Pharmacy Today - Retail Therapy

Pharmacy Today - Retail Therapy

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  PharmacyToday.co.nz June2017 | 47 GEORGIA MERTON Glen Eden pharmacist Sue Ross was so fed up with shoplifters she got together with fellow retailers and tackled the issue head on. “I personally felt really threat- ened by the lowlifes who used to steal from here and get away with it,” says Mrs Ross. She says elderly customers were also hesitant to shop in the phar- macy as they felt threatened. It was a growing problem for her and her fellow retailers in the Auckland suburb, and having decided enough was enough, they set up a crime prevention commit- tee, which had support from the local council. “We now have weekly meetings focusing on safety and prevention,” she says of the initiative, which she says has seen her losses go from $200 to $10 monthly. Retail theft accounts for over $1 billion of losses for New Zealand retailers per year accord- ing to First Retail, and pharmacists have been reporting incidents of shoplifting are becoming more regular. In Glen Eden, CCTV cam- eras now have the village covered and a panic button connected to the police has been installed in the pharmacy. Shop owners now communicate with each other via email, raising the alarm if they’ve seen someone pinch something or if someone seems dodgy. “Our staff meetings now focus on things we need to do, like always having two staff on the floor. We have a bell in the shop and the dispensary, so if someone needs a hand the other will come out and observe,” she explains. “You just stand there and stare at them. It’s uncomfortable and horrible, but it seems to work,” says Mrs Ross, who has owned the pharmacy for 15 years and is among the volunteer shop own- ers that help keep the programme ­running. She has combined her own strategies with the committee’s, putting height markers on the door for identifying suspects and dis- playing a sign from the Pharmacy Guild, which states staff can ask to search someone’s bag if they sus- pect them of theft. According to the New Zealand Police, the best deterrent against shop theft is well-trained staff. If a staff member suspects a thief is in the store, they should approach them politely and multiple times, offering assistance as long as they feel safe. The crime prevention guide- lines advise staff to follow their instincts and not to stereotype; anyone can steal and anything can be stolen. If staff suspect a theft has been made, they should approach the person and tell them what they have seen. If they are cooperative, staff should ask them to return the items, but according to the guide- lines, it is better to let them go than risk being assaulted. For Mrs Ross, staff safety is the number one priority, and she says never to give chase. Mrs Ross says that since the changes, the shoplifting that was occurring daily has gone down to about once a month. The real mark of success she says has been the return of Clear Eyes to the shop floor from behind the counter, where it had been moved due to its popularity with shoplifters. The Glen Eden community isn’t the only one to band together and put their foot down against thieves. Thirty-two Wellington pharma- cies are a part of an initiative called Eyes On, the brainchild of First Retail and the capital’s council and police force. Eyes On, which began two- and-a-half years ago and now includes over 600 retailers, has reduced CBD retail-related crime by 23%, according to First Retail client services manager Lorraine Nicholson. The initiative has retailers col- laborating through email to send each other alerts with pictures or descriptions of shoplifters work- ing in the area, and offers crime- prevention training sessions and ongoing support. “Pharmacies are a really core part of the community,” says Ms Nicholson. “It was really heart- warming to see them all there at the first training.” For Tawa pharmacist and Eyes On member Ant Simon, the net- work finally brought some relief from a group of repeat offenders that were known to his staff. “They used to come in as a team and clear out large amounts of stock, gift sets and things like that,” says Mr Simon, whose CCTV footage of shoplifters was passed to the police through Eyes On. The police were then able to track and prosecute the offending shoplifters. “We were just tired of them coming in, asking questions about the stock they’d stolen last time,” says Mr Simon. Before that, he says, thefts of $300 or less wouldn’t really get looked at by the police. The programme doesn’t stop at curbing financial losses. The free training sessions are a crucial part, according