As your pharmacist, I want to encourage each of you to be aware that we at Pharmasave Smith Drugs & Apothecary care about you and your health. In particular we care about your understanding of how your medications work and how they affect your physical or mental health.

We all can feel anxious from time to time about various issues or incidents in our lives. Feeling anxious about having to speak in front of a group is quite normal for most people. Worrying about whether a certain person likes or dislikes you is a common source for concern. It is also normal to think about how close you might have come to having had a car accident when you were driving on an icy road.

Some level of anxiety can even be helpful. For example anxiety can help a person study harder...

"Snap out of it!" "Get a grip!" "Just pull yourself together." "What's wrong with you?" "You just need to pray more." "You need to get out of yourself and give back to others." Some well-intentioned people have said things like these to individuals with depression. Rather than helping however, these foolish bits of advice hurt. Words spoken without proper understanding of clinical depression have made depressed people feel worse. Before giving advice it only makes sense to obtain some knowled...

I have terrible vision. Without my glasses I cannot recognize if you are smiling or frowning at me. If I try driving a car without my glasses, I would cause an accident! I wear eyeglasses because I need them to see, and I am willing to admit it!

Why is it that so many people are willing to get help when they recognize that something is wrong with their eyesight, and yet refuse to get help with many issues dealing with how they see life! Looking at life filtered through a lens of depression ...

Photo-protection is a key preventative health strategy based on evidence that sunscreens can help to reduce the risk of skin cancers and other skin damage. Avoiding the sun completely is unrealistic for most people, so the regular use of a sunscreen is a useful compromise. Sun exposure is a factor in the development of three types of skin cancers. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer, is caused by the exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It affects fair-skinned individuals ...

Participation in sports activities and exercise programs is increasing as people become more health conscious. Although commonly associated with health benefits, sports and exercise can also cause injuries. Individuals in all age groups benefit from regular exercise when it is performed properly. The benefits of exercise (e.g. prevention of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis, weight control, muscle tone, etc) outweigh the risk of injuries.

This article will focus on minor sports and exe...

Do you need a vitamin supplement?

Everyone knows that proper nutrition is necessary for good health, but just what exactly does that mean? What is good nutrition? And how do you know if you are getting all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy?

A good place to start is with Canada's Food Guide. Health and nutrition experts developed the guide to help Canadians choose the right foods in the right amounts to maintain their health.

Whole foods (non-processed foods) are the best source of vi...

The month of November is acknowledged as Diabetes month. Every November the world unites in support of a campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation to mark the birthday of the co-discovery of insulin – Sir Frederick Banting. This year is significant, because 2011 is the 90th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. The number of Canadians with diabetes is estimated to be 2.7 million people (7.6% of the population) in 2010, and is projected to rise to 4.2 million (10.8% of the po...

Is your pharmacist patient... a patient...impatient....in pain... or a pain?
 

Well, this pharmacist, Phil Smith has been all of these recently as I am currently recuperating after  TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT surgery. Yes, I am your pharmacist (along with the two Norms). Yes, normally I am quite patient. Yes, I am a patient of Dr. Woolfrey who has done a great job of surgery by replacing my arthritic bowed knee with a nice straight titanium one that can actually bend as well as straighten! Yes, ...

It is important to review your personal medications with your pharmacist to ensure you are receiving full benefit of your medication to maintain and improve your health.  It is a good idea to create and update annually a best possible medication record during a medication review especially if you take several medications each day. It is particularly important to arrange a medication review/update with your pharmacist if:

• You are planning to be admitted to hospital (in order to have an ...

What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of your blood against the blood vessel walls. The recommended target for people with diabetes is less than 130/80 mm Hg. The top number is the pressure when your heart contracts and pushes blood out (systolic). The bottom number is the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats (diastolic). For non-diabetic adults, normal blood pressure is considered to be less than 140/90 mm Hg. There are often no sym...