Oak Flats Pharmacy in Shellharbour, New South Wales | Pharmacy/chemists

Oak Flats Pharmacy

Locality: Shellharbour, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 4256 1206

Address: 64 Central Avenue 2529 Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

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• Medical and health
• Pharmacy/chemists
• Medical supply store

25.01.2022 I HAVE BEEN FEELING A BIT DOWN RECENTLY. AM I SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION? In any one hour, in any one day, in any one week or month, our mood fluctuates. But how low and for how long does low mood have to be, for a person to be suffering depression? Essentially if low mood lasts for several weeks or more AND has negatively impacted on the participation in and enjoyment of life activities, with or without changes in behaviour and well being, it may be depression. There are many...Continue reading

25.01.2022 COVID-19 MEDICATION SUPPLY UPDATE I can assure the Oak Flats community for the foreseeable future there should be minimal disruptions to the supply of medications. OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS - we have seen a huge demand for pain and fever medications (Panadol and Nurofen) and for reliever puffers (Ventolin, Asmol, Bricanyl). This demand has exhausted supplies but trickles of stock are now making their way onto shelves. Ventolin and Asmol are expected to be back into stock ...in about a week (?). If you have an urgent need for these inhalers please speak to your doctor. Also talk to your pharmacist and doctor about alternative children's pain and fever options including using Panadol soluble tablets or crushing regular Panadol tablets in jam, giving Nurofen tablets to children who are able to swallow them. In each of these cases please check the determination of the correct dose with your pharmacist or doctor. PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS - there is a good supply of most medications and no one needs to stockpile. In fact pharmacists have been recently directed by Health authorities to limit the supply of prescription medications to no more than one months supply of each drug. If there is good reason for you to request more than this please talk to your pharmacist. We will consider each request on its merits. There has been ongoing shortages of some medications that started well before the Covid-19 issue eventuated. Other than that the only shortage that will happen will be the one created by panicked patients. Pharmacists understand that patients will become anxious about the supply of their medications but wholesalers, the Governments and pharmacists are working together to ensure that a toilet paper run does not also eventuate in pharmacy. If you have concerns about sourcing any of your medications come and see me or your local pharmacist. After all we are the providores of medications. And we are there to help. Keep calm and keep well everyone. George Saad, your local and somewhat under the pump, Oak Flats Pharmacist

25.01.2022 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PHARMACIST - I "STILL ALICE" - GREAT MOVIE BUT VERY REAL. Last Saturday I watched "Still Alice" starring Julianne Moore. She won a 2015 Oscar for her starring role in this movie about a university academic who developed Alzheimer's disease at age 50. ...Continue reading

25.01.2022 HEALTHCARE DESTINATION OAK FLATS

25.01.2022 Hi everyone. We still have NBN issues and so phone and fax lines are still down at Oak Flats Pharmacy. Still not sure when normal services will be resumed. You can email [email protected] and include a phone number for us to call you back....yes don't call us, we'll call you! Thank you for your patience and understanding. Keep well George Saad

25.01.2022 HI ALL. THE PHONE AND FAX LINES ARE DOWN AT OAK FLATS PHARMACY. NBN ISSUES. NOT SURE WHEN NORMAL SERVICES WILL BE RESTORED. Email still okay [email protected] Thank you. George Saad

24.01.2022 THE 2018 ARCHIBALD PRIZE WINNING ENTRY WAS A CONTROVERSIAL CHOICE BUT THE REAL WINNERS WERE THE CHILDREN WHO DEPICTED THEIR EMOTION AND SUPER SKILLS IN THE 2018 YOUNG ARCHIE CONTEST!! YOU MUST READ WHAT I SAW! Many art critics went to town on the choice for the winner of the 2018 Archibald Prize, an annual art competition for the best portrait painting. The subjects are a who's who of celebrities, sporting legends, politicians, the man next door. I am not an art critic or ar...Continue reading

24.01.2022 OAK FLATS PHARMACY WILL BE OPEN EASTER SATURDAY UNTIL 2PM We will be closed Good Friday and Easter Monday. We currently have face masks and hand sanitisers in stock.... All the best over the break George

