Looking to reduce the high number of Australians who are losing their lives to bowel cancer every year, community pharmacy brand Discount Drug Stores is launching a national awareness clinic in June in over 100 of its stores.
The first pharmacy brand in Australia to implement a specific health awareness clinic targeting bowel health & bowel cancer, Discount Drug Stores is hoping to alert Australians before the disease becomes fatal as bowel cancer has a 90% success rate if caught in time.
The clinic comes after bowel cancer testing kits sold at Discount Drug Stores pharmacies last year helped to diagnose 63 Australians with bowel cancer or key risk factors of the disease such as polyps.
Professional Services Manager Casey Clark stated the positive results prompted the brand to do even more to identify those most at risk early to reduce the almost 14,000 Australians who are being diagnosed with bowel cancer every year.
“Bowel cancer kills more Australians than breast or prostate cancer but it also has one of the best survival rates if it is caught early,” she said. “The results from the year round testing service showed that we can make a difference and encouraged us to launch this clinic to help and hopefully save the lives of hundreds more Australians.”
A simple, 15 minute in-store consultation, Discount Drug Stores’ bowel health awareness clinics will allow Australians to sit down with a qualified nurse who will assess their lifestyle, determine if they have any risk factors and then advise them on the most appropriate way for that person to test for bowel cancer.
Ms Clark states the clinics are also aiming to increase awareness of bowel cancer as whilst the disease is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in Australia, it is also one of the least spoken about.
“Obviously it’s not a pretty topic so many people don’t want to talk about it and would rather just bury their heads in the sand,” she explained, “but bowel cancer kills around 77 Australians each week so it’s incredibly important to raise awareness, not just about the disease but about the warning signs and how and where you should get tested.”
Incorrectly thought of by some as an ‘old man’s’ disease, Chief Executive Officer of Bowel Cancer Australia Julien Wiggins said that anyone aged 50 and over with no symptoms should be screening for bowel cancer with a FOB test every one to two years.
“It’s a simple, effective way to detect the disease early and to prevent it from becoming fatal,” he said. “Bowel cancer affects men and women almost equally and your risk of getting the disease doubles from the age of fifty.
“It also affects 1,000 people under the age of 50 every year so it’s completely inaccurate to think that it’s just a condition that affects old men,” Mr Wiggins continued. “It’s crucial that people don’t ignore symptoms or simply assume it’s something other than bowel cancer, without seeing their GP and having the proper investigations done.”
“We’re also encouraging our customers to book family members into the clinic who are aged 50 and over,” added Ms Clark. “Ultimately it’s about getting everyone thinking and talking about the disease because that’s what’s going to encourage more people to test for bowel cancer and to test early.”
Over and above the awareness clinics, Discount Drug Stores is also playing a vital role in ensuring Australians are regularly testing for the deadly disease every 1 to 2 years as per medical guidelines, by assisting with annual reminders.
“Pharmacists are easily accessible, healthcare professionals who can provide important advice and recommendations about bowel cancer,” said Mr Wiggins. “By providing BowelScreen Australia® test kits, they are also providing immediate access to a practical screening solution.”
“It’s a simple process of people purchasing an at home test, completing it in the comfort of their own home and then sending it off to pathology to get their results,” he continued.
The fact that customers don’t need to bring their Bowelscreen test back to the pharmacy for processing, unlike some other screening programs, is also helping to make bowel cancer testing less embarrassing.
“It’s a much nicer and quicker process for a customer as it’s really working to remove the ick factor often associated with the disease,” said Ms Clark.
Bowel Cancer Australia’s Bowelscreen kits are the most effective at home bowel cancer testing kits available on the market, detecting 9 out of 10 cancers. Australians experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, anaemia and changes in bowel habit or who find blood in the toilet after use, are advised to visit their local GP.
Discount Drug Stores’ bowel health awareness clinics will run in the majority of the brands stores across Australia. Bookings are recommended in order to secure an appointment. Bowelscreen Australia® test kits are also available for purchase in Discount Drug Stores pharmacies throughout the year. For more information please visit www.discountdrugstores.com.au.
Media enquiries: Please contact Suzanne Ross at Graymedia
on 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au
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