Hi everyone
Free blood cholesterol screening at Blooms the Chemist during the month of August. Spotted in their catalog which I have accidentally recycled and not on their website yet. Please update if you have the catalog.
Cheers.
Addition: they're also offering a free compact portable speaker (the doughnut one) with purchase of two Nivea Men products.
I think its a prick test using a device similar to a glucometer.
Probably total cholesterol only
hope I've answered your question
So probably you ignore the fact that total cholesterol means nothing if you don't analyse your full lipids profile!
It saves you the inconvenience of queuing at the GP for hours and then having your blood extracting by a nasty phelebotomist.
If your after a simple and quick test to know your cholesterol level its good enough
Why are they "nasty"? They are providing a service that is of a benefit to your health.
His probably scared of needles :)
Yes I am :)
His 'what' is probably scared of needles?
There lovely people,blood extracting is nasty
How accurate is the test? Not all phlebotomists are nasty, I personally have seen much more nasty and ignorant chemists than blood collectors! A simple blood test covers dozens of tests, it's bulk billed and it's much more accurate than the finger pricks, well worth the queuing at your GP. what happens if your chemist finds your chol is high? Won't you have to go for a "real" blood test then?
The test is pretty accurate. If you're measuring your cholesterol for the first time, or working on lowering your cholesterol for instance, it will give you a simple reading. Similar to measuring blood glucose for a diabetic - they will not need to get a real test if it's high.
People's health status and needs are diverse. I would encourage everyone 30 and above to measure their cholesterol - and yes to do a full blood lipid profile (if this is what you're referring to as a real blood test) if it's high.
Who gives the fasting instructions before the cholesterol test? Or is it a random(non fasting) test? And who interprets the results then?
I am not getting into a debate with you about this. The pharmacist is a health care professional capable of interpreting a simple blood test result, and able to indicate if a patient is receiving appropriate dosage of medications based on blood results, and hundreds of other things.
Again, people's health needs are diverse. If it does not suit you, skip it. But don't discourage others from obtaining health benefits.
Excuse me but I'm just expressing my opinion (based on my professional background).
You are the one who calls health care professionals "nasty"! Now you can go back to google and check if your free finger prick -not sure if fasting- chol test whas good or bad and I'll go to bed and get up early, queue up at my GP's and then go for an old fashioned fasting blood test done by a nasty blood collector.
The pharmacist is a health care professional capable of interpreting a simple blood test result
You are assuming that the pharma is conducting free cholestrol checks for public health. What if I told you this was just clever marketing to get you through the shop door? You don't realize that this is the pharma's sales tactic.
They will probably even 'enhance' the truth and tell you that your cholestrol is high, and that you should buy some Omega 3 and fibre supplements. Cha-ching. Money in the till.
If you're measuring your cholesterol for the first time, or working on lowering your cholesterol for instance, it will give you a simple reading. Similar to measuring blood glucose for a diabetic - they will not need to get a real test if it's high.
A blood test without fasting would give you results that are way off and would not be relied upon by a doctor, let alone someone practicing pharmacy. This is just shonky business advertising — giving customers a blood test without any prior fasting is about as useful as having someone tell your fortune by reading your palm.
So what. It is what it is, and for some people it's a decent starting point for follow up and discussion with their health pro. If a few hundred people take up the offer and learn even a little about good and bad cholesterol and how they affect health that's hardly a bad thing. If a handful are found to have high total Cholesterol counts and get shocked into going to their docs that's also a good thing. The vast majority of pharmacists are trustworthy health professionals not greedy retailers as you seem to be suggesting.
i thought i'd weigh in on this debate
the results will be inaccurate unless performed on a fasting sample
also as Gregfiona has raised, a spot cholesterol level (which probably won't be accurate on a fingerprick) is of limited clinical utility, we would need the whole lipid profile in order to make a determination on cardiovascular risk, not withstanding rigorous consideration of other factors such as blood pressure, family history, smoking status (just to name a few)
also the results need to be followed-up, and the pharmacy is not an appropriate setting in which this should take place
a pharmacist is not qualified (by any stretch of the imagination) to interpret blood test results and provide health advice
go see your gp, get proper advice and a validated laboratory test
Just go before breakfast then
No kidding. It's a guide, and a starting point. Most pharmacists know far mpore than you give them credit for. My educated guess is that you're not qualified to talk about their qualifications or capabilities but feel free to correct me.