24.01.2022 DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU CRY...DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU LAUGH..DON'T YOU HATE IT...DON'T YOU LOVE IT..WHEN... ...true happenings at Oak Flats Pharmacy over the last 11 years.... PART II... 1. Doesn't it make you cry when of your elderly patients refuses repeated requests for one of your staff members to give her a lift and instead struggles home, 1 km away, with her walker, in the scorching midday sun. 2. Doesn't it make you laugh and cry when the infant from Part I (with the biscuit all over her and the pram) points at you excitedly and exclaims "Daddy, Daddy." The shop is full of customers and everyone of them is suddenly staring at you. This time the mother who would normally rescue you with her remark "Oh the pharmacist looks like my husband and is also bald" is down the other end of the shop. She is oblivious to her baby's remarks. The baby keeps on pointing at you and laughing and the customers keep on staring. You are desperately wanting to be teleported to another planet in a far away universe. 3. Don't you hate it when are you in deep discussion with a patient, issuing important advice, when out of left field the know-all customer, who should not have been listening in the first place, interjects. They have never studied Medicine or Pharmacy but they "know" more than you on this subject and proceed to dispense their backyard advice. You stand back for a second and observe - yep, that's the guy who came in a couple of weeks ago and proudly claimed he had extracted his own tooth with garage pliers. He looked like he had cut his own hair too. 4. Don't you hate it when people buy devices (usually blood sugar machines) from other pharmacies and then bring them in to your pharmacy to be shown how to operate them. We help these people out of course - we still feel a sense of responsibility for their health. But all this eventuates because many of the chain pharmacies not only discount price BUT ALSO DISCOUNT THEIR SERVICE! And we are often left to clean up their lack-of-service mess. 5. Don't you love it when that customer who came in to see you a month ago with that vision issue, has come back to specially shake your hand and thank you.That "grey shadow" in his right eye which he said "...wasn't painful and not to worry too much about it - just give me some drops.." turned out to be a serious medical emergency involving the retina (at the back of the eye). I phoned his optometrist and arranged for an urgent appointment at the time who quickly on referred him to an eye specialist. In the end the vision loss was only minor but could have been very serious. Keep well everyone. George Saad, your local long suffering pharmacist (and all-Australian hero)

23.01.2022 Dont you hate it...dont you like it..dont you laugh..dont you cry ...as a pharmacist when...PART I The following relates to actual events that have occurred in Oak Flats Pharmacy during my 11 years of practice there - 1. dont you hate it when you are explaining an important issue to a patient and they put their head down to reply to a text message..these are probably the same people who text while driving!... 2. dont you hate when you are trying to explain an important point to a patient and they decide to ho into a burger they have just bought down the road. They could be related to the people from 1. above 3. dont you hate it when one of your hard working staff has spent the last 20 minutes giving the carpet a good vacuum and in walks a tradie with muddie boots 4. dont you like it when one of your elderly patients who has been suffering with a itchy rash that the doctors have not been able to treat for the last 3 months comes back to thank you for finally clearing it up after 7 days use of your special ointment 5. dont you laugh when an infant in a stroller with biscuit all over their face (and all over the stroller) points up at you and exclaims "Daddy!" It is left upto the embarrassed mother to explain that her husband is also bald. 6. dont you cry when while dispensing prescriptions you catch a glimpse of an older looking overweight middle aged bald man to your right ..and then realise its your reflection in the sunglasses mirror 7. dont you laugh when one of your glamorous, well dressed observant female customers compliments you on your lovely hair.. and as you raise your head, somewhat surprised, to acknowledge her, realise she is looking at the younger well groomed female pharmacy assistant behind you. You take the credit anyway and thank her!! Please note A - no animals were harmed during the course of the above events. Please note B - George Saads ego has been seriously harmed during the course of the above events Please note C - all names have been removed to protect the innocent...except George Saads name Keep an eye out for part II. Keep well everyone. George Saad

22.01.2022 MOVE OVER NIGELLA NIGEL LAWSON IS HERE TO SAVE TONIGHT’S DINNER! Nigella is all over the TV as she woos the viewers’ stomachs with her food creation of the day. Well you don’t have to have looks or a sensual voice to create food that can spring clean your guts. Wearing my Chanel shoes and Target T-shirt I whipped up a Mediterranean Monster Mix - we have M’judra (onions,rice,lentils), Lebanese Green Bean Stew (beans,tomato,onions), Portugese Chicken (recipe probably sto...len from the Lebanese), Greek Salad (recipe probably also stolen from the Lebanese). There is something here for everyone fibre, protein, pulse, olive oil all organic (including myself), all flatulence inducers (why are you looking at me?) and mostly sourced from our self-sustaining garden. Look up the recipes online the dishes are easy to make, they are very tasty and very healthy. Bon Appetit or as they say in Lebanon Sahtain! Eat well and keep well everyone. Nigel Lawson Saad. See more

22.01.2022 QUICK 5 - PHARMACY MYTH OR TRUTH? 1. THERES NO POINT IN GETTING A FLU JAB BECAUSE IT GIVES ME THE FLU ANYWAY! The flu vaccine is constituted every year from the (four) strains of influenza virus that were most responsible for the outbreak in the previous Northern Hemisphere winter. The flu vaccine itself does not contain a live virus and the amount of virus is so small that it cannot give you the flu. As the vaccine does not cover every strain of flu and because the virus ...Continue reading

