Deakin University has come to the conclusion that most doctors are ill-equipped to identify and manage the nutritional needs of patients.

Listening to my patients tell me that their GPs never allows them to eat eggs, because of the effects on their cholesterol, supports that Deakin conclusion.

Deakin found for example, that a mere 15% of overweight and obese patients were given nutritional advice by their GP within a 12-month period.

GP’s want nutrition education, but what about pharmacists?
Do we want it?
Really?
Might this be another opportunity to engage with our patients?

Helping a person with a chronic disease understand the role of nutrition and food choices as part of their empowerment, is a fundamental requirement of primary care – an aspect of our profession with has been taken away by big marketing groups who have depersonalized the professional pharmacist.

Some are retrying to regain that platform.
But they want to follow a procedure that others have formulated.
Pharmacists don’t have to be nutritional experts, but why do we wait to be told by others to implement their own wishes, instead of devising our own strategy?

No two patients are the same.
No two pharmacies are the same.
No two pharmacists are the same.
It’s all about individualized engagement.

Try it sometime.