Counter Excellence: Winter Health

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Asking WWHAM questions

In your role, you must ensure you demonstrate that you are listening by asking appropriate questions so that you can advise and offer assistance to customers. It’s really important that you ask your WWHAM questions to help you make appropriate and safe recommendations for medicine products.

You must ask at least two questions from WWHAM framework - be vigilant where there are elderly customers, children or pregnant women concerned. Listen carefully for any clues the patient or customer provides you with during your conversations. If you are unsure, always refer to the pharmacist, especially if there are any red flag symptoms present (® indicates pharmacist referral)

Appropriate Sale	Clues/Responses	Need for Referral
Who is it for?	Age/Condition Child under 6 years and customer specifically seeking advice from a pharmacist. People over 60 taking prescribed medicines. Pregnant women. General appearance Someone asking for medicines who appears to be really ill. Special restrictions Sale of cold and flu remedies with nasal decongestants containing pseudoephedrine/ephedrine.	® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist ® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist ® Patient to Pharmacist ® Patient to Pharmacist ® Patient/or representative to Pharmacist
What are the symptoms?	Symptom-isolated or widespread When a symptom is minor, it usually appears in isolation. More serious conditions often have additional symptoms and wider spread.	® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist, where there are other (accompanying) symptoms. ® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist when symptoms are serious-‘warning symptoms’
How long as this been going on?	Length of time A condition that has lasted several days (particularly if already treated). A condition getting worse. Regular Occurrence A condition has occurred at regular intervals or occurring more frequently with time.	® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist Tip: Pharmacist to advise anyone who buys a product to treat a specific condition, to go & see the doctor if the condition has not cleared up in a few days.
Actions already taken by the patient	Already tried without effect Tried OTC medicines without effect	® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist
Medication being taken by the patient	Medicines bought or prescribed Some OTC medicines can be the cause of the problem e.g. codeine cause constipation Take care that you do not double the dose of an active Ingredient, if patient taking prescribed medication	® Patient /or representative to Pharmacist

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