Help Your Pharmacist, Help You

By: Roslyn A. Douglas, Founder of Central Health - Grenada

It is very important that a person who is on a medication regiment to control a chronic illness, such as diabetes, have a good relationship with their pharmacist.  This was the general sentiment expressed during a recent public forum organized by the Grenada Pharmacies Association and the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists, in conjunction with the Grenada Diabetes Association.

The event which was held on August 19, 2014 at the Public Workers Union in Tanteen, St. George’s, was part of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists annual convention outreach health education targeting patients with chronic non communicable diseases.

Local Grenadian pharmacist Brian James served as moderator for the lively forum which included distinguished health care professionals and health leaders such as Dr. Alister Antoine  - Vice President of the Grenada Diabetes Association(GDA); Lydia Duncan – President of the Grenada Association of Pharmacist;  Dr. Francis Martin – Director of Primary Health Care of the Ministry of Health; Yvonne Read – President of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP); and Endocrinologist Dr. Sebastian Peter.  Testimonies from two male diabetics Alexander Smith and Francis Balwant, who serves as Treasurer for the GDA, added a human touch to the discussion as they shared their journey of how they got diagnosed with diabetes and how they manage their glucose (sugar) levels daily with medication and/or insulin.

According to the President of CAP Yvonne Read, the forum birthed out of a desire to have an outreach activity into the communities, “About three of four years or so ago, public education activity became a focus of our convention, because we felt it was important to have an outreach in the communities where the local pharmacists can reach the community. And, also to show trends of what the profession can do when others from other parts of the Caribbean come together to collaborate.”

In keeping with the goal of the public forum/community outreach lead by pharmacists, the real meat of the forum came from an interactive presentation lead by Barbadian Pharmacists Cherylann Yearwood.  She gave some practical advice to the diabetics present on how they can have a good working relationship with their pharmacists and the importance of that partnership. “The pharmacist helps you by filling your prescription; by giving you information on your medication; by liaising with your physician about your medication - about how often you have been taking it.”  Yearwood went on to say that the pharmacists is available to thoroughly explain to patients how their medicines should be taken.  For example, information provided may include but not limited to clarifying if the tablet needs to be taken with or without food, during a meal or directly after a meal and side effects. 

Yearwood posited that many times for various reasons patients switch doctors and do not share with their new doctor the medicine regiment that they are currently on.  This is why according to Yearwood all attendees who are on a pill regiment need to keep track of the names of the medication; the number of times it must be taken a day; how it must be taken, and share that information will the new doctor and any other specialist seen.  Failure to do so can lead to many problems such as over-dosage.  If the new doctor, for example, gives the patient the exact same medication the previous doctor prescribed and unbeknownst to the patient the brand name may be different and the patient takes both pills – this could lead to serious consequences.  “This is why it is important that you see one pharmacist. Visit one pharmacist for all your medication, so that they can have a database of information on your medication.  They can have your medication history,” said Yearwood. 

In part of her closing remarks Yearwood gave advice on what patients can do to help their pharmacists effectively do their job, “You can learn about your medication. You [should] know what you are taking.  Don’t go to the pharmacists and tell them, “I take the big white tablet.””

The theme for this year’s convention was, “Shaping Our Profession With One Mission and One Voice.”  Over 100 delegates from the Caribbean, the Unites States, Canada, Latin, North and South America attended the conference which included networking opportunities, and continuing education lectures. 

Passing of Dominic Paul Acknowledged

By: Roslyn A. Douglas, Founder of Central Health - Grenada

Late Dominic Paul
Founder/Director of Spice Isle Imaging Centre

Dominic Paul, the Founder and Director of Spice Isle Imaging Centre died on Tuesday August 12, 2014.  

Mr. Paul must be recognized as a progressive thinker and responsible for making advance medical screening services  available to Grenadians while at the same time leading a staff to provide superior customer service.

As Founder of Central Health - Grenada, I met with Mr. Paul as recent as a week before his death in his office.  He was gracious to support the End Cervical Campaign and made Spice Isle Imaging Centre one of ports for interested persons to fill out the petition form. 

During our weekly impromptu meetings, when I swung by his office for completed forms, he proudly introduced me to his sons - who at the time were having lunch in his office. Its a beautiful thing to witness a father's eyes light up when his offspring are surrounding him.  

We had plans to work together on a radio project that focused on diabetes and hypertension, after Carnival. 

I will always remember Mr. Paul for being gracious, a progressive thinker and a man with a very open mind to improving health care in Grenada.  

Condolences are extended to his immediate family, close friends and the staff at Spice Isle Imaging Centre.

Conception Toastmasters Welcomes Central Health - Grenada

On Thursday July 10, 2014 Conception Toastmasters provided Central Health - Grenada the opportunity to promote the End Cervical Cancer Now Campaign at its monthly meeting.  Seven members signed up via hard copy.  Every signature counts.  

For more information go to www.endcervicalcancernow.org

CH-G Promoting Cervical Cancer Campaign @ Body Image

On Monday July 7, 2014, Body Image graciously allowed Central Health - Grenada to give a presentation at their Move Ur Mass event held at Excel Plaza in Grand Anse, St. George's.

35 individuals, mainly women, participated in the campaign by adding their signature to demand more affordable access to cervical cancer screenings in the Caribbean and Latin America.


