Posted on 26/05/2011 by Mike - Executive Director
We’ve been wanting to launch a loyalty card here at Radius for some time now. You would think with all the schemes out there it would be a pretty simple thing to do. It wasn’t!
The problem we found was that most loyalty card offerings didn’t actually benefit the customer. We wanted a scheme that made it easy to accumulate points, and allowed them to be redeemed on things the customer actually wanted.
Last year we did a lot of research and found that over and above anything else – you wanted a national rewards offer, that can be used across all our stores, and which gave something back to you for sticking with us.
As a result, we’ve come up with a programme that’s straight to the point and gives you true value. Unlike many programmes out there, you will get something back in your pocket very quickly.
Introducing Radius Rewards! – Our new Rewards card. For every $75 spent at any Radius Pharmacy – including prescriptions – you’ll receive a $5 voucher!
Registering is really simple, just a few steps to sign up and using it in store is effortless. By a simple swipe of your card or a search of your name, every purchase you make will earn you points, even on your prescriptions.
$1 = 1 point and 75 points instantly creates a $5.00 voucher to spend on your next purchase.
Radius Rewards vouchers can be redeemed in any of our stores — on any purchase (not including medicines).
Being a Radius Rewards member gives you added benefits such as access to VIP days, special promotions, samples and exclusive offers tailored just for you.
Don’t forget to sign up next time you’re in store. That way you’ll start collecting points immediately!
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Posted on 16/05/2011 by Androulla - Advisory Pharmacist
As we say goodbye to the last of the mild autumn weather, our minds turn to dusting off those winter woollies, pulling out our heaters and getting ready to settle in for winter.
As part of your winter preparations, make sure you and your family are ready for winter illness like coughs, colds, sore throats and blocked or runny noses. There are up to 200 different viruses that cause colds, so it’s no wonder that catching one, particularly over winter, is almost inevitable.
Luckily, there are things that may help to prevent a cold. Eating healthy food is a good start in maintaining good general health. Vitamin C, extra Zinc and Echinacea may boost immunity and shorten a cold’s duration. As there is no cure for the common cold, if you do succumb to winter bugs, minimising their spread, and treating the symptoms is the best plan of attack. Age-old treatments of rest, reassurance and fluids, as well as paracetamol or ibuprofen for a fever or sore throat are still the best means of treating a cold.
Influenza, or the flu, is caught in the same way as a cold, but it comes on quicker and with more severe symptoms. The flu is associated with extreme headaches, body aches, shivering and feelings of hot and cold.
Many common winter ailments such as coughs, colds and flu, can be treated at home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet. If a cold or flu does get you, the last thing you want to do is find you don’t have the basics at home to take care of yourself. Medicine Cabinet basics should include:
• Paracetamol/ibuprophen
• Cough mixtures – ask us which one is right for you or your family
• Cold relief products – to ease the aches and pains, decongest, and help you sleep
• Nasal sprays
• Throat lozenges
• Anti-diarrhoeal medicines
• Re-hydration mixtures
• A thermometer
So don’t let winter ills get the better of you this year. Plan ahead, by asking your Radius Pharmacist what you can do to protect yourself and be ready to fight back.
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Posted on 08/03/2011 by Androulla - Advisory Pharmacist
A lot of things changed on the afternoon of the 22nd February when the earthquake hit Christchurch, some forever. But now, two weeks on, some things have stayed true to their beginnings.
Pharmacy as a profession has once again shown itself to be the centre of New Zealand’s healthcare system. When the city was literally falling down around them, pharmacy staff worked through unbelievable odds to help their communities. Our Riccarton Clinic pharmacy worked by torchlight. Supermarket trolleys were filled with fallen stock, to allow a path for customers to walk through the destruction of the store.
Our Moorhouse pharmacy was evacuated immediately. Pharmacy staff helped the neighbouring doctors and nurses pull equipment out of the surgery so they could triage the injured in the car park. Staff would dash back into the pharmacy for supplies of bandages and pain relief etc.
Tower Junction was also evacuated immediately. The major portion of services they provide is to Rest Homes and Hospitals, so their major focus was to get in touch with each one to see what level of assistance they required and to reassure them that their medication supply would continue without interruption.
The adrenaline of that day kept everyone moving and doing whatever needed to be done. Staff returned to their homes late that night, and many found them badly damaged. No-one could blame them for not turning up to work the next day – and yet they did! There is a certain responsibility that comes with the word “professional” and not one pharmacist in Christchurch forgot it. Two out of three Radius stores were operational immediately, with Tower Junction opening on Thursday when the building was given clearance. Many surgeries and pharmacies in the region were not so lucky – so Radius was a referral site for all those who could not provide for their patients.