to Ms Nicholson. They offer lessons in “verbal judo”, or the “gentle art of persuasion”, and how to have strategies in place for confrontations. “We wanted to make sure we covered all roles in pharmacy,” she says, of the sessions, which focus on helping staff diffuse tricky situations and keep up with the constantly changing shoplifting “trends”. While there are a range of tac- tics used by shoplifters, there are some common ones that it can pay to recognise, according to Crime. co.nz. The website says professional RETAIL THERAPY FROM THE SHOP FLOOR : The latest news and views in retail space Get thrifty against theft What you can do: ■■ Display the Pharmacy Guild sign in multiple places that states that staff can ask to search someone’s bag if they suspect them of theft ■■ Run your own test and see how easy it would be to steal from your store. ■■ Sightlines: Keep clear sightlines to low displays and have mirrors in store ■■ Plans in place that all staff can agree on and feel safe with. For example, if you suspect someone, make sure they know they are being observed; agree among staff not to give chase. ■■ Simple rules like acknowledging every person that comes into the store and always having two people on the shop floor. ■■ Height markers on the doors to help identify people through CCTV footage. ■■ If there are certain items that keep getting stolen, keep them behind the counter. ■■ Band together with your local group of retailers and alert each other to dodgy or offending patrons. ■■ Be aware of common shoplifting behaviour such as loud distractions and hiding things in baggy clothing. Lorraine Nicholson Ant SImon Continued on page 49 JUNE17_PT_RETAIL.indd 47 24/05/17 7:45 PM
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  SORE THROATS :SPOTLIGHT PharmacyToday.co.nz June 2017 | 49 GEORGIA MERTON We’re all familiar with that painful swallow that heralds a sore throat, whether it be from the beginnings of a cold, a serious infection or just overdoing it on a night out. The most common cause for throat pain, according to laryn- gologist Jacqui Allen, is acute lar- yngitis, which is inflammation of the voice box. This may be caused by a bac- terial, viral or sometimes fungal infection, or from overuse or irritation. According to Dr Allen, low-level laryngitis can be easily treated over the counter, but phar- macists need to be aware of the signs of an acute infection. “Normally, it’s a bacterial thing so there are high fevers, muscle and joint aches and pain, nausea and sometimes swollen glands,” says Dr Allen, who established the first Centre for Voice and Swallowing in Auckland. A common and potentially serious bacterial infection is strep throat, which Dr Allen emphasises is important to keep an eye out for. Caused by Streptococcus ­bacteria, strep throat is a contagious bac- terial infection, which, if left untreated can cause rheumatic fever, kidney problems and other complications. Pharmacist Carol Han says she always asks her patients whether anyone around them has had a sore throat and what their living situa- tion is like, as strep throat thrives in close-quarter living conditions. “Maori and Pacific people are more prone, so if they have a sore throat with significant pain, we send them to the doctor to get a swab,” says Miss Han, a newly graduated pharmacist at Milford Unichem. “We always ask how bad the pain is. If they can’t talk or swal- low, they probably need a swab just in case,” she says. According to the Ministry of Health guidelines, the patient should see a doctor if they have had a sore throat for more than a few days, are having trouble swal- lowing, have a high fever, enlarged tonsils, swollen neck or ear or joint pain. For a sore throat that presents as part of the “classic” cold, Miss Han says to treat symptomatically, until the virus has run its course. She advises antibacterial loz- enges, gargles or sprays, which are anti-inflammatory and can contain an analgesic, depending what the customer wants. Her co-worker and pharmacy assistant at Milford Unichem, Michelle Nawisielski, says she always recommends a gargle that is both antiviral and antibacterial. For a natural solution for less severe cases, or for those who are opposed to antibiotics, Ms Nawisielski says colloidal silver solution is great, as it is antibacte- rial, antiviral and antimicrobial. According to Miss Han, ear pain can be a classic symptom of the cold or flu, but she always asks about the severity as intense pain can be indicative of a more serious infection. A less common source of infec- tion for the throat is Candida, a fungal infection. According to Dr Allen, this