Training your team and ensuring everyone's knowledge is up-to-date are important CPD triggers. We suggest that you get the team together for a training session based on the activities below and discuss the various ways in which you can offer customers and patients added care in this category.

Subject: head lice

This Train Your Team checklist provides support and information to run a team training session on head lice.  This content can also be used for your own CPD.

Reflection

• Have I read the Public Health Medicine Environmental Group (PMEG) evidence-based guidelines on head lice?
• Have I considered identifying one member of the pharmacy team to be responsible for advising patients on head louse problems?
• Can I explain to a parent how to detect head lice and how to use head lice preparations?
• Do I know how to teach parents the technique of detection combing?
• Do I liaise with school nurses, head teachers, local general practices, health visitors and infection control nurses to ensure we are all giving the same information to patients and we can refer to one another as appropriate?

Training checklist

Ensure support staff understand the following key points:

• Which population groups are most likely to be affected by head lice
• Misconceptions around head lice – how they spread and how to treat them
• How to check for the presence of live head lice: the importance and technique of detection combing
• Scalp itching is not always caused by head lice
• When to recommend an appropriate treatment and how to use it
• Wet combing can be an effective treatment, but takes time and demands commitment
• Why treatment can fail and what to do about it.

I will:

• Read and digest the PMEG evidence-based guidelines
• Clarify the team’s role in the management of head lice
• Ensure that at least one member of the team can teach patients how to detect head lice
• Train my pharmacy assistants to ensure they can meet the points in this training checklist.

Practice activity

• What advice would you give to a mum who has a daughter with Afro hair in terms of treating head lice?