Sleep Health Issues: The Hidden Role of Community Pharmacy

Sleep Health Issues: The Hidden Role of Community Pharmacy

Sleep is the cornerstone of health and well-being, yet its critical importance is often overlooked. In the community pharmacy sector, we see daily evidence of the consequences of undiagnosed sleep disorders. By addressing these issues head-on, community pharmacists can create a new revenue stream, save lives and improve chronic disease management.

Drowsy Driving: A Silent Epidemic

Microsleeps—brief moments of unconsciousness—can happen to anyone with a sleep deficit, especially behind the wheel. Pharmacists can play a pivotal role in raising awareness of the dangers of drowsy driving. By identifying patients with sleep problems and promoting safe driving habits, we can help prevent accidents caused by fatigue.

What pharmacists can do:

• Use consultation opportunities to ask about sleep difficulties.
• Display educational materials about the risks of drowsy driving.
• Encourage patients to seek medical advice if they report falling asleep at inappropriate times.

Sleep Apnea: A Public Health Crisis

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often hidden behind the stigma of snoring. Left untreated, it leads to serious health complications, including hypertension, diabetes, and accidents due to exhaustion. Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to screen for risk factors and guide patients toward diagnosis and treatment.

What pharmacists can do:

• Offer sleep apnea screening services (we can help you!)
• Advise patients experiencing chronic snoring, fatigue, or breathing pauses to consult their GP (or setup a sleep screening service and get more involved!)
• Highlight the importance of adherence to treatments like CPAP and oral applieance therapy.

Mental Health and Sleep: A Two-Way Street

Sleep disturbances are often intertwined with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Poor sleep worsens these conditions, creating a cycle that can be challenging to break. Pharmacists can offer a listening ear, evidence-based advice, and referrals to appropriate support.

What pharmacists can do:

• Check in with patients collecting antidepressants about their sleep quality.
• Recommend sleep hygiene practices tailored to their lifestyle.
• Share resources for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), where available.
• Type 2 diabetics should be screened for obstructive sleep apnoea. Have they?

Supporting Children’s Sleep

Sleep problems in children are frequently misdiagnosed as behavioural issues like ADHD. Community pharmacists are well-placed to provide parents with advice on sleep hygiene and to recommend early intervention.

Children should not routinely snore. It’s not funny and its not cute. Look at the child – their eyes tell you a lot. Can you see the back of the child’s throat beyond their tonsils? If not – refer to the GP for onward referral to ENT.

What pharmacists can do:

• Educate parents about the importance of sleep for their child’s development.
• Counsel on non-pharmacological approaches to managing sleep challenges.
• Dispense melatonin only in line with current evidence and guidelines.

Tackling Shift Work Disorder

Shift workers, including many healthcare professionals, are at high risk of sleep disturbances that can affect their performance and safety. Pharmacists can provide targeted advice and support.

What pharmacists can do:

• Discuss strategies for managing sleep schedules with shift workers.
• Provide information on the use of light therapy and controlled naps.
• Encourage shift workers to seek help for persistent sleep problems.

Pharmacists: Champions of Sleep Health

Community pharmacy is often the first point of contact for health advice, making it an ideal setting to address sleep disorders. By asking one simple question: “How are you sleeping?”—pharmacists can uncover issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Practical Steps for Pharmacists

• Education: Undertake training to understand common sleep disorders and their management
• Screening: Use the BSPSS advocated patient assessment pathway
• Awareness Campaigns: Display posters or host health promotion events focused on sleep.
• Collaborate: Work with your local GPs, sleep clinics, and charities to create referral pathways.
• Policy Advocacy: Support the integration of sleep health into national pharmacy frameworks.

The Call to Action

Sleep disorders are treatable, yet many people suffer in silence, unaware that help is available. Community pharmacists have a unique opportunity to lead the charge in addressing this public health challenge. By prioritising sleep health, we can improve lives, enhance workplace safety, and reduce the burden on healthcare systems.

Making sleep a part of every consultation is easy: “How are you sleeping?”

(This article is for informational purposes only. Always follow local regulations and professional guidance in your practice.)

Adrian Zacher is the CEO and Founder of the British Society of Pharmacy Sleep Services a UK registered charitable incorporated organisation https://bspss.org and a PhD student at the VUB, Belgium.