If you're leading this month's Team Tuesday session, here are some extra pointers to ensure your team is confident in helping customers with skin complaints:

• Get your team to identify factors that make acne worse
• Get your team to consider how they could facilitate adherence to medication (prescribed and OTC) among people with skin conditions. How might your team spot poor adherence and how could they help to improve it?
• Revise eczema treatments with your team. Consider the following:

• The differences between the different formulations €“ lotions, creams, ointments and bath oils
• Which customers are most suited to each of these formulations?
• How should emollients be used? What are the main advice points?
• Appropriate uses and limits of OTC topical steroids
• Additional self-care tips for customers with eczema
• When to refer to the pharmacist

• Get each member of your team to find one self-care organisation for each of the following skin conditions: eczema, acne, psoriasis and dry skin
• Skin conditions can be embarrassing, but sharing personal experiences can help the team to have empathy with patients. Perhaps someone in the team has a skin condition. If you think that person could share with the team, ask them how they feel about their skin condition. What impact does it have on their life? How would they want a pharmacy team member to talk to them about it? Ask the team to suggest phrases and questions that could help to improve sensitivity in customer communications.