Pharmacy Technician Day is a special occasion to recognize the vital role pharmacy technicians play in our healthcare system. These dedicated professionals work behind the scenes to ensure that patients receive the medications and care they need in a safe and timely manner. Whether it’s managing medication inventory, preparing prescriptions, or assisting pharmacists with clinical tasks, pharmacy technicians are essential to the smooth operation of pharmacies and the broader healthcare industry.
(more…)How (and Why) to Teach Kids to Swallow Pills
At Centrum Pharmacy, we often meet parents who are surprised to learn that children as young as four years old can be taught to swallow pills. While this may sound early, research shows that pill swallowing is not only a valuable life skill but also has clear health, environmental, and practical benefits.
(more…)Persons Day and Women’s History Month: Honouring the Women Who Changed Canada
On October 18, 1929, women in Canada were recognized as persons under the law.
This Persons Day, and throughout Women’s History Month in October, Centrum Pharmacy honours the women who made that decision possible.
(more…)Energy Drinks, Hidden Hypertension, and a Preventable Stroke: What Every Patient in Orleans Should Know
A 54-year-old, physically fit, non-smoking, non-drinking warehouse worker in the U.K. recently suffered a severe stroke that left him with permanent neurological damage. His case, published in BMJ Case Reports, highlights a growing issue seen in emergency departments, and increasingly in primary care clinics: extremely high-potency energy drinks and their dangerous impact on blood pressure.
(more…)Global Handwashing Day: How to Wash Your Hands Properly
Global Handwashing Day is marked every year on October 15, and it is a good reminder that one of the simplest health habits is also one of the easiest to rush.
(more…)Navigating Statin Therapy: Maximizing Cardiovascular Protection While Managing Muscle Symptoms
Statins represent one of the most thoroughly researched and clinically proven classes of medications in modern medicine, serving as the cornerstone for primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention worldwide. However, skeletal muscle-related adverse effects remain the leading cause of patient non-adherence and premature treatment discontinuation.
(more…)Mental Health: Why Your Pharmacist Is a More Important Part of Your Mental Health Team Than You Think
Mental health affects every aspect of how we think, feel, and function, yet for many Canadians it remains an area where care is delayed, misunderstood, or simply hard to access. Whether it’s Mental Health Awareness Month in May, World Mental Health Day on October 10, or any other day of the year, at Centrum Pharmacy we think it’s worth having an honest, clinically grounded conversation about what mental health really means, and what your pharmacist can actually do to help.
(more…)Ottawa Measles Exposure Alert: Locations, Dates and What to Do
Last updated: October 9, 2026.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is investigating confirmed measles infections in two Ottawa residents who were exposed to measles outside of Ontario. If you visited one of the locations below between October 1 and 3, 2026, during the listed times, you may have been exposed.
(more…)Fever in Children: Combining or Alternating Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen
When your child is sick, a high fever is often the most distressing symptom for parents, leading to anxiety and sometimes, desperate measures for relief. While fever is a natural part of fighting infection, the primary goal of treatment is to significantly improve your child’s comfort, prevent dehydration, and ensure their ability to rest.
(more…)Bladder Infection or UTI? What a Pharmacist Can Treat Without a Doctor
Burning when you go, needing to go constantly, that dull ache low in your abdomen. Most people call this a bladder infection. Your pharmacist’s chart might call it a urinary tract infection, or UTI. They’re usually describing the exact same thing, and in Ontario, a pharmacist can often treat a bladder infection the same day, without a doctor’s appointment.
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