AskLwanda

AskLwanda Have a health consultation online and get the medicine from a chemist near you.

I like that the government is slowly taking action on this. I mean, just about 2 years ago SEDA, a government agency, ha...
14/08/2025

I like that the government is slowly taking action on this. I mean, just about 2 years ago SEDA, a government agency, had issued funding to a lay person to open a shop and sell medicines. The ignorance was disturbing.

Today, here we are, with a government that understands that ONLY qualified and registered persons can sell medicines.

Why do people buy medicine that
1. is not labelled
2. is not stored properly
3. other

It’s because they don’t know any better.
Incorrect storag can render medicines ineffective. You might drink a pill 💊 but it won’t work. Think of an Eno®️ sachet when stored in humid conditions. The water damages it and it forms a hard paste that doesn’t dissolve in water.

How do I become a pharmacist assistant? You must get 4 things right. 1. You must register with a training institution. T...
08/08/2025

How do I become a pharmacist assistant?

You must get 4 things right.
1. You must register with a training institution.
There are several different institutions. e.g. 👇🏽
SBuys: (27) 18 788 2075
Health Science Academy: +27 87 821 1109

2. Find a pharmacy that is registered for training. The pharmacy must appear on the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) register.

3. Find a pharmacist in that pharmacy (the same one at number 2) that is registered as a tutor with SAPC.

4. Register yourself as a learner.
You must register with SAPC that I (insert name here) am registered as a learner with instution (insert name here) under the tutor (name of tutor) at facility (name of pharmacy).

Very important.
The learner, tutor and premises are tied by a bond throughout the learning cycle (12 months).

I’m not sure I understand the logic here from Discovery Medical Scheme.They are reducing the Ove-The-Counter (OTC) bene...
29/07/2025

I’m not sure I understand the logic here from Discovery Medical Scheme.

They are reducing the Ove-The-Counter (OTC) benefit from R10 000 to R4 000 because people spend “too much” on OTC instead of consulting a doctor. Huh?

They say that you guys are using all your savings at the pharmacy so they have dropped the benefit.

A long time ago, my girlfriend (wife now) and I suspected that she’s pregnant 🤰🏼. We bought a pregnancy test from the sh...
27/07/2025

A long time ago, my girlfriend (wife now) and I suspected that she’s pregnant 🤰🏼. We bought a pregnancy test from the shops, went home and did the thing.

Now, I don’t know why I wanted to take the lead on this but I took the plastic strip thingie, dipped it in the urine sample and waited. She notices that time is passing and I’m not taking it out then says “that’s not how it’s done”

Apparently all you need to do is get the test part of the strip wet 💦 then place it on a flat surface and wait. No one told me this 🤦🏽‍♂️ now I’m out here looking stupid.

You know what would help?
1. Sell these only at the pharmacy
2. Have the pharmacy staff explain to you how to use them.

In 2016, the South African government 🇿🇦 approved the sale of home HIV test kits.
This made the test readily available but the person loses the opportunity for pre-counseling and post-counseling. This service is mandatory in health facilities who offer HIV testing with government clinics employing thousands of people called HIV counselors. That’s how important the counseling part is.

Have you ever bought an HIV (or other) test?
Did you find it easy to use?

In 2004, the then Minister of Health - Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (may she continue to rest in peace) made it possible for...
26/07/2025

In 2004, the then Minister of Health - Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (may she continue to rest in peace) made it possible for community pharmacies to be owned by lay persons.

In other words, you don’t need to be a pharmacist in order to own a pharmacy. There was an immediate interest from supermarkets, cosmetic stores, etc to open dispensaries inside of their stores.

*** if you have the political appetite then the conversation is that corporate “motivated” her to change the law in their favour ***

Shoprite, Clicks, Diskom, Woolworths, Just-On, Pick n Pay and many others started opening or speaking about opening chain stores. We also started seeing these medicine cages 🤔

I’ve recently graduated and there I am doing part-time work at a corporate pharmacy. A young lady comes to the pharmacy asking for Adco-dol®️ tablets. She says she has a VERY VERY VERY bad headache 🤕 . I process everything on the system but as I am about to place the box inside the cage, she asks me to take out 2 tablets so she can drink them immediately. I let her do that exactly then place the box inside the cage, lock it with a cable tie and hand it to her.

