
⚡ Pain types:
Creates awareness of injury or disease
Perception of pain is different for each individual:
Difficult to gauge
Chronic or acute:
Acute pain is short term and is often relieved with pain relief as opposed to long-term/
chronic pain.
Common types of self limiting pain:
Responding to symptoms - 11.10 3
, Headache including migraine
Dental pain
Period pain
Musculoskeletal pain
🌹 Headaches and migraine:
Tension headache:
Bilateral – dull ache with pressing/tightening sensation across forehead (rubberband)
Sinus headache:
Behind and around the eye (worse when leaning forward)
Hangover headache:
Dull, pounding ache and often associated with nausea and vomiting
Migraine:
Photo/phonophobia
Pulsating and throbbing headache - with or without aura (visual disturbances,
with/without N&V → not likely to give anti-emetic if without N&V)
Triggers:
Bright lights
Foods (e.g. alcohol, cheese, citrus fruits, chocolate – now evidence to suggest it
alleviates migraine symptoms, salami)
Extremes of weather (e.g. very hot or cold, strong winds)
Long-distance travel
Loud noise
Missing meals
Strenuous unaccustomed exercise
Responding to symptoms - 11.10 4
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