Support Healthy Immunity Habits with Pharmacy Patients
As a pharmacist and local community health expert, it is essential to help your patients discover the many aspects of a balanced immune system that supports their wellbeing. From immunity-boosting vitamins and supplements to products that satisfy a blissful night’s sleep, here are four tips your pharmacy can utilize to help boost your patients’ immune systems.
Tip 1: Stock Vitamins and Supplements
Keep a plentiful stock of immune-boosting nutrients to help keep your patients healthy. Our vendor, Windmill, is offering a buy one, get one sale starting January 1, 2021, and ending March 31, 2021, on all Windmill label products. Choose from their zinc lozenges, elderberry, melatonin, Vitamin C, and more. Resistance C Stick Packs and Air-Immune are two top new products offered through our Windmill program. Resistance C is an advanced Vitamin C delivery that is busting with 15 nutrients including Vitamin D3 and 7 B-Vitamins. Air-Immune is a proven immune-boosting formula that is convenient for on-the-go patients. Talk to your alliantRx Consultant to learn how to access this promotion.
Tip 2: Encourage Healthy Sleep Habits
Our bodies need to rest between 8 and 10 hours every night. When you are sleeping, your body produces a master hormone called melatonin. Melatonin has many benefits that help prevent certain diseases. Inadequate amounts of sleep or even sleeping with too much light present will decrease your melatonin production, which directly lowers immune response. To supplement, pharmacies should carry a variety of melatonin in a variety of dosages and forms. Keep these products near the check-out counter so they are visible.
Tip 3: Cut Out Smoking
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals and harmful carcinogens. Your body tries to fight every chemical as a foreign body. This happens every time you smoke and leaves your immune system tired and unfit to fight against diseases. Smoking cessation products can help your patients cut out this unhealthy habit, so carry a wide variety of prescribed anti-smoking medications. But, supplying anti-smoking remedies will only go so far; community pharmacies must also have conversations with patients and help them stay focused to meet their New Year’s Resolutions and kick this terrible habit to the curb for good.
Tip 4: Get Moving!
Fitting more exercise into our daily routines will help lose weight and boost our immune systems and keep us from getting sick easily, especially during these cold winter months. When you exercise, your body also releases endorphins, which will improve energy levels and overall mood. When you feel good, your immune system will instantly perform better. To entice your patients to get moving and boost their immunities, try posting “exercise snack” ideas and workouts on your social media platforms. The term “exercise snack” has become widely popular during the lockdowns as a short burst of movement, with the idea of exercise replacing the amount of time it would take to grab a handful of chips. Your social media posts can feature exercises your patients can easily do at home, outside or at the office. Think 2-minute squat challenge or 30 seconds of a high-intensity exercise.
Closing Thoughts
Take the New Year as an opportunity to shift the way your patients think about their immune function while sharing helpful tips that they can use every day to stay healthy and happy. It doesn’t hurt to recommend some front-end products your pharmacy has available to support them on this journey.
Not sure where to start? Through our partnership with Aspire Health, alliantRx has the knowledge to help bring healthier lifestyles and immune support to your patients. To learn more about our solutions, please connect with us.