(Dear English readers, please scroll down to find the ‘click’ for English translation)

上周末，气温出奇地热，约30度，是破了这几年来秋天最热的记录。

怎知，两，三天后，气温突然降到12至14度，还下大雨和刮风。

Ed说，这才算是平常的秋天天气。

可是，一个措手不及，我还是着了凉。

我想, 是那天我去上法文班淋到雨时开始的。

头痛鼻塞，呼吸不到，最受不了，什么心情思绪都没了。真讨厌！

没什么，只是很少感冒，没想到这么辛苦，要发发牢骚。

要提醒自己，下回工作时，要对着凉的病人多点爱心。

还有，去药剂行买一些帮忙通鼻和润喉的糖果时，看到一些无助的病人。

在加拿大，感冒的药物和其他商品摆在一起。

即，自己拿就可以了，药剂师不过问。

病人看着一大堆的药物，抓头也不知什么才好。随手拿算了。

我看得心惊，真想问他 – 你有高血压吗？ 有高血压的话，最好不要用这个。

真想告诉他 – 这个会有头晕的副作用，用时，最好不要开车。等等….

在澳洲，感冒药物的买卖都要经过药剂师或药剂师的助手。

主要是要帮助病人选最适合和对他们最安全的药物。

虽然，有些病人都会很不耐烦，怎么药剂师有那么多无谓的问题。

可是，小心能驶万年船。

感冒不是大病，它的药物虽大都安全，可是还是有副作用。

用得不妥当，是对身体有害的。

像在这里，病人可以随意买，虽然没澳洲那样啰哩啰嗦，可是看得我很担心…

没办法，我这个着凉了的澳洲药剂师还有一病 – 职业病。

Last weekend, Torontonians just experienced one of the hottest autumn days for the recent years. Unexpectedly, two to three days later, the temperature dropped drastically to only 12-14 Celsius and accompanied with rains and strong winds. Although this sort of weather considered normal for the autumn season, it just changed too quickly that my body could not cope too well and caught a cold. I think, it is possibly started from the day I went to French class during the rain and strong wind. Anyway, nothing major but still quite annoyed and frustrated by the headache and blocked nose. I have to remind myself that I have to be more patient and understanding with patients with cold in pharmacy next time.

Talking about pharmacy, I went to buy some lozenges that help to relieve blocked nose and cough in pharmacy here. Lozenges section is in the cough and cold section. In Canada, cough and cold medicines are not as tightly regulated compared to Australia. They can be purchased without the supervision or help from pharmacist and pharmacy assistant. They are also on display on easily accessible shelves.

When I was choosing my lozenges, I saw a few helpless looking patients. They looked at the shelves full of various medicines and did not know which one to get. They simply picked up one and walked away to the payment counter. I almost wanted to stop them and ask : ‘do you have high blood pressure ? If you have, it is not a good idea to take this medicine.’ or to tell them that ‘ this medicine can cause drowsiness, please don’t drive while you are using it’.

In Australia, most cough and cold medicines purchases have to be supervised and assisted directly or indirectly by a pharmacist or a pharmacy assistant who have been trained. This is to ensure safe use of medicine and appropriate counseling is provided when necessary. I have had many patients who sometimes are quite impatient with our many questions before the purchases. I understand them because for them, common cold is just a minor ailment and they simply want something quick to get relief and can’t be bothered to answer so many questions. Although most of them are safe for most people, but some are not and some cold medicine still have their side effects that should be aware of. Careful and caution are better than sorry. Nonetheless, most patients in Australia understand this and are quite co-operative .
Like here in Canada, patients can buy any cough and cold medicine as they like. The transactions are quick and easy but it just worries me a lot…..possibly it is just me, who happened to be a pharmacist in Australia…..