Pharmacy became the centre point – people turned to pharmacy as a voice they could trust, to treat them and then direct them where to go next. A lot of the information coming out from the official channels was conflicting. Medical staff would call the pharmacy and expect them to have the most up to date information. One doctor summed it up when he rang to query news reports of free access to healthcare that differed from what they had been told. He said “you have contact with the widest range of people, so I thought the ‘powers that be’ would tell you first.”
‘Professional judgment’ became something staff drew on to make decisions. The ability to do what needs to be done in an emergency really sets the ‘professions’ apart.
A lot of elderly people were evacuated from rest homes with no medications and no idea of what medication they usually take. Ambulance drivers ferrying people around the city would stop in for supplies on their way. Many people were off to the welfare centres, with injuries that needed treating and needing regular medicines. It showed how important it was that pharmacy could provide customers with treatments for minor ailments. Eye infections, for example, were on the rise due to the dust all around the city and we were able to give antibiotics without having to refer the patient to a doctor. Being able to dress a customer’s wounds, provide medications and refer them on to a different health practitioner if needed took a lot of pressure off an already stressed GP and hospital service. We provided a lot of counselling, comforting and practical advice.
I was not there when the earthquake hit and only got a glimpse of what our staff were all going through when I went to see following the quake. I was, and still am, in awe of their dedication to their profession and their communities. They have all helped so many people in so many ways by working so hard and so selflessly. There is still a long way to go and the ongoing effects of the injuries and shock the people of Christchurch have suffered will continue for many months and years.
At Radius we are proud to be helping our communities and customers every day, but especially during times of special need.
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Posted on 28/02/2011 by Androulla - Advisory Pharmacist
It may surprise many you to learn that most women’s ‘things’ are simply not inevitable curses of nature. More and more research* shows that we need to treat women’s symptoms and diseases differently than men’s.
Almost any hormone-related health problem – from mood swings or niggling symptoms that accompany periods, to feeling tired and run down– can be traced back to some degree of hormonal imbalance. Symptoms may begin as early as the late 20s, and tend to increase as a woman ages, especially if ignored in the earlier years. Obvious symptoms of hormone imbalance can be any one or more of the following:
· Depression, fatigue and anxiety
· Headaches, dizziness and foggy thinking
· Low sex drive
· PMS
· Urinary tract infections and incontinence
· Weight gain, water retention and bloating.
Variations in the balance of female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, can have a dramatic effect on your health. Factors such as stress, nutrition, exercise, HRT and contraceptive medications can vary the amounts of hormones a woman’s body produces from month to month.
Being aware of how these factors can influence hormones or deplete nutrients will allow you to make simple changes to get you back on the right track.
Women’s health issues can be hard to talk about sometimes and too many women suffer in silence, not knowing the range of options available to them.
This is often how Stress Urinary Incontinence is dealt with, being thought of as inevitable after childbirth, or with advancing age. Yet in fact urinary leakage can be prevented or relieved with the correct pelvic floor and inner core training. Come in and talk to our trained staff about the NatraTone program. Supported by gynaecologists and physiotherapists, NatraTone is exclusive to Radius. It takes just 5 minutes, twice a day, three times a week for 6 weeks to get amazing results! A woman using Naratone is 12 times less likely to suffer urinary leakage than a women doing pelvic floor exercises alone**.
So don’t put in off any longer. At Radius we have the information and advice you need to make the right decisions for your health.
* http://www.edward.org/body.cfm?id=15#healthy
** Independent Trial. References available on request.
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Posted on 14/02/2011 by Androulla - Advisory Pharmacist
It seems there is always an appeal in progress for a good cause. This week it’s the Heart Foundation of New Zealand who is asking for help. There is no doubting it’s a good cause. Donations to the annual appeal week are vitally important to fund training, research, clinical recovery and promoting healthy lifestyles.
So why is it still our leading cause of death in New Zealand? It’s not a new disease, and it seems to me that we know so much more about what causes it and how to treat it, than say, the huge number of cancers that exist.
Every 90mins someone in New Zealand dies of coronary artery disease – many of these are premature and preventable. Obesity is still a major risk factor, as is smoking. And yet one in every two adults is overweight , and one in five people over 15 are smokers.
So why aren’t we getting the message?
Even Pharmac, our health funding agency, admitted in a statement last year that “as a health sector, our services are hard to use. We need to change the way health services are delivered (to the public) so our services become easier to reach and easier to use”.
Millions is spent on marketing campaigns and education to help us make healthy choices in nutrition and excersize. The hope is that this early investment in our schools will pay off in better heart health in the future.
But where does it leave the at risk group right now? Women over 55, and men over 45 are told to have routine heart checks, yet most won’t go and see a doctor unless they really have to. By the time they feel unwell, heart disease has taken hold. And research shows that patients don’t feel comfortable talking about prevention with their doctors, and will only bring up lifestyle changes if they have been diagnosed with a condition.
