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Letter to the Editor:- "Dyslexia,
ADHD, Dyspraxia and Asperger Syndrome"
"BEING diagnosed with a condition that is practically unheard of by
many can make life very hard. While many of your readers probably
know about behavioural, social and learning problems such as
Dyslexia, ADHD and Asperger Syndrome, I am sure relatively few are
familiar with Dyspraxia.
Experiencing difficulties such as walking up and down the stairs,
getting dressed, tying shoelaces, forming relationships and an
inability to remember more than two or three instructions at once
are all part and parcel of living with dyspraxia.
It is thought 2
children are affected in every class of 30 and it is not a condition
that you simply grow out of.
However, because it is not an 'obvious' disability, there is a real
lack of general understanding and as such many living with the
condition can feel left out, isolated and suffer at the hands of
bullies.
Since finding out about the condition and the very real implications
it can have on daily life for those affected, I am proud to be
supporting the Dyspraxia Foundation's national awareness week,
Dyspraxia: Making Sense of it All, ending on 4 October 2008.
The
week-long campaign seeks to ensure the condition and those affected
by it receive the recognition and support they deserve.
I am urging all your readers who suspect that they or a family
member may have dyspraxia, or are showing some of the symptoms, not
to suffer in silence but to visit the charity's
website
or call the helpline on:- 01462 454 986.
While there is no cure for dyspraxia, there are many coping techniques and positive steps that
can be taken to make like easier and I urge people to take action
today.
What's more, the charity is also launching a special competition
during the awareness week - 'Reach for the Stars!' - to recognise and
reward those who have achieved something truly exceptional despite
living with dyspraxia." Jon Lee,
West End Star and former member of S-Club 7 |
Pharmacies get test of own medicine
UNSUITABLE and potentially
dangerous advice is being given by poorly-trained staff in some
pharmacies, according to an undercover investigation by Which?
The consumer organisation visited 101 pharmacies across the UK and
got unsatisfactory advice on a 3rd of visits, according to an expert
panel. Independent pharmacies fared particularly poorly, giving
unsatisfactory advice on around half of visits. Sales of the
migraine drug Imigran Recovery, which used to be for GP-only
prescription, should be overseen by a pharmacist and only take place
after vital questions have been asked. Which? found that in 40% of
cases sales assistants did not even alert the pharmacist, and 1 in 5
sold it without a single question.
For traveller’s diarrhoea, investigators were 4 times more likely to
get unsatisfactory advice from sales assistants than from
pharmacists. But some aspects, such as offering a private area
to discuss sensitive issues, had improved since Which? last
investigated pharmacies in 2004. Which? also checked sales at
4 online chemists and was shocked to find that 1 - Asset Chemist -
sold its researcher an illegal quantity of paracetamol-based
painkillers. The case will be investigated by the Royal
Pharmaceutical Society, who has also pledged to support improvements
in the industry by mystery shopping and training.
Neil Fowler, Editor, Which? magazine, says:- “People are
increasingly turning to pharmacies for the sort of advice they might
have gone to their GP for in the past, but we’re concerned that in
some cases they’re getting advice that is unsuitable and potentially
unsafe. With plans to expand the remit of pharmacists further,
even allowing them to leave sales assistants in charge for periods
of time, it’s vital that training improves and that meaningful
action is taken against those that fail to deliver, so that
consumers can trust the advice they receive.” |
