Pharmacy Daily | From awareness to action

SHINGLES Awareness Week is rebranding this year to Shingles Action Week, as a result of research showing that knowledge alone is not enough.

Commencing today and running until 01 Mar, the focus is on encouraging at-risk Australians, especially those 50 and living with comorbidities that increase risk of shingles, to talk to a health professional to better understand their personal risks.

Professor Paul Van Buynder, Public health physician and professor at the School of Medicine at Griffith University in Queensland, said Shingles Action Week is a timely reminder for people to have an informed conversation with a GP or pharmacist about their risks.

"We know awareness isn't enough, many people don't connect shingles to their own risk until it hits close to home," he said.

"Shingles Action Week is about changing that."

The international research commissioned by GSK found that 83% of Australian adults aged 50-70 who are living with long-term health conditions were worried that shingles could disrupt everyday life, yet almost half (44%) had not discussed it with their GP or pharmacist.

Meanwhile, there are potentially millions of adults aged 50 and over living with long-term health conditions that can increase shingles risk, including cardiovascular disease (over 3 million), diabetes (over 1.1 million), asthma (over 1 million) and rheumatoid arthritis (around 400,000 people).

Dr Geoff Lester, director of health promotion charity Hearts4heart,said shingles is a risk for almost all Australian adults and can add further burden for people living with long-term health conditions.

"For people already managing an ongoing health issue, shingles can add an extra layer of physical and emotional strain," Dr Lester explained.

"Shingles Action Week is the time to take action and speak with your healthcare professional, whether that's your GP, pharmacist or specialist," he concluded. KB

Learn more HERE.