That was that. Well, at least I thought it was.
Later in the day, the cashier brings back the cages from the front shop. This is standard practice, except today there’s a cage that still has medicine inside 🤦🏽‍♂️🙆🏽‍♂️. Damn it, she didn’t pay. That day I left with a box of pills 💊 that I didn’t need but had to pay for.

How do you feel about dispensary cages?

In my second year of study, I went and did “hours” at a community pharmacy back home. It was during school holidays. Any...
25/07/2025

In my second year of study, I went and did “hours” at a community pharmacy back home.
It was during school holidays.

Anyway, there’s a gentleman by the name of Bra Mtheza, who works at the pharmacy dispensary. We got along, it was pleasant working with him. Pharmacy is a female dominated industry. I think it’s always exciting to work with another guy.
A patient came in and wanted something for heartburn. I turned around, looked at him and asked what I should give.

Now, this is the moment. He doesn’t answer but looks at me as though I’m supposed to know.
So I say Rennies®️ tablets 💡 😅😅
Yho! The disappointment on his face. I’ll never forget it. He actually said it out loud. He seemed unimpressed (read disappointed) that I recommended what the lady next door would also recommend. I was supposed to do better.

Mayogel®️, Gaviscon®️, Eno®️, etc are ok products. They work but they aren’t scheduled medicines. They technically are because they are schedule zero but schedule 1 & schedule 2 products are only sold at a pharmacy. These are the products he expected me to recommend.
You can get Eno®️ at a spaza shop. When you’re at the pharmacy you should get the real stuff.

Was he being fair?

Disclaimer: we are still good friends 20yrs later.

I grew up in the small town of Butterworth. Even though it is a small town, we were fortunate enough to have 2 independe...
25/07/2025

I grew up in the small town of Butterworth.
Even though it is a small town, we were fortunate enough to have 2 independent pharmacies.

Now, don’t get me wrong but independent pharmacies are notorious for giving out prescription medicines without a prescription. It was no different here.

I’m a young chap and mom has asked me to buy her Metformin Tablets. I get to the pharmacy and proceed to ask them for Metformin. The lady on the other side of the counter asks me which strength…

ME: strength?? 🤔
HER: yes, you get a 500mg, an 850mg & a 1000mg tablet.
ME: ok, let me make a quick phone call at the container outside. (Remember those days?)

Did I make a call?
Yes, but it was not a phone call 😅😅
I decided that I’d go for the one in the middle, the 850mg. It seemed like a safe choice. So I went back in, asked for the pills and she asked how many…eish, more problems 🙆🏽‍♂️
Sisi, how many can I get for (insert number here) rands? That was that, I got the pills and went back home.

Metformin is a diabetic medication.
Diabetes is when a patient has a high blood sugar. This patient has to take treatment to control their blood glucose levels.
If my mom had to take 1x 500mg tablet 2 times a day she now was taking a total of 1500mg per day instead of 1000mg. It was an overdose.

Her blood sugar dropped lower than it was supposed to and she would experience something called hypoglycaemia. It means low blood sugar and has the potential to make a person faint. Even worse, if not treated promptly, it may lead to death.

Does my mom know I nearly killed her? No
Also, she doesn’t have Facebook so I’m safe.

Great solution
21/07/2025

Great solution

So many times the 1st question is “how do I take this medicine?” When in actual fact the first question should ALWAYS be...
18/07/2025

So many times the 1st question is “how do I take this medicine?”

When in actual fact the first question should ALWAYS be “what is wrong with me?”

“I’ve taken everything but nothing helps”
Exactly, because you’re waiting for the right bus at the wrong stop.

The questions are many 🥵🙆🏽‍♂️Why did the university study the levels of ARVs in waste water in the 1st place? Is it a th...
15/07/2025

The questions are many 🥵🙆🏽‍♂️

Why did the university study the levels of ARVs in waste water in the 1st place? Is it a thing?

We shall await the report but it seems for now they are saying that there’s no ARVs in drinking wate. However there’s a risk that people can be exposed to these trace levels of medicine if they maybe eat say a fish 🐟 that was exposed to that environment.

07/07/2025

Me: here’s a pill 💊 for your headache
Her: I don’t drink tablets. If God wanted us to take meds then…
HER: I use this foam wash🧴 to keep my 🍑 clean.
ME: you should only use plain water. If God wanted you…

Address

Butterworth

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
18:00 - 21:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
18:00 - 21:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
18:00 - 21:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
18:00 - 21:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
18:00 - 21:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27437410016

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when AskLwanda posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to AskLwanda:

Shortcuts

Share

Category