CPPE: Pharmacy Conversations

Here’s some food for thought: the biochemistry of food!
In this episode, we explore how pharmacy professionals can support people with their nutrition and weight management. Joining us are nutrition specialist Lisa Jamieson MSc and CPPE’s own Emma Anderson.
Lisa highlights how nutrition underpins every aspect of health and illness, the importance of recognising malnutrition, and more. Emma recounts her journey developing weight management services in community pharmacy – one of challenging misconceptions and emphasising the need for a non-judgemental, individualised approach.

Resources
CPPE, Weight management - prescribing perspectives workshop
CPPE, Weight management learning gateway
CPPE, Nutrition, medicines and myths: evolution of pharmacy practice learning gateway
CPPE, Nutrition - how medicines affect nutrition distance learning

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Learning outcomes
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
Explain the links between nutrition, weight management and overall health – including how medicines and nutrients intake interact.
Assess how pharmacy teams can sensitively and confidently identify and support people with nutrition and weight management challenges.
Reflect on and propose ways to integrate nutrition-focused conversations and evidence-based advice into everyday pharmacy practice, to improve patient outcomes.

One in every five people will start to live with sight loss in their lifetime. What can pharmacy do to help?
In this episode, we are joined by Lisa Riste, Nishi Gangani, and Kim Bassi to explore their involvement in FLAG-Me, an innovative project aiming to improve medication safety for people with visual impairments. What challenges do patients with sight loss face when accessing and taking medicines, and what simple but effective steps can you take to help them? Let’s find out.

Resources
FLAG-me
Royal National Institute of Blind People
Henshaws, Sight loss support
eMC, patient information leaflets
FutureLearn, Supporting Medicine Use by Older People with Visual and/or Hearing Impairment (free online course)
#KnowYourDrops, Eye Drop Compliance Campaign to Achieve Medicines Optimisation in Ophthalmology (research presentation/poster)

Want more? Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook, or visit cppe.ac.uk.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
Describe the key challenges that patients with visual impairments face when accessing and using medicines safely.
Analyse how pharmacy teams can integrate FLAG-Me and other practical strategies into their workflows to improve patient safety and accessibility.
Evaluate the importance of patient-centred communication and collaboration in developing safer, more inclusive pharmacy services.

What can everyday pharmacy practice do for men, and how can that care be delivered equitably across all backgrounds?
In this episode, we speak about men’s health with two leading voices: Peter Baker (director of Global Action on Men’s Health) and Ade Williams (lead prescribing pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol). It’s an honest and inspiring discussion.
We explore the stark inequalities in men’s health outcomes – particularly in cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health – and reflect on how community pharmacy is uniquely placed to help address these disparities. Ade shares practical examples of local initiatives (including health checks in pubs and barber shops!) while Peter offers a national and global perspective on the need for systemic change.

Resources
CPPE, Men’s health learning gateway
Men’s health forum
Prostate cancer UK
The Pharmaceutical Journal, How to conduct effective men’s health promotion in community pharmacy
Global action on men’s health
FIP, Advancing men’s health through pharmacy

Want more? Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook, or visit cppe.ac.uk.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
Explain the key health inequalities affecting men in the UK and the wider global context.
Identify how pharmacy teams can adapt practice environments and consultation approaches to better engage men in health conversations.
Reflect on their own role in men’s health and propose practical actions to improve engagement and service delivery in their local setting.

The menopause. Discuss!
In this episode, we explore the vital topic of menopause and its impact on women’s health, with help from our guests Sally Arnison and Afua Thompson. Together, they share personal insights, professional experiences, and practical tips for pharmacy teams to better support people going through perimenopause and menopause.
Tune in to hear about recognising symptoms, starting conversations, signposting to services and tackling barriers to care. We also consider training opportunities, policy change and how you can normalise discussing this sometimes sensitive topic.

Resources
CPPE, Menopause learning gateway
CPPE, Introduction to menopause e-learning
British Menopause society
Women’s Health Concern
Menopause Matters

Want more? Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook, or visit cppe.ac.uk.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
Recognise common symptoms and challenges associated with perimenopause and menopause, and explain their impact on peoples’ health and wellbeing.
Evaluate approaches pharmacy teams can use to identify, support, and signpost individuals experiencing menopause-related health concerns.
Implement practical strategies and use evidence-based resources to improve menopause care and communication within pharmacy practice.

Is research something far away, for specialists? Or is it an everyday process, driven by curiosity, that underpins professional growth and patient care?
In this episode, we explore the value, purpose, and accessibility of research in pharmacy with guests Michelle Styles (regional manager at CPPE, and doctoral researcher) and James Higgerson (research fellow at CPPE). Together they unpack what research really means in day-to-day pharmacy practice, and how pharmacy professionals can get involved at any stage of their careers.
Michelle and James reflect also on their own journeys into research, the CPPE programmes they’ve evaluated and the practical impact their findings have had on training pathways and service development. They offer top tips for getting started, demystify common misconceptions and highlight useful resources to support pharmacy professionals in developing their confidence as researchers.

Resources
CPPE, Research learning gateway
CPPE, Optimise programmes
NIHR research, e-Learning for pharmacy professionals

Want more? Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook, or visit cppe.ac.uk.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
Describe the purpose of research in pharmacy and its connection to the pillars of practice.
Reflect on how research skills can be applied within their own practice setting to evaluate or improve services.
Identify practical ways to engage with research, including small-scale evaluations, collaborative opportunities, and available training resources.