can occur after a course of antibiotics, especially after sur- gery, or for those on long-term medication such as asthma steroids. Dr Allen says she has also seen Candida infection in diabetics and immunosuppressed patients, but it is easily treatable by Fungalin lozenges or Nilstat. Aside from infection, the vocal cords are sensitive to irritation from a multi- tude of factors, according to Dr Allen. She says overuse is common, and can be made worse by air-conditioning or snoring, which further dries out the throat. “Lubrication is vital for the vocal cords and throat at all times,” says Dr Allen, and says there are over- the-counter products available to soothe. She says a persistent cough or reflux can also be to blame for pain. Ms Nawisielski says to soothe a sore throat, she can’t go past honey, which has known antisep- tic properties. “Fresh lemon and honey drinks, if the person isn’t diabetic, or honey lozenges,” she says. As for tonsillitis, Dr Allen explains, it’s the aggravation of the tonsils rather than the voice box, and she says patients will often only get a mild voice change those with laryngitis – will often come in rasping or with no voice at all. She says a trip to the doctor is advisable if you suspect tonsillitis, as multiple severe cases will prob- ably lead to a tonsillectomy. “Four or more a year or three consecu- tive years with two to three infec- tions, then they’ll generally come out,” she says. Whereas most of us think of bowls of icecream when it comes to tonsillectomy recovery, Dr Allen says that normal food should be encouraged from day one, as it reduces swelling. “Plenty of fluid, regular pain relief and sometimes overlap- ping analgesia for the first seven to 10 days, so paracetamol and an NSAID,” she says. She says ice- blocks and topical analgesic sprays can help, too. According to Dr Allen, throat cancer is quite rare, with 300 new cases per year in New Zealand, and is usually seen in patients who smoke or have a high alcohol intake. She says warning signs include a persistent voice change or deterio- ration, combined with weight loss, ear ache, difficulty swallowing, a neck lump or mass or coughing up blood. “Anyone with these symp- toms should see an ENT specialist urgently, and they can do an endo- scopic exam,” says Dr Allen. She says smokers, in general, shouldn’t suffer from a sore throat, and if they do have pain, they should see a specialist. As for keeping a sore throat at bay over winter, Dr Allen advises good sleep, good hydration, the flu shot and Vitamin C. “And cough into your elbow!”GM Soothing the pain of sore throats 1:22 PM We always ask how bad the pain is. If they can’t talk or swallow, they probably need a swab just in case REFER TO THE GP IF THE PATIENT HAS ANY OF THE ­FOLLOWING ■■ a sore throat that lasts more than a few days ■■ difficulty swallowing ■■ your tonsils are enlarged or coated ■■ a high temperature (above 39°C) ■■ swelling in your neck ■■ earache or joint pain. Source Ministry of Health FOR MORE ... twitter.com/ PharmacyToday shoplifters will often shop in pairs, using one as a decoy to distract staff. The first thing they will do is move towards an unsupervised area of the store. Loose-fitting clothing, nerv- ous behaviour and a lot of product handling may all be signs of a shop- lifter. “There’s the social aspect too, causing a nuisance, making staff feel unsafe,” says Ms Nicholson. Feedback from pharmacies has led First Retail and the police to devel- op a pharmacy-specific staff train- ing course that starts in June. It’s a matter of safety first for Mr Simon, too, who owns two pharmacies across the road from each other. The first things he tells his staff is to let him know if there’s someone suspicious and to wait for him to arrive. He went to Eyes On training last year with two of his staff, and says one of the most memorable things they learnt was to acknowledge people’s presence in the store, like the tactic employed by Mrs Ross. “You want to acknowledge them as soon as they walk in the store. It’s like at Bunnings where the security guards say hello to you, it lets them know they’ve been seen,” Mr Simon says. For Ms Nicholson, it’s been inspiring to see the true power of information between retailers and in the staff training sessions. “It’s really about building the com- munity, and seeing all the retailers band together.” She says the Eyes On programme has been so success- ful that it’s attracting attention from police all over the country, and hopefully it can inspire the same kind of collaboration in other regions. Keep an eye on shoplifters From page 47 JUNE17_PT_RETAIL.indd 49 24/05/17 7:45 PM