WINTER AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOUR LOCAL CHEMIST

Like a school essay competition, this was the title of an article requested by your Editor. One might as well ask any business dependent on the season for an account of how it prepares itself to do business in several months time. In our case Winter first comes to mind in May when we place the order for hot water bottles. We used to put the sunglasses away at the end of September, but now we keep a restricted range all year round to cater for the changed holiday pattern. About mid October we start putting out the Christmas stock thereby confusing staff and customers alike who can no longer find their chosen item in its familiar place.

Perhaps the hardest job of all is forecasting our requirements of the old faithfuls. How many preparations for hot lemon drinks? How much paracetamol? (far less now that the maximum number that can be bought at one time has been decided by law) What product claiming to alleviate the symptoms of coughs and colds will be promoted by advertising campaign? Will the manufacturers warn us in sufficient time of their intentions or will the first we learn about it be an impatient customer who claims to have seen it the night before during a break in their favourite soap?

We certainly receive far more requests for advice during the Winter. Many customers claiming that they do not want to trouble their doctor about a trivial complaint feel comfortable talking to a pharmacist. Sometimes we can indeed help, but sadly sometimes the problem is not as trivial as they claim and we insist that they go to their own surgery with our recommendation that a Doctor sees them.

It used to be the case that pharmacists frequently made up cough mixtures and creams on the premises. Customers felt that they were getting a made to measure service. Sadly the cost of product licences and various medicine acts have resulted in proprietary brands being the only available cures in most cases. It's not just the pharmacists and chemists who have changed. So have the customers. A general lack of patience reflects the pace at which life is lived today.

Life does have its amusing moments, even in Winter. We always struggle when the dear lady calls for her mechanised smelling salts. Luckily by now we all know that what she is after is McKenzies smelling salts. Suppositories can provide a fund of amusing anecdotes; I will restrict myself to two. "There was the man who asked whether the wrapping paper should be removed before it was inserted" and almost unbelievably there was the man who questioned whether he should push the suppository up his nose to relieve his asthmatic symptoms.

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