Nowadays, children and young people mainly receive information about health and lifestyle through social media. The information often comes in unfiltered and is not questioned. How do you reach young people directly and face-to-face with well-founded professional knowledge? The Apothekerskamer has started a project for this. krone.tv presenter Raphaela Scharf and Ms. Mag.pharm. Susanne Ergott-Badawi, member of the executive committee of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, spoke in the current issue of the health magazine.
A few years ago, the Chamber of Pharmacists launched the Austrian-wide school project apo@school, which was recently expanded to include primary schools. The project is essentially about strengthening the health literacy of school-aged children. They should receive more information about medicines and their health, so that they can build up knowledge. “Because the earlier you start with health literacy, the better it is, so that the children can also use medicines responsibly and consciously in adult life,” says Mag.pharm. Susanne Ergott Badawi.
Pharmacists visit schools
How can one imagine this project in practice directly in the schools? The school makes an appointment with the Chamber of Pharmacists in Vienna, which then sends their trained school pharmacists to the school site. These are regular pharmacists who work in the country’s pharmacies and who are dedicated and love working with children.
“They come to the school and organize an hour with the young people, with the children. Some of it is theoretical. The children are explained what it looks like in the pharmacy, where does a medicine come from and how does it work? And part of it is practical too, meaning the kids get something to touch or do too. Together with the pharmacists,” explains Ergott-Badawi, as a member of the executive committee of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, the Austria-wide school project.
Even the little ones have a lot of fun
This way the little ones can smell and touch tea. In particular, the medicinal teas, which also have a medicinal effect, such as cough tea or soothing teas to fall asleep, which contain lavender, for example. But also willow bark tea, because they all have an effect, such as Mag.pharm. Ergott-Badawi explained in the conversation. A school pharmacist can also mix ointments with the children, something very normal that happens every day in the pharmacy – often also for the children – and that is very nice.
Children from the third or fourth grade of middle school or high school can work out a focus with the teachers, or the school pharmacists can agree on a specific topic, such as weight loss or miracle pills to make you happy. But the connoisseur knows that many other topics that children are confronted with on social media can also be taken into account. She emphasizes how important it is that the children and young people can talk to experts, “that you take your time and don’t just leave it to the social media stream”.
In any case, the project is going really well, “we have a lot of demand, especially after the Corona break. Our school pharmacists are booked again and again, but thank God we have a replenishment,” says Ms. Mag.pharm. Ergott-Badawi, who is personally very close to apo@school, as she emphasizes in an interview with Raphaela Scharf. “The students ask a lot of questions and also enjoy this time with the pharmacists, because they do come to the pharmacy, but there is often not the time to really deal with the topics.”
Health literacy in Austria very low
The expert is sure: health literacy is very important, but very low, especially in Austria. “Public awareness of health is very, very low. And I think it is very important that you start very early with this competence. It is never too early to learn how to take care of your health.” The kids are also very important to us in the pharmacy. We advise the parents about the dosage. It depends on how the child is and how heavy the child is”. It is important that you get very good advice. “And that is why the children are very important to me,” concludes Ms Ergott-Badawi.
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Source: Krone
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