TRAINING
PAIN –
the pharmacist’s role
Dr Johannes Kruger, sponsored by
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) explained that a
large part of a pharmacists’’ life is
working with people in pain. “Patients
have different pain thresholds. For
example females have a higher pain
threshold than males.”
Pain is unpleasant sensory and
emotional experience associated with
actual or potential tissue damage, or
described in terms of such damage. It
motivates the individual to withdraw
from damaging situations and is a
nociceptive stimulus.
Classes of Pain
Characteristics of pain:
• region of the body involved (e.g.
abdomen, lower limbs)
• system dysfunctioning (e.g., nervous,
gastrointestinal)
• duration and pattern of occurrence
• intensity and time since onset
• etiology
There are three classes of pain
nociceptive pain, inflammatory pain
and pathological pain.
• Pharmacists have an ample range of
drugs to treat pain
Durban Training
• Paracetamol is an effective analgesic and is relatively safe
• Dispersable paracetamol reaches peak plasma levels quicker
• than tablets and tablets with sodium bicarbonate has a
quicker onset of action
• Patient selection and type of pain to be treated needs to be
familiarised by the pharmacist
The Durban venue was filled to capacity
(l to r) Zelda van Janse van Rensburg, Nomfundo Zungu, Petro du Toit, Thandeka
Mthimkhulu, Emerald Mazibuko and Nokuthula Gumede from Hyperpharm
Medical Centre Pharmacy in Richard's Bay. They drove all the way to Durban to
attend the training
(l to r) Winners of the Grandpa giveaway: Jerry Letuka, GSK rep, Warren
Parker - Dis-Chem Hillcrest, , Shaveer Inderjith, Mary Chidanyika - Dis-Chem
Hillcrest and Sherwin Ryon Moodley, GSK rep
38 | NOVEMBER 2013 frontShop
Ruskshana Randass - Dis-Chem Hillcrest, Rekha Jugdeo - Dis-Chem Hillcrest,
Loshnie Govender - Dis-Chem Hillcrest