What is Self-Care & Minor Ailment Service (MAS)?
Minor ailments are generally defined as non-complicated medical conditions that can be reasonably self-diagnosed and self-managed with over-the-counter medications. With the support of community pharmacists, professional and reliable health advice can be provided to facilitate the management of these conditions.
The service aims to provide easily accessible, timely and affordable healthcare services for individuals with common and self-limiting health conditions, including individualized advice on use of over-the-counter medications and lifestyle modifications. It also aims to facilitate early detection and referral of conditions requiring further medical attention or support from other professionals.
What minor ailments can be handled in community pharmacy?
| Categories | Examples |
Gastro-intestinal Discomfort | Indigestion, heartburn, bloating, gastric reflux, constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoid |
Respiratory Tract Infections | Cold and flu symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat, cough, runny nose, blocked nose |
Nasal Cavity Discomfort | Allergy symptoms such as itchy nose, runny nose, blocked nose, sneeze |
Eye Discomfort | Dry eyes, red eyes, itchy eyes, eyelid inflammation, stye |
Oral Health | Mouth ulcers, gum inflammation, cold sore |
Women’s Health | Vaginal thrush |
| Skin Conditions | Athletes foot, ringworm, fungal nail infections, scalp conditions, acne, eczema, dry skin, contact dermatitis, insect bites, verrucas |
| Pain | Back pain, joint pain, muscle pain |
How do community pharmacists provide Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service?
When an individual presents to the community pharmacy with a health problem, enquiry or, a request for medications and/or health supplies, community pharmacist follows a standard process to provide personalized advice to the individual:
1. Assess your health needs, including symptoms, duration, current medication, medical history, lifestyle habits.
2. Evaluate the risk of conditions. If higher risk conditions that may require medical attention are identified, the pharmacist may refer you to appropriate healthcare professionals for diagnosis and treatment.
3. If the symptoms are deemed to be minor and self-limiting, community pharmacist will provide personalized advice on selection and use of medications or lifestyle management, based on the health condition of the patient.
4. Pharmacist will provide self-care advices, for example diet control, preventive measures, self-monitoring and when to seek medical referral.
Why using Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service?
Community pharmacies provide convenient and timely health and medication advice without the need for reservations. Most medications for minor ailments can be directly purchased over-the-counter at community pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription. Pharmacists can also teach you how to make the most of the medications you have at home, reducing drug waste.
Expected Outcomes
With this service, individuals would acquire essential knowledge and skills to handle basic health issues and optimize medication use, as well as to understand when to seek help from health professionals.
Service Target
This service targets individuals with minor ailments and their caregivers.
甚麼是小病小痛管理服務？
在日常生活中出現一些輕微不適時，市民可以到訪社區藥房尋求藥劑師協助，讓大家能夠適時、便捷和易於負擔地獲得專業的諮詢。藥劑師會評估和了解市民的健康情況，並根據症狀提供個人化非處方藥物及健康建議，如果情況比較嚴重，藥劑師會轉介至適切的醫護人員作進一步跟進和治療。一般來說，小病小痛指的是症狀較輕且可以自行恢復的情況。通過社區藥劑師的專業支援和建議，市民可以自行評估病情並選擇適合的非處方藥物和其他健康管理方法來應對。
小病小痛的常見例子
| 分類 | 小病小痛 |
腸胃不適 | 飽飽滯滯、火燒心、胃氣、胃酸倒流、胃痛、腸抽筋、便秘、肚瀉、痔瘡 |
呼吸道感染 | 傷風感冒症狀如：發燒、頭痛、肌肉酸痛、喉嚨痛、咳嗽 |
鼻腔不適 | 鼻敏感相關症狀如：鼻痕、鼻水、鼻塞、噴嚏 |
眼部不適 | 眼乾、紅眼、眼痕、眼皮發炎、眼挑針 |
口腔問題 | 生痱滋、牙肉痛、唇瘡 |
女士健康 | 陰道念珠菌感炎 |
皮膚問題 | 香港腳、體癬、灰甲、頭皮問題、暗瘡、濕疹、皮膚乾燥、主婦手、蚊叮蟲咬、雞眼 |
痛症 | 背痛、關節痛、肌肉痛 |
社區藥劑師如何提供小病小痛管理服務？
當市民到訪社區藥房尋求健康諮詢、藥物或醫療護理用品時，社區藥劑師會按照既定的流程為患者提供個人化建議：
1. 藥劑師會向病人了解身體不適的情況，例如症狀、持續時間、疾病史、生活習慣
2. 評估疾病風險，若症狀有機會涉及嚴重、複雜的病患，藥劑師會建議病人求醫，以獲得進一步的診斷和治療
3. 若情況屬輕微，藥劑師會按照病人健康狀況和症狀提供個人化建議，包括如何選擇合適的藥物來紓緩症狀、正確用藥方法、生活習慣的調節
4. 藥劑師會進一步提供用藥以外的建議，例如飲食調節、預防方法、自我監測、何時進一步求醫，務求助市民掌握自我護理的方法
為何使用小病小痛管理服務？
社區藥房服務無需預約或輪候，讓市民可以方便適時地獲得健康和用藥建議。大部份處理小病小痛的平安藥毋須醫生處方，可於社區藥房配藥。藥劑師可以教您如何善用家中現存藥物，減少藥餘。
預期成果
透過小病小痛管理服務，市民能提升基本的知識和技巧，處理健康問題及正確使用藥物，以及知道何時進一步尋求醫護人員協助，達到健康自主。
服務對象
本服務適合任何有小病小痛的人士或其照顧者。
