Hypertension is the foremost risk factor for cardiovascular events globally and affects around a third of adults.

High blood pressure can affect people of all ages but does not always have symptoms. Untreated, high blood pressure may lead to conditions like heart disease or a stroke.

Monitoring your blood pressure for 24 hours can help work out if its consistently high. This would be particularly useful if you:

• Have family members with a history of high blood pressure.
• Suspect you have high or borderline high blood pressure.
• Experience variable blood pressure.
• Have conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
• Already take medicines to reduce your blood pressure.
• Experience blood pressure that is hard to control.
• Want to check for Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).

For convenience and proximity reasons, community pharmacies play an increasingly important role in hypertension screening and monitoring.

Our service involves fitting you with a device to wear, which includes a cuff around your arm that will measure your blood pressure for 24 hours.

A person’s BMI, or body mass index, is one way of measuring whether you are a healthy weight for your height. Body Mass Index is calculated using a person’s weight in kilograms (kg) divided by the square of height in meters (m2).

Initially used as a statistical index of health and weight for a population group, BMI can be used to show the weight categories that may lead to health problems but it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual. Nonetheless, your BMI is a good indication of whether you are a healthy weight, and if not, how over or underweight you are.

Obesity is currently a worldwide problem, with overweight (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) estimated at 35% and 12% of the overall adult population, respectively.

We can assist with weight loss steps by evaluating potential obesity-related diseases; obtaining a weight history, identifying patient triggers and screening for medications that may influence weight gain. Plus, we can evaluate and track weight and height in calculating your body mass index (BMI).

If you find it difficult to come to the pharmacy to collect your medicines, we are happy to deliver to patients in the locality for free. Please call us if you need to avail of this service and we can organise a delivery time that suits.

We offer a home delivery services and are especially conscious of our vulnerable patients. Delivery is perfect for patients who have difficulty coming into the store for their medicines due to tight schedules, illness, or other reasons.

Our Medication Usage Review is a pre-booked consultation to discuss your medicines (prescribed and non-prescribed). The review helps increase your knowledge and understanding of your medicines, including how and why the medicines should be taken.

Our aim is to improve outcomes by helping you to better understand your health conditions and the medications used to manage them.

The review also provides an opportunity to highlight any issues, side effects or other medication-related problems and propose solutions if appropriate.

This review can be especially helpful for people who are older, have several chronic conditions, take multiple medications, have been using a specific medication over a longer period or are seen by multiple doctors.

Nutrients are substances that are essential for good health - promoting energy, providing building blocks to form body structures, and helping to regulate body functions.

Protein, carbohydrate, and fat are classified as macronutrients providing energy to fuel the body plus protein is broken down into amino acids to repair and grow new muscle fibres.

Minerals and vitamins are classified as micronutrients and play a key role in the body's structures and functions.

The Irish government and the HSE publish detailed nutritional guidelines comprising a few key points:

• Eat more vegetables, salad, and fruit - Up to seven servings a day.
• Limit your intake of high fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) food and drinks.
• Reduce portion sizes and use the food pyramid as a guide.
• Increase your physical activity.

For many people, following a balanced and healthy diet coupled with exercise, will provide all the nutritional needs of your body.

However, nutritional needs vary with age, activity, and medication - particularly the long-term use of medications.

With age the lean body mass naturally reduces and there is an increase in body fat. This generally results in reduced mobility and subsequent risk of osteoporosis and falls.

It also reduces the metabolic rate causing the body's energy requirements to fall which may in turn may lessen your appetite. The reduced intake of foods may also decrease your micronutrient intake (for example vitamins).

Certain medications are well known for causing side effects such as nausea or drowsiness affecting nutritional intake, but sometimes a lesser known side effect happens without giving you any warning: nutrient deficiency.

Most medications for a short amount of time will not lead to nutrient deficiency.

But long-term use can be different - reducing the absorption of certain vitamins or depleting minerals in the body or even inhibiting the production of important enzymes.

Even commonly used medications like some statins, PPIs (for acid reflux) and diuretics (lower blood pressure) etc taken for long periods can lead to nutrient deficiency.

If you feel any of the above apply to you, we can complete a review of your medications and diet to provide guidance on what nutritional supplements would benefit you.