“Whoa. What’s That?” (Don’t Rely on Dr. Google!)

School has only been out for a few weeks and already we’ve had an oddity on our summer adventure thus far. We’re not sure how it happened, either a visit to a friends hot-tub or a new heavily perfumed dryer sheet, but my eleven year old son broke out in a ridiculous rash that spread quickly.

Being that this is kiddo #1 and I’ve been through a few rashes in his eleven-years, I knew this wasn’t something that necessitated a doctor’s visit yet so I searched on Google for a few possible answers. Of course, Google being what it is I got a huge variety of possible causes from the minor to the oh-so-serious. My next step, and the better of the two I took, was to visit my local Shoppers Drug Mart and talk to a Pharmacist.

According to a new national poll, many Saskatchewanians rely on “Dr. Google,” often to their own detriment – many have used the internet to figure out what their issue is (72 per cent), but 28 per cent say they got it wrong and misdiagnosed themselves! In fact, their online search often confused the issue and made them either think their medical condition was less serious than it actually was (51 per cent) or more serious (26 per cent). More than two thirds (71 per cent) agree they rely on over-the-counter medications because it’s not worth waiting to see a doctor for a prescription.

What many people don’t realize is expert help is easily accessible – more than a third of Saskatchewanians (39 per cent) were not aware pharmacists can assess and prescribe for minor ailments. Saskatchewan is currently one of the lucky provinces in Canada where doctors are not the only option for getting prescriptions for minor ailments. So, instead of waiting in long lineups or trusting their health to “Dr. Google,” people can visit a pharmacist to get a medical consultation and, if appropriate, a prescription for treating minor ailments like eczema, cold sores, and seasonal allergies.

A Pharmacist can offer over-the-counter medication or perhaps prescribe something suitable for a variety of common ailments ranging from seasonal allergies, rashes, to joint and muscle pain. In our case, we needed a topical cream with hydrocortisone in it to take care of whatever got my son (we still don’t really know). Thankfully, within two days of applying it, the rash started to disappear. Until the next thing pops up!