Making a product recommendation
Athlete's foot is easy to recognise and treat once you have asked the WWHAM questions. What's most important, however, is making sure customers use the right product for their needs and that they use it for as long as the pack indicates. This will ensure the cause of the infection is treated, symptoms are relieved and re-infection is prevented.
Remember WWHAM
As customers may be embarrassed about having athlete's foot, be discreet when asking the WWHAM questions to help determine the right product for their needs.
WWHAM Questions
- Who is the medicine for?
- What are the symptoms?
- How long have the symptoms been present?
- Action already taken?
- Medicines taken for other reasons?
Treatments for athlete's foot
Treatments can be divided into:
Work by inhibiting the growth of fungi by stopping the production of a substance essential for the fungal cells to grow.
Include the imidazole group of antifungals such as clotrimazole (e.g. Canesten AF), miconazole, undeconates, ketoconazole and tolnaftate. Clotrimazole further has antibacterial properties.
Imidazoles should be used for two to four weeks to clear the infection and for a further one to two weeks after skin has healed. It's important that customers are made aware of the need to continue treatment once the symptoms have disappeared, as fungal spores can still remain in the skin. That's why treating for an extra week or two makes sure the skin is spore-free. If the customer stops treatment too early, the spores remain in the skin and it's likely that the athlete's foot will recur.
There are treatments available to offer customers who are suffering from athlete's foot that is particularly red and inflamed. For example, creams containing an antifungal and an anti-inflammatory such as 1% clotrimazole and 1% hydrocortisone (e.g. Canesten Hydrocortisone). Hydrocortisone will help to reduce the inflammation and soreness while the antifungal will treat the underlying infection and soothe the itching. You should advise the customer to use these products for up to seven days and then use another antifungal product (without hydrocortisone) such as a cream or spray until the infection has cleared.
Work by killing the fungi by stopping the production of a substance essential for fungal cells to grow.
Available OTC, include terbinafine. These treatments are not suitable for those under the age of 16 and they should be used for a maximum of one week.
Understanding the athlete's foot sufferer
Even though athlete's foot is an extremely common complaint, some customers may feel embarrassed discussing their problem. Not everyone feels comfortable discussing their ailments, even if it is in the pharmacy, due to the associated symptoms (i.e. a red, flaky, potentially smelly foot).
Reassure customers that they needn't be embarrassed; up to 1 in 5 people in the UK suffer from athlete's foot at any given time.
Click here for the Canesten AF Dual Action Cream prescribing information
Click here for the Canesten Hydrocortisone prescribing information