Okay you've weighed in, now let's hear your argument about why chemists "aren't qualified" to provide basic tests and/or general information regarding health. Chemists as we know undergo rigorous training, are required to complete accredited teriary courses, must be licensed, and must undergo continued professional development. With few exceptions, they obviously understand illness and drugs far better than Jo Public - or Inasero in your case - even if they aren't expert in diagnoses or blood test interpretation (as many GPs aren't).
You can neg all day, it doesn't make your comment any more accurate.
Really? Try taking your blood test results to a pharmacist for interpretation and clinical advice and see what response you get. In my estimation it's no different from asking your plumber for their professional opinion on your house wiring.
Oh and for the record, I'm a lot more qualified to interpret blood test results, diagnose illnesses and prescribe medications than you think ;)
@inasero:
If you think that a pharmacist is not qualified to give health advice and that ur the only person in the world that can do so and interpret results etc.., well , the conversation stops there.
Good try, but the discussion is about a non-specific cholesterol test, not specific or targeted blood tests in general. Ergo your "estimation" is rubbish in this case. Despite what you seem to think, a pharmacist is qualified to give general advice on health matters and is certainly capable of interpreting the basic cholesterol tests being spoken of here. Even a moderately informed member of the public is capable of same - hence the commercial kits available.
As for specific blood tests I can tell you from personal and family experience that some doctors don't have a clue in regard to interpretation of certain blood tests. If as you seem to be claiming you're an MD then you'll know that pharmacists are not permitted to provide specific "clinical advice" based on detailed blood tests and you're very unlikely to find any who will.
This is a test that should be interpreted by a doctor and not a pharmacist
I dispute the idea that this is shonky business
As technology advances thee will be many more of these little machines measuring specific results
There also are currently similar machines that measure INR (for people on blood thinners) which is invaluable for people on warfarin here risk for bleeding is high if the INR goes too high
Many people have not seen a gp for a long time or had a blood test
In simple term this is a health screening/monitoring tool
one of my Warfarin parients came in last month and tested his INR via the usual citrate tube, right after the venepuncture he tested his 2 Roche' portable INR devices using 2 finger pricks. Both decices showed the same reading which was 0,7 lower than the blood test. The conclusion is yours…not to mention every prick costs him $5!
P.s i would say that the risk is bigger if the blood gets too thick, that's why they are taking blood thinners ;)
This is not free.
We need to spend some of our blood to get the test done.
It's worth bottling, right?
Here are a few more free health checks being offered by "ignorant" and "unqualified" pharmacists. These are from SOUL PATTINSON.
Hearing Checks
Hearing loss is a significant health issue, affecting one in six Australians. And for Australians over the age of 60, the instance increases to one in two!
Soul Pattinson Chemist are offering FREE Hearing Checks throughout October 2014. Each check is conducted by an Australian Hearing representative, takes less than 15 minutes and provides results on the spot!
Heart Health
During March 2015, your local Soul Pattinson will provide a cholesterol and blood pressure test to assess your risk of cardiovascular disease - currently the number 1 cause of death in Australia.
Type 2 Diabetes
If left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney damage, eye damage, nerve pain and stroke. We will provide a simple test that measures blood glucose levels, blood pressure and waist circumference to assess your risk of developing diabetes.
The FREE Type 2 diabetes check offered by Soul Pattinson Chemist throughout June 2015, is a great way to assess your risk of Type 2 diabetes. It’s simple easy, and can be done within 10 minutes.
In lieu of the puerile neg vote whoever you are, try entering the discussion with your undoubtedly fabulously informed opinion on what the problem is with pharmacists providing any of the above services. Before you do I suggest you do a little bit of research - pop in to your chemist for example and ask them some questions. Knowledge is your friend, not your enemy.
I have never paid(directly) for my cholesterol/hdl/ldl/triglycerides etc blood tests anyway…
What type of "cholesterol test" is it?