21.01.2022 DOESNT IT MAKE YOU LAUGH OR CRY AND DONT YOU HATE IT OR LOVE IT WHEN.... PART III True tales from Oak Flats Pharmacy over the years 1. Dont you love it when a grandmother brings in that little 3 year old boy and his sister, who know your car. "George, can I see your car?" asks the little boy from two and a half feet off the ground. First stop - must have a look at the key ring, cos he knows all the symbols of the car makers! After identifying the logo on the key ring we ...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Don't you hate it...don't you like it..don't you laugh..don't you cry ...as a pharmacist when...PART I The following relates to actual events that have occurred in Oak Flats Pharmacy during my 11 years of practice there - 1. don't you hate it when you are explaining an important issue to a patient and they put their head down to reply to a text message..these are probably the same people who text while driving!... 2. don't you hate when you are trying to explain an important point to a patient and they decide to ho into a burger they have just bought down the road. They could be related to the people from 1. above 3. don't you hate it when one of your hard working staff has spent the last 20 minutes giving the carpet a good vacuum and in walks a tradie with muddie boots 4. don't you like it when one of your elderly patients who has been suffering with a itchy rash that the doctors have not been able to treat for the last 3 months comes back to thank you for finally clearing it up after 7 days use of your special ointment 5. don't you laugh when an infant in a stroller with biscuit all over their face (and all over the stroller) points up at you and exclaims "Daddy!" It is left upto the embarrassed mother to explain that her husband is also bald. 6. don't you cry when while dispensing prescriptions you catch a glimpse of an older looking overweight middle aged bald man to your right ..and then realise its your reflection in the sunglasses mirror 7. don't you laugh when one of your glamorous, well dressed observant female customers compliments you on your lovely hair.. and as you raise your head, somewhat surprised, to acknowledge her, realise she is looking at the younger well groomed female pharmacy assistant behind you. You take the credit anyway and thank her!! Please note A - no animals were harmed during the course of the above events. Please note B - George Saad's ego has been seriously harmed during the course of the above events Please note C - all names have been removed to protect the innocent...except George Saad's name Keep an eye out for part II. Keep well everyone. George Saad

21.01.2022 DON'T YOU LOVE IT OR HATE IT....DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU LAUGH OR CRY....A PHARMACIST'S PERSPECTIVE .... 1. Doesn't it make you want to cry when one of your regular customers who you have looked after for years leaves your pharmacy because their friend told them that big pharmacy up the road charges $1 less per prescription. Yes it's a free world but you would think that all that personal attention and care you have given them over the years was worth more than $1 per prescription...Continue reading

20.01.2022 DOESNT IT MAKE YOU CRY...DOESNT IT MAKE YOU LAUGH..DONT YOU HATE IT...DONT YOU LOVE IT..WHEN... ...true happenings at Oak Flats Pharmacy over the last 11 years.... PART II... 1. Doesnt it make you cry when of your elderly patients refuses repeated requests for one of your staff members to give her a lift and instead struggles home, 1 km away, with her walker, in the scorching midday sun. 2. Doesnt it make you laugh and cry when the infant from Part I (with the biscuit all over her and the pram) points at you excitedly and exclaims "Daddy, Daddy." The shop is full of customers and everyone of them is suddenly staring at you. This time the mother who would normally rescue you with her remark "Oh the pharmacist looks like my husband and is also bald" is down the other end of the shop. She is oblivious to her babys remarks. The baby keeps on pointing at you and laughing and the customers keep on staring. You are desperately wanting to be teleported to another planet in a far away universe. 3. Dont you hate it when are you in deep discussion with a patient, issuing important advice, when out of left field the know-all customer, who should not have been listening in the first place, interjects. They have never studied Medicine or Pharmacy but they "know" more than you on this subject and proceed to dispense their backyard advice. You stand back for a second and observe - yep, thats the guy who came in a couple of weeks ago and proudly claimed he had extracted his own tooth with garage pliers. He looked like he had cut his own hair too. 4. Dont you hate it when people buy devices (usually blood sugar machines) from other pharmacies and then bring them in to your pharmacy to be shown how to operate them. We help these people out of course - we still feel a sense of responsibility for their health. But all this eventuates because many of the chain pharmacies not only discount price BUT ALSO DISCOUNT THEIR SERVICE! And we are often left to clean up their lack-of-service mess. 5. Dont you love it when that customer who came in to see you a month ago with that vision issue, has come back to specially shake your hand and thank you.That "grey shadow" in his right eye which he said "...wasnt painful and not to worry too much about it - just give me some drops.." turned out to be a serious medical emergency involving the retina (at the back of the eye). I phoned his optometrist and arranged for an urgent appointment at the time who quickly on referred him to an eye specialist. In the end the vision loss was only minor but could have been very serious. Keep well everyone. George Saad, your local long suffering pharmacist (and all-Australian hero)

