Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
The World Cup, vacations, and family gatherings are all happening right now, and no one wants those plans disrupted by illness.
While COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses may not be top of mind during the warmer months, they continue to circulate and can quickly sideline even the best-laid plans. That's why the American Pharmacists Association is encouraging people to act early if symptoms start to develop.
Loretta Giusti, PharmD, with the American Pharmacists Association, said the most important thing is making sure symptoms are not dismissed.
"The most important thing is we want to not derail you from your plans. So we want to make sure that if we're having symptoms, that we're not just brushing these off as just we're traveling, we're not feeling well, it might be allergies. We want to get you started to go into the pharmacy so that we can figure out, is this just something mild, or is this something that needs further testing and treating?" Giusti said.
Giusti said pharmacists are well-positioned to help patients make that determination quickly and conveniently.
"We want to make sure that we're easily accessible to everybody, which is why the pharmacists are your best bet as your most successful health care providers. And because COVID is still a thing for patients who are high risk, we do want to make sure that they're coming in earlier so that we can get them tested and treated at the pharmacy and dispense these antivirals, which work when you're getting treated earlier rather than later," Giusti said.
In Florida, pharmacists are trained and equipped to test and treat patients directly at the local pharmacy, Giusti said.
"Pharmacists in Florida, we are actually equipped and trained and can test and treat patients at your local pharmacy. So imagine that access seven days a week. We're here for you, and we want to keep our community safe," Giusti said.
For those looking to avoid getting sick in the first place, Giusti recommended basic precautions.
"Universal precautions. Wash hands with warm water and soap. Sing a little melody if you can. And if you're not feeling well, come and see us at your pharmacy," Giusti said.
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