Read the foot and leg care article, as well as other sources of information, to strengthen your knowledge of this important topic. This will give you more insight and information to pass on to your customers.

You can use information sources you may have in the pharmacy, such as other articles, or OTC medicines guides and manufacturers’ literature or websites. Remember to take time to talk to customers who suffer with their feet. People will find your listening ear very helpful.

Perhaps you have some tips to pass on? After all, you probably stand for several hours a day in the pharmacy and you may suffer from feet and leg problems yourself. How do you manage them?

How can you use that experience to empathise with your customers? For further inspiration, visit the websites listed in the ‘information sources’ section.

You will find plenty of information, including expert opinion, on foot and leg care in our article. In order to make it useful and relevant to your work:

• Identify three foot care tips specifically around footwear (shoes and socks) that you could give a customer. For suggestions, see: NHS Choices – Healthy feet
• What is the difference between a podiatrist and a chiropodist? See: The College of Podiatry – guide
• How could you help a customer to find a podiatrist locally? For England, see: NHS Choices – Healthy Feet
• Why is foot care particularly important for people with diabetes? Identify six foot care tips you would give to a person with diabetes. See: NHS Choices – Diabetes and feet
• What is a hammertoe? What causes it? What are the symptoms? Which products available in the pharmacy can be used to manage hammertoe? When might surgery be needed?