19.01.2022 SOME FEEDBACK PLEASE. HOW DO YOU FIND MY ARTICLES? THEY ARE DESIGNED TO INFORM BUT ARE THEY USEFUL? ARE THEY TOO LONG? DO YOU USE THEM TO PUT YOURSELF TO SLEEP? WOULD YOU RATHER I COVER OTHER TOPICS? WHAT ARE YOUR PREFERENCES? WOULD YOU RATHER I PART MY HAIR ON THE LEFT RATHER THAN THE RIGHT? THESE POSTS TAKE UP A FAIR CHUNK OF TIME AND BRAIN POWER BUT I AM HAPPY TO SACRIFICE BRAIN CELLS IF THEY BENEFIT YOU. IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW MY POSTS CAN BE IMPROVED, I WOULD ...APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK. MANY THANKS. GEORGE SAAD, YOUR LESS BRAINY PHARMACIST

19.01.2022 PHARMACY MYTH OR TRUTH? IV 1. "IF I START THIS TABLET WILL I BE ON IT FOR LIFE?" This question is often asked by patients when starting medications to treat long term conditions relating to the heart, diabetes, mental health and stomach acidity to name some. Essentially, if a medical condition is well controlled by a drug and if withdrawal of that drug results in a relapse, the drug should be continued. ...Continue reading

18.01.2022 WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES AROUND YOUR HOME. THIS IS THE SSSSSNAKE SSSSSEASON!! My wife recently called me at the pharmacy, her voice trembling, to tell me a "snake is hiding under the front door"! I had a shop full of customers, two people waiting to talk to me and a pile of prescriptions beckoning. It was either the pharmacy or the snake! I thought it would be easier to deal with a shop full of unhappy customers than having to deal with one unhappy wife!...Continue reading

18.01.2022 YOUR WELL MEANING MEDICATION - FRIEND OR FOE? The large majority of prescribed medications have positive health outcomes but SOME BEHAVE BADLY. REALLY BADLY! The Penicillins are one of the oldest and most well known drug groups. They are very effective anti-bacterials and other than occasional mild diarrhoea or thrush, are well tolerated. However if a seemingly harmless penicillin is taken by a patient who is severely allergic to it, the monster within is unleashed. The body ...Continue reading

18.01.2022 HOW DOES THAT PIECE OF PAPER, CALLED A PRESCRIPTION, ACTUALLY WORK? PART I A prescription is like a recipe (hence the symbol Rx). In earlier times, a prescription listed actual ingredients and a pharmacist compounded these into the required form (cream, mixture, suppository). All pharmacists were essentially compound pharmacists. At present, 99% of medications come ready prepared but we still have the occasional mixture, cream, ear drop to prepare. Harder to "prepare from scr...Continue reading

17.01.2022 HEY EVERYONE, CAN YOU HELP ME GIVE MONEY AWAY? IM SERIOUS! My faithful assistant Becky and myself are Justices of The Peace (please dont advertise this) and we are not allowed to accept money for our selves for this service. However when people offer to pay us we say "We have a charity jar, if you would like to make a gold coin donation. We promise you it will go to a good cause." In this way we have recently donated 2 portable DVD players to The Wollongong Childrens Hospi...tal. Now we have another small sum busting to be given away. Can we have suggestions please, for smaller charities or causes that cannot afford the advertising of the bigger players and so dont get the dollars? We might even split the money between a few nominations. Waiting for your suggestions..... George Saad, your local Oak Flats Pharmacist.

16.01.2022 ARMED HOLD UPS IN OAK FLATS AND AT THE PHARMACY Unfortunately there was a recent attempted hold up of The Oak Flats Foodworks. I understand an employee (one of the owner's wives?) was threatened with a machete. Apparently the owners were able to overcome the man and an off duty policeman who lived nearby handcuffed the suspect until police arrived. This incident brought back memories of five hold ups I have been involved in over the years, two at Oak Flats Pharmacy. About fiv...Continue reading

16.01.2022 DONT YOU LOVE IT OR HATE IT....DOESNT IT MAKE YOU LAUGH OR CRY....A PHARMACISTS PERSPECTIVE .... 1. Doesnt it make you want to cry when one of your regular customers who you have looked after for years leaves your pharