Train your team: Muscle & joint pain
In People & team training
Follow this topic
Bookmark
Record learning outcomes
Training your team and ensuring everyone’s knowledge is up-to-date are important CPD triggers for you. We suggest that you get the team together for a training session based on the activities below and discuss the various ways in which you can offer customers and patients added care in this category.
Subject: Muscle & joint pain
This Train Your Team checklist provides support and information to run a team training session on muscle and joint pain. This content can also be used for your own CPD.
Reflection
- Is the pharmacy team fully trained on the indications and benefits of all products for muscle and joint pain?
- How are pain relief products (oral and topical) displayed in the pharmacy?
- Do we make the most of the potential for linked sales (e.g. oral and topical analgesics, food supplements, complementary therapies, support bandages)
- Am I up to date with the latest guidance on osteoarthritis from NICE? 
- Am I aware which preparations NICE recommends first-line?
- Are we clear on when to use heat and when to use cold treatment in cases of joint injury?
Training checklist
Ensure support staff understand the following key points:
- The causes of joint pain, including the various types of injury and arthritis
- What types of joint pain can be considered for management in the pharmacy
- Which customers should be referred to the pharmacist
- The appropriate use of hot and cold in cases of joint injury
- The use of the PRICE method
- The importance of not taking certain oral analgesics for longer than three days without referral
- Questions to ask the customer
- The role of dietary supplements (e.g. fish oils, glucosamine, chondroitin).
I will:
- Study the NICE guidelines on osteoarthritis
- Train my pharmacy assistants to ensure that they can meet the points in this training checklist and consider this training exercise for inclusion in my CPD record.