Making a product recommendation
Once you have determined that the customer needs a treatment for thrush and doesn't need to be referred to the pharmacist, you can recommend a treatment. Antifungal agents such as clotrimazole and fluconazole are used to treat vaginal thrush which is caused by a fungus called Candida albicans. They work by stopping the production of a substance essential for the fungal cells to grow and are often referred to as fungistatics.
There are several formats available for you to recommend to customers suffering from symptoms of thrush, including:
- External cream
- Oral capsule
- Pessary
- Internal cream
These formats can be divided into two categories depending on whether they relieve the external symptoms or treat the internal fungal infection. Whilst thrush is an infection that starts internally, some women may only experience the external symptoms of vaginal itching and irritation. For a complete treatment of thrush which treats the infection and soothes the external symptoms, a combination of internal and external products is necessary.
Relieve the external symptoms and treat the internal infection
These products (e.g. external cream) will soothe the vaginal itching and irritation. However, it is important to point out to customers that they will not treat the underlying infection. You should also recommend an internal treatment to clear the internal infection.
To treat thrush, customers need to use a product that will clear the internal infection. There are various preparations to treat the internal infection: an oral capsule, a pessary and an internal cream, each suiting a different customer's preference. To soothe the external symptoms, the customer should also use a topical product as well as a preparation to treat the internal infection. So you could recommend two products such as a pessary and an external cream or a combination product.
It can be confusing for your customers to know which product is the right one to use and they may need help from you deciding which format is the most suitable for them. It is essential to the success of the treatment that you recommend a format that will suit the needs of your customer. For example, an older lady may find it uncomfortable to insert a pessary and want to use an internal cream, whereas someone younger may prefer a pessary and a busy mum may prefer an oral preparation due to its convenience.
Other customers may ask for a specific thrush product such as an external cream. In these cases, you should explain to them that it is necessary to use a combination of products to treat the internal infection and relieve the external symptoms (e.g. a pessary and an external cream).
