What should pharmacists know about nutrition?

Nutrition education for pharmacists

Nutrition plays a major role in our overall health and quality of life. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that diet, along with physical activity and other behaviours, is a key modifiable determinant of health outcomes, including in the development of non-communicable diseases.^1,2

The WHO also recognises that consultations between patients and health professionals can positively impact patient choices, and act as an effective way to support patient behaviour change.^1,2

As a pharmacist, you are among some of the most accessible health professionals who can encourage and support positive lifestyle choices in your community, including providing nutrition advice and counselling on safe multivitamin and supplement use.³

However, we recognise pharmacists receive limited education and training on nutrition which can lead to a gap in knowledge, skillset, and confidence when advising patients.^3–5

At Haleon we want to raise the bar in the level of service and support health professionals receive from industry. As part of this, we are committed to delivering world-class education to help address knowledge and skillset gaps.

In 2022, we worked with Professor Philip Calder to create a three-part webinar series to provide foundational nutrition education to pharmacists and other pharmacy professionals. All three webinars are available to watch on-demand on Haleon HealthPartner.

Philip Calder is the Professor of Nutritional Immunology within Medicine at the University of Southampton. Professor Calder is the President of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies and acts as an Associate Editor of Journal of Nutrition, Clinical Science, Nutrition Research and Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. He has over 800 scientific publications and is recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher.