The Irish Pharmacy Podcast

On the Irish Pharmacy Podcast from Vital Pharmacies, Sheena speaks with GP Dr. Maura Finn about why people shouldn’t avoid seeking care due to embarrassment and how direct questions help ensure safe treatment and rule out serious disease. They discuss common “whispered” issues such as bowel problems and hemorrhoids (including why bleeding patterns and bowel habit changes matter and when colonoscopy or BowelScreen is needed), vaginal symptoms often mislabeled as “thrush” (and when to get examined or swabbed), recurrent UTIs and the potential role of vaginal estrogen in older women, and men’s reluctance to seek care due to fear and cost or access barriers. They also warn about online prescribing for erectile dysfunction missing underlying conditions and drug interactions, normalize discussing incontinence treatment options beyond pads, and cover sensitive topics like alcohol and drug use, non-adherence to prescriptions, side effects, misinformation, supplements affecting health (including renal function), snoring and sleep apnea, and medical causes of bad breath.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:50 Embarrassing Questions Normalized01:34 Feet Rashes and Exam Basics03:03 Earwax and Human Quirks03:58 Hemorrhoids and Direct Talk04:57 Red Flags and Worst Case08:30 Gender Differences and Barriers11:37 Thrush BV and Misdiagnosis13:05 When to See a Doctor15:41 Recurrent UTIs and Estrogen18:06 Blood in Stool and Screening21:07 Online Doctors and ED Risks24:03 Incontinence and Pelvic Floor25:35 Pee Pads Marketing Myth26:11 When Leaks Aren’t Normal27:07 Awkward Questions Alcohol28:52 Talking Weight With Consent31:14 Drugs And Confidentiality33:21 Nonadherence And Side Effects35:55 Pill And Antidepressant Myths39:57 Supplements Wellness Risks42:51 Snoring Or Sleep Apnea44:36 Bad Breath Medical Causes46:15 No Shame Final Takeaway*Follow the Irish Pharmacy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is brought to you by Vital Pharmacies, Ireland's biggest group of independently owned Irish pharmacies.*

First aid expert Siobhan Butler joins host Sheena Mitchell for a rapid-fire myth-busting session covering the most common first aid scenarios families face, from nosebleeds and knocked-out teeth to choking, CPR, and everything in between! Topics covered:Nosebleeds Knocked-out teeth Sprains & strains Cuts & bleeding Bumps & bruises / head injuriesBee & wasp stings Eye irritation Swallowing objects & poisoning Asthma attacks .Diabetic hypos Heat stroke/exhaustion Fainting CPR & AEDs Choking Key Resources & Links- National Poison Centre (Beaumont): 01-809-2166 (open 7 days, 8am–10pm) | Outside hours: 112 or 999- Siobhan Butler - First Aid for Everyone: Instagram @firstaidforeveryone- First aid for choking: Demonstration videos available on Vital Pharmacies' social channels*Follow the Irish Pharmacy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is brought to you by Vital Pharmacies, Ireland's biggest group of independently owned Irish pharmacies.*

Misinformation, Red Light Masks & Collagen: David Robert Grimes on Thinking Clearly in a Clickbait WorldOn the Irish Pharmacy Podcast from Vital Pharmacies, Sheena interviews scientist and author David Robert Grimes about how misinformation thrives in a social-media clickbait era by triggering fear and disgust, undermining rational thinking through negativity bias. He distinguishes misinformation (unintentional falsehoods), disinformation (deliberate lies), and malinformation (true facts stripped of context), illustrating malinformation with the “dihydrogen monoxide” water hoax and vaccine risk framing. Grimes argues community pharmacists are vital because trusted, relationship-based discussions work better than debates for helping worried patients. They discuss influencer-driven wellness marketing, conflicts of interest, black-market GLP-1s, and his critiques of red-light face masks and oral collagen studies as methodologically poor and often tied to sellers. He also outlines Russia’s history of exploiting disinformation and highlights Finland’s media literacy education as a model, urging people to pause, verify sources, and avoid outsourcing thinking to social media or AI.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:16 Meet David Robert Grimes00:51 Skeptical Inquiry Fellow01:52 Why Misinformation Spreads03:24 Anti Vaccine History05:12 Misinfo Disinfo Malinfo06:40 Water Hoax Explained10:22 Pharmacists Build Trust14:34 Wellness Industry Myths15:35 Black Market GLP 1s16:59 Red Light Masks Hype18:19 Debunking Red Light Masks22:25 Influencers and Acceptability23:46 Parasocial Trust and Targeted Ads25:26 Ethics of Paid Promotions28:30 Regulating Medical Influencers30:00 Collagen Hype Debunked33:21 Supplements and Real Evidence35:02 Pseudo Profound Wellness Talk37:26 Disinformation and Russia Examples41:22 Media Literacy Finland Model43:34 Slow Down Verify and AI Limits45:45 Pharmacists as First Stop46:41 Wrap Up This episode was brought to you by Vital Pharmacies Ireland

Men’s Health in Ireland: Why Men Don’t Show Up (and How We Can Change That) On the Irish Pharmacy Podcast, brought to you by the Vital Pharmacies Group, host Sheena is joined by Dr. Noel Richardson (Men’s Health Forum in Ireland, National Centre for Men’s Health at Southeast Technological University, and HSE men’s health policy advisor) and Dr. Maura Finn (GP at Ennis Medical) to discuss men’s health, masculinity, and help-seeking in Ireland. They highlight stark inequalities, including higher premature male mortality (especially in deprived areas) and preventable risk factors such as alcohol, tobacco/drug use, obesity, low physical activity, risk-taking, and low engagement with services. Richardson describes masculinity as shaped by social determinants, rapid cultural/technological change, and pandemic-driven isolation among young men, and stresses community and workplace outreach programs like Men on the Move and Farmers Have Hearts. Finn explains why women typically build earlier healthcare relationships, while men often present late due to fear and lack of connection, and notes gaps in referral pathways and talk-therapy supports. They emphasize the role of community pharmacy, school-based health literacy (including SPHE), supporting fatherhood, staying connected, and improving bowel screening uptake. This episode was brought to you by Vital Pharmacies IrelandUseful linksOrder a FREE HSE STI kit here!BowelScreen Info and kit ordering here!The Real face of Men's Health Report available here! Timeline00:00 Welcome and Guests01:25 Why Mens Health Matters04:34 Masculinity in Modern Ireland08:53 Isolation and Social Change10:51 Why Men Avoid the GP17:09 Reaching Hard to Reach Men23:48 Pharmacy and Community Solutions25:57 Fear Confidentiality and Culture29:15 Schools and Health Literacy32:27 Online Trends and Looksmaxing33:16 Wish List and Practical Advice34:51 Screening Takeaways and Wrap Up

Introducing The Irish Pharmacy Podcast: Real Health Talk, No JargonSheena introduces the Irish Pharmacy Podcast, brought to you by Vital Pharmacies a monthly show that breaks down the health stories behind the headlines in a way that makes sense. Each episode features friendly, honest conversations about the topics everyone’s talking about—new trends, common wellness questions, and the things people end up Googling late at night—without jargon or lectures. The podcast aims to help listeners and their families feel more informed about their health and get the real facts on the issues they’ve been wondering about. New episodes release monthly, and listeners are invited to follow wherever they get their podcasts.00:00 Welcome and Purpose00:09 Meet Sheena00:15 What to Expect00:31 No Jargon Promise00:41 Join the Conversation00:49 Monthly Episodes00:53 Follow and SubscribeFind Vital Pharmacies on Instagram!Host - Sheena Mitchell