By coming into your local Radius Pharmacy, you are able to undergo a complete Heart Health Check with no appointment being necessary. We can perform all the tests you need – blood pressure, glucose, weight and cholesterol all play a role in determining your risk of heart disease. Along with some questions around family history, and lifestyle choices such as smoking your Radius Pharmacist is able to use the Heart Foundations “know your numbers” website and calculate your risk.
We can show you how easily you can decrease your risk with changes in lifestyle such as quitting smoking. Your pharmacist can talk you through the importance of supplementation such as Krill oil or resveratrol – both proven to protect your heart. They can talk through weight management options, and be on hand to support you whenever you may need it.
Sometimes even adults need a little hand holding when it comes to taking care of themselves. Pharmacies are everywhere, and you get to see a health professional whenever it suits you. Health services shouldn’t be hard to find, or hard to use.
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Posted on 31/01/2011 by Androulla - Advisory Pharmacist
Pledges to lose weight, stop smoking or get fit are top of the New Year’s resolution list, but as we leave January behind most people are struggling to stick to, or even start their program.
The truth is that although most people start with the best intentions, they lose interest fast if they fail to see results. Studies show that people who seek professional advice and lay out a definite program will most likely succeed in making the lifestyle changes they need.
Whether you’re a dedicated health guru or an absolute beginner, experts agree that by following two simple rules you’ll be more likely to stay inspired and motivated till the end.
Enlist advice from a health professional who will be there to help set a program and set mini goals to get you there. Start with a health Warrant of Fitness so you have a base to work from and compare your success against. A support person, who is on hand whenever you need them, will be able to guide you through each stage and provide options if things are not going according to plan. They will keep you on track to ensure your goals are realistic.
Know your product support. There are a huge range of products designed specifically so that reaching your goals is easy. Whether you need nicotine replacements or weight loss support, achieving your goals doesn’t have to be painful.
Sticking to your health resolutions could be the biggest challenge you face this year, and may be the best decision you ever made.
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Posted on 27/01/2011 by Androulla - Advisory Pharmacist
Welcome to our very own radius pharmacy blog! It’s our way of keeping you in touch with what’s hot and new in pharmacy, and a chance have a chat about what’s going on in the world of health.
Why blog?
Because we have a lot to say! There are so many exciting things happening in health and beauty, new advances in natural health and medicines we want to tell you about. We are living in a world of instant information – the internet allows us access to find huge amounts of information. A quick search of current headlines bring up emotive topics like “weekend sleep may equal leaner children” “Sav Blanc can cause headaches but saves skin” “Woman dies as heart condition left undiagnosed.” It’s quite hard for most people to rock up to their doctor and ask them if they think drinking an extra glass of Sav with dinner will help their skin!
It’s getting harder and harder to decipher the truth from the hype, and conflicting information can leave us more confused than before. Hopefully we can put in all in perspective by giving some unbiased professional advice on current topics.
Blogging also gives you a chance to tell us what’s important to you! What interests you, and what bugs you, so we can get to know you better and make sure we bring you what you want.
We are pretty passionate about your health, and will use any opportunity we can to make sure you’re well informed. The only way you can make the right health choices for you and your family is to get the right information from the right people.
You can’t underestimate the value of good advice.
Do you remember when every community had a butcher, a greengrocer, a fishmonger and a pharmacy? In many areas, only the pharmacy was left standing. Our extremely busy lifestyles saw supermarkets become one–stop shops, with convenience taking over from advice. But have you noticed how the specialist stores are coming back? That’s because people have realised the importance of the knowledge and advice that only specialists have to offer, and this is way more important to them in the long run.
We pride ourselves as being more than just medication specialists (which of course we are!). Pharmacy offers complete health solutions. Who else knows about your symptoms, your condition, the medicines that treat it and the natural therapies that support it? Who else knows whether that thing growing on the sole of your foot is a bunion, corn, callous or verucca – or a sign of something more serious? There is good reason the profession uses the catch phrase “the health professional you see most often”. Pharmacy is the first port of call for minor ailments, available hours that suit you without the need to make an appointment.
There is no-one at the supermarket to tell you that two of the products you’ve picked up with your groceries all contain paracetamol. You’ve bought something for your headache and a general cold and flu treatment. Paracetamol may be one of the safest pain relievers, but if these products are taken together (which happens all the time as when you are feeling under the weather with a cold, your head hurts too!) there is a small jump from the recommended dose to a toxic level! Not to mention what the seemingly harmless paracetamol will do to prescribed medication like warfarin.
I look forward to your comments, and hope to hear from you all soon.
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