Pharmacists are experts when it comes to medicine and advising patients on how to look after themselves, and one has shared three things she would ‘never do’ including a common habit
A pharmacist based in the UK has shared three things she would ‘never do’ and one of them might be surprising to some people. Pharmacists are experts in medicine and can advise patients on safe and effective use of various drugs.
People often go to their local pharmacy in need of medication for minor illnesses, such as colds, coughs, ear infections and skin rashes. With so many different types of medication available in supermarkets, chemists and online, consumers might be unsure of which types are the best or where they should get common medicines from. Anum is a clinical pharmacist who creates wellness and lifestyle content on social media and gives expert advice on healthcare.
She recently shared a video on TikTok listing three things you would “never” catch her doing.
1. Buying branded medication
The healthcare expert said she would never buy any type of branded over-the-counter medication, like painkillers or hay fever tablets.
She explained: “Guys, your supermarket own brands contain the exact same active ingredient as their branded counterparts so save yourself the money and just buy the genetic version.”
The NHS confirms that the generic version of a medicine will be the same as the branded one as they contain the same active ingredient. The health service uses the standard version more often, as it is just as effective but costs less.
2. Taking any type of A to Z multivitamin
An A to Z multivitamin is a food supplement containing a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals designed to support overall health and wellbeing and to ‘increase’ dietary intake of these nutrients.
These multivitamins are widely marketed on social media and are easily found in stores, making them a popular choice for people looking for a quick health fix. However, Anum says there’s one major issue with these vitamins.
Anum said: “So I feel like it’s a huge marketing ploy so generally these types of multivitamins don’t actually contain a high enough dosage of any one vitamin to give you any type of real benefit.”
These supplements typically include B vitamins for energy, Vitamin C and zinc for the immune system, and Vitamin A for vision.
The pharmacist added: “Also, if you’re not deficient in something why are you replacing it? Better still, get a blood test, see what you’re deficient in and replace that [so] that’s actually going to give you some type of benefit.”
3. Taking advice from anyone who isn’t medically trained
Anum shared that she wouldn’t take any kind of medical advice from anyone who isn’t trained to provide it.
Someone who isn’t trained will likely lack the qualifications and knowledge needed to give reliable guidance. Getting advice from someone who isn’t trained could also lead to dangerous misinformation.
In addition, many people turn to the internet when they’re experiencing certain symptoms and sometimes self-diagnose, but this can be potentially harmful and lead to incorrect diagnoses.
The TikTok video has garnered thousands of views and likes and more than 100 comments. One user admitted: “Omg I always take multivitamins.”
Another agreed with Anum as they said: “Number two is totally right. Stay away from multivitamins, the dosages are very low plus most of the time they put the cheapest types of each vitamin.”
Others left comments, including “completely agree”, “amazing advice” and “thanks, great advice.”