To Learn More Go To:  www.endcervicalcancernow.org

Central Health - Grenada & Grenada Cancer Society Working Together

St. George's, Grenada - June 30, 2014 - L-R - Roslyn A. Douglas, MA, Founder of Central Health - Grenada and Dr. Barrymore Mc Barnette, President of Grenada Cancer Society.

The Grenada Cancer Society (GCS) has joined forces with Central Health - Grenada (CH-G) for the promotion of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition's Caribbean Cervical Cancer Electronic Petition Campaign. 

CH-G which began efforts at the beginning of June is now being financially supported by GCS until October 1, 2014 to continue with the local awareness campaign in businesses, schools and institutions dominated by women.

To learn more residents of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique are encouraged to visit
http://www.endcervicalcancernow.org/ to learn more and support the campaign.

Riveting Discussion: Child Sexual Abuse As A Public Health Issue

By: Roslyn A. Douglas, MA - Founder of Central Health - Grenada

On Friday May 9, 2014 a panel discussion on the topic, “Talking About It:  Child Sexual Abuse As A Public Health Issue,” was held at the Brooks-Smith Lowe Institute. The purpose of the discussion was to merge the correlation between child sexual abuse and its impact on public health as it relates to the rise in chronic non-communicable diseases, psychoneuroimmunological irregularities and psychological impact. 

The panel, seen in order of appearance in the photo, consisted of St. George’s University’s (SGU) Inaugural Dame Hilda Byno Writer in Residence, Lisa Allen-Agostini; Fatima Friday, Med., a St. George’s University Public Health Lecturer with a special interest in psychoneuroimmunology; Dr. Kecia Lowe, Board Certified Internist and Pediatrician who was recently inducted into the American College of Medicine as a Fellow;  and Malaika Brooks-Smith-Lowe, Founder and Co-Director of Groundation Grenada who served as moderator for the panel discussion and also organized the event. 

SGU’s Writer in Residence Allen-Agostini a journalist from Trinidad and Tobago read an excerpt from her work in progress book, which details the journey of a young girl who became a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle.  The pages Allen-Agostini read from graphically detailed the hostile home which the child lived in with her mother.  The rapist was visiting.  

The excerpt described a gut wrenching account of a physical and verbal abuse attack endured by the child from her rough and heavy handed mother.  The reason for the beating appeared inconsequential.  It then moved to the first gruesome sexual attack, which occurred after the child’s mother left the house shortly after the excessive beating. A beating that was cut short after pleads of mercy from the visiting uncle.  This particular uncle was the child’s mother’s brother.

Allen-Agostini’s continued to walk the listeners through the manipulative process of the perpetrator.Through her storytelling she showed how the little girl’s uncle used a counter strategy of gentleness and comforting voice tones to sooth the distraught child.  After gaining more and more trust with his apparent friendliness and gentle touches, he slowing and calculatingly began threatening her into submission. After the horrific sexual attack the writer revealed the child’s dichotomy. The child never told her mother of the attack because she was deathly afraid of the physical consequences, to the point it did not occur to her to say anything, while at the same time was intimidated and petrified of her uncle.  The snippet of Allen-Agostini’s work also revealed that the child’s mother noticed the bruises after returning from shopping, but casted a blind eye.  She instead gave her daughter a doll, a gift from the uncle who earlier forcefully covered her mouth to muffle her screams.

After the reading, the program then shifted into a vibrant discussion about how society tends to ignore the ramifications and repercussions of sexual abuse on an individual and its impact on public health in terms of rises in illnesses.  Panelist - Dr. Lowe, listed out some of the unhealthy coping behaviors individuals who suffered this trauma tend to participate in, “Cigarette smoking, obesity, inactivity, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, suicide, [and] sexual promiscuity.”  Dr. Lowe went on to say, “These people have a higher risk of diabetes, liver disease, cancers, and stroke and general poor health in adulthood.  And that alone can tell you it is definitely a public health issue because these people manifest these chronic non-communicable diseases at higher rates. And this adversely affects all societies.”  

Allen-Agostini who stated that many of her past journalistic articles focused on children and gender issues, introduced the audience to a campaign called,  "Break the Silence."  This initiative is a mulit-pronged approach to protect children against sexual abuse.  One of its aims is to reach victims and their families with a message to speak out and denounce sexual violence against children.  The initiative seeks to engage and encourage influential groups and members of society such as policy makers, health workers, and police authorities to create and/or improve support and care for victims. According to the World Health Organization, “Globally, at least 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 years had experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence involving physical contact.  In several Caribbean countries the first sexual experience of young girls is often, forced; studies have shown that this was the case for 42.8% of girls below age 12.” 

From a psychoneuroimmunological perspective, a field of study that examines the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body, panelist Fatima Friday stated that trauma occurring at a young age can have adverse effects on the developmental process of the human brain causing overdevelopment of the area of the brain that analyzes stress and fear.  This can lead to post-traumatic stress. However, Ms. Friday views child sexual abuse more broadly, “It’s not just a public health issue, it’s an issue of humanity.” She went on to say, “ You can look at your mother’s life, your father’s life to see different connectivity points and ask – how has the way I have been trained by my parents, by my siblings affect the way I treat myself and treat others.  Because that is public health.  How we engage with each other, how we interact is public health as well.”

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GRENADA---- SIGN THE E-PETITION TO END CERVICAL CANCER

http://www.endcervicalcancernow.org/