Page 20 - HME Business, March/April 2022

Incontinence
patient can.
Ask some questions to help you
identify if a person is an intermediary, and if so, encourage them to bring the patient in for a private consultation. Show them the various resources you have in place, and provide a business care for the staffer with whom the patient would normally consult.
Better yet, provide a pamphlet that describes the lengths your business goes to in order to preserve the confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the patient while creating a space that fosters the kind of open dialog that will result in the patient getting the right solution.
DEMOGRAPHICS PLAY A ROLE
Urinary incontinence is often mistakenly seen as a problem that occurs later in life, which adds to the stress and frustra- tion of younger, more active sufferers. One-third of men and women who are 30 years old to 70 years old have experi- enced loss of bladder control at some point in their lives.
Given UI’s stigma, people within the age range of 20 to 49 might have a diffi- cult time accepting that they have urinary incontinence and might use the wrong products because they are trying to solve the problem themselves.
Also, many women in these younger ange have incontinence during and
post pregnancy. Since there are so many changes in the body during pregnancy and maternity, women might not realize that they have bladder weakness and will use feminine hygiene products instead of using the correct incontinence manage- ment products.
Here again, the pharmacy should try to reach out to these patients and refer- ral partners to understand that they can
provide discrete, knowledgeable and professional service.
KNOW THE PRODUCTS
Of course, you can’t help incontinence patients without the right products. The pharmacy should be stock a complete range of offerings range from adult diapers and pads to cleaning products, creams, etc.
Additionally, the pharmacy team should be trained to understand which products are right for a given patient’s condition. Developing that expertise in both the products, the physiology and the incontinence conditions will help to establish your pharmacy’s reputation as a reliable, trusted resource. n
Customers who prefer discretion when shopping for incontinence products appreciate a clearly marked store that helps them find products without asking a lot of questions.
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