Blog

Summer Sniffles

hay fever

With the onset of the warmer weather and summer holidays, hay fever (allergic rhinitis) can be a problem which affects up to 1 in 4 of the population. Although not serious it can have a debilitating affect on anyone who suffers from this allergy to pollen.

Symptoms include
  • runny nose
  • watery eyes
  • sneezing
  • sore throat
  • feeling tired

It’s sometimes possible to prevent the symptoms of hay fever by taking some basic precautions:

  • wear sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes when you’re outdoors
  • take a shower and change your clothes after being outdoors to remove the pollen on your body
  • stay indoors when the pollen forecast is high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air)
  • apply a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum gel) to the nasal openings to trap pollen grains

However during the summer months, when you spend a lot more time outdoors, it can be difficult to avoid pollen altogether.

Treatment

There are many over the counter products available to help alleviate the symptoms of hay fever, including anti-histamine tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops. We can easily advise which of these options would be the most suitable. If you are exempt from the NHS prescription charge then we can supply a range of treatments for hay fever under the Pharmacy Plus clinic scheme.

Lots more information can be found at the links below

Allergy UK

Asthma UK

 

 

 

Terms & Conditions

If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use which govern O’Brien’s Pharmacy’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘O’Brien’s Pharmacy’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Fleetwood Health & Wellbeing Centre, Dock Street, Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, FY7 6HP. Our company registration number is 10618140 in the UK. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

• The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.

• This website uses cookies to monitor browsing preferences. If you do allow cookies to be used, the following personal information may be stored by us for use by third parties: IP address.

• Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

• Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

• This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.

• All trademarks reproduced in this website which are not the property of, or licensed to, the operator are acknowledged on the website.

• Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.

• From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).

• Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Privacy Policy

Our pharmacists and their staff are members of your local healthcare team. They aim to provide you with the highest quality of healthcare. To do this they need to keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you. We know that you value your privacy and the security of personal information held about you.

Information recorded

As part of providing a professional, safe and efficient service, there is certain information that we record. This includes details of drugs and appliances dispensed against NHS prescriptions as well as significant advice given, and referrals made to other health professionals and any other relevant information.

Information recorded may include:

 

Processing Information

We process your personal data, which includes information from your prescriptions and any other pharmacy and health care services we provide to you (including medicines use reviews, flu vaccinations, stop smoking services , home delivery service etc.) for the purposes of:

 

The data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. Such staff maybe engaged in, among other things, the fulfilment of your order, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing.

We hold your information for as long as advised by the NHS.

We process your personal data in the performance of a task in the public interest for the provision of healthcare and treatment. A pharmacist is responsible for the confidentiality of your information.

Your Rights

You have the right to confidentiality under the General Data Protection Regulation and [the Data Protection Act 2018] and the common law duty of confidence.

We also comply with the NHS Code of Practice on Confidential Information and pharmacists have a requirement under their professional standards to keep records about you confidential, secure and accurate.

All of our staff contracts of employment contain a requirement to keep patient information confidential.

Our guiding principle is that we process your records in strict confidence.

Your right to view your health record

You have the right to ask for a copy of all pharmacy records about you (generally in paper or electronic form).

You will need to give adequate information in order for pharmacy staff to identify you (for example, full name, address and date of birth). You will be required to provide ID, for example a passport, full driving licence or credit/debit card before any information is released to you.

If you think any information we hold on you is inaccurate or incorrect, please let us know.

You may object to us holding your information.

If you have any complaints or need further information please contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Lisa Cottam
O’Briens Pharmacy
Fleetwood Health & Wellbeing Centre
Dock St
Fleetwood
FY7 6HP

T: 01253 770103
E: l.cottam@obrienspharmacy.com

If you feel your enquiry has not been handled correctly you may lodge a complaint with the

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire
SK9 5AF.

General Data Protection Regulation

Privacy notice for applicants and employees of the O’Brien’s Pharmacy Group

Your data is sensitive information and we want to ensure we are taking good care of it. Therefore please take the time below to read our data notice, which informs you about how we handle your data.

The purpose of this privacy notice is to inform you what we do with your data for example how it is collected, stored, used, updated, shared and destroyed, and your rights in relation to the personal data about you that we hold. O’Brien’s Pharmacy Group (OBPG) currently consists of Albert Wilde Ltd, O’Brien’s Pharmacies Ltd, Fleetwood Health Centre Ltd, O’Brien’s Chemists Ltd, Warburtons Chemists Ltd, Cleveleys Health Centre Pharmacy, Cleveleys Pharmacy, Bispham Pharmacy and Riverside Pharmacy. We are a small group of independent pharmacies who act as a data controller for your personal information collected and used with regards to your application and employment with OBPG.

As a data controller we are deciding what data we are collecting, for what purpose it is used for and how it is handled. As a data controller we are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

This notice will not form part of any contract of employment you have with any part of the O’Brien’s Pharmacy Group and it may be amended at any time. General Data Protection encompasses the handling of data and information about a living individual who can be directly identified from that data or coupled with any other information that is within our possession or likely to come into our possession.

We comply with our obligations under the GDPR by:

During the course of your employment and applications to the company we may hold a variance of information about you such as your name and address, bank details, date of birth, sex, sickness records, medical records, employment history, criminal convictions, driving license, and any other information such as disciplinary or complaints that arise during your employment.

If you are an applicant for a job role within our group, we will use this data to decide if you are a suitable candidate for the role that you have applied for. If you are one of our employees this data is used in order to make payments to you, produce your contracts of employment, and to ensure we are meeting legal standards such as the right to work and those of our regulatory body such as the GPhC who place a strong emphasis on patient care and safety. It may also be used for audit purposes or compliance with statutory obligations such as equal opportunity, performance and pay. We handle your data under a legal basis in order to comply with our legal obligations as an employer, for the purpose of our interests and your safety (such as CCTV), for the purpose of obligations under employment law and the defence of any claims within it, for your performance contract with our company. We may need to share your data with third parties in order to administer your contract of employment, for the requirements of regulatory bodies such as the GPhC or the NHS, in the prevention of crime or to third party advisors such as our insurance, health and safety or HR partners. This may also be in the completion of tasks such as the payment of wages or contributions to your pension. When we do this, we will only disclose your data that is necessary to fulfil the requirement of that service and we will ensure that any third party have data protection agreements in place to ensure that your data is kept secure and not for their own use such as marketing. We will not share your data to third parties unless you have requested us to in writing or we are required to do so by law e.g. in the prevention or investigation of a crime. We will not share your data for marketing or sell your data to any third party. Some of your personal data that we handle may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) for example where one of our service providers operates outside the EEA. In these circumstances, your personal data would only be transferred on one of the following bases:

Where the transfer is subject to one or more of the appropriate safeguards for international transfers prescribed by applicable law;
A European Commission decision provides that the country or territory to which the transfer is made ensures an adequate level of protection; or
There exists another situation where the transfer is permitted under applicable law e.g. where we have your explicit consent.

Unsuccessful applicants for job roles will have their data held for a period of 12 months after the last date of any correspondence, after which it will be securely destroyed. If you are an employee of the group we will hold your data until there is no legal basis for retaining it. We may retain your personal data for up to 6 years after your employment ceased with the company. There are some aspects of your data that will be kept indefinitely as there is a legal requirement to do so.
There are some exceptions to your rights regarding your personal data but you have the following rights with respect to the data we hold

It is your obligation to ensure that we are informed if any of your personal data or information changes during your employment with us. Please inform your line manager and HR lead if your information changes. If we wish to use your data for a new purpose, we will inform you of this and update our privacy note.

If you feel there has been a breach of data with respect your own data or someone else’s it is imperative that you discuss this with your HR lead or your data protection offer as soon as possible.

Your Data protection officer is

Lisa Cottam
Main Office
O’Brien’s Pharmacy
Fleetwood Health and Wellbeing Centre
Dock Street
Fleetwood
FY7 6JZ

Mob: 07392196057
Tel: 01253770103

Your concerns will be handled with care and treated seriously as part of our obligations for data protection. If you wish to complain further as you believe we have not handled your complaint appropriately then you may contact

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Email: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/

Tel: 0303 123 1113