Arthritis Care & Lloyds In Joint Initiative

High Street pharmacy Lloyds has reached over the counter and joined forces with Arthritis Care to help raise awareness of arthritis and how it affects the daily lives of millions of people. The partnership means that during December free information about arthritis is available in some 1,400 Lloyds stores throughout England and Wales.

In-store posters will draw shoppers’ attention to leaflets containing contact details for the support organisation Arthritis Care, to its free helplines, to its website with downloadable resources, and to its range of self-management courses.

LloydsPharmacy Live radio will also keep the joints jumpin’, broadcasting interviews and key arthritis facts to customers. It is hoped that the information campaign will reach people with arthritis, their partners, families and carers, so that anyone affected by the condition knows where to turn for help.

“Arthritis Care is delighted to work with Lloyds and to have this opportunity to engage with their customers, raising awareness of arthritis, of the impact it has on people’s lives, and awareness of the support Arthritis Care can offer’, said Rachel Haynes, Arthritis Care’s director of public affairs .

Arthritis Care also hopes that the Lloyds partnership will increase awareness among pharmacists of the needs of people with arthritis, and how a pharmacist can help them to manage their condition.

“Friendly professional pharmacists are a vital resource. They have a key role in supporting people with arthritis, offering tips on how to live with the condition, keeping an eye on prescriptions for any interaction, and giving information about available local services.

“With a bit of extra knowledge, people with arthritis can sometimes manage their symptoms more effectively – and pharmacists are really well-placed to advise them on different options and new developments,” said Ms Haynes.

Iqbal Gill, Lloyds Pharmacy Director of Clinical Commercial Operations said: “Seeing patients benefit by helping them to maximise the use of their medicines and improve their understanding is a key motivator for our pharmacy teams.”

In the UK, there are some nine million people with arthritis, and it is the country’s biggest single cause of physical disability. There are about 200 forms of the condition, which affects people of all ages, including around 20,000 children.

“Although this is a December campaign and people tend to think of arthritis as something to do with ‘winter aches and pains’, it is far from it. Arthritis is not seasonal, it is a long-term condition which can be heavily disabling. Arthritis is for life – not just for Christmas!” said Ms Haynes.

Arthritis Care is not receiving any financial support from Lloyds Pharmacy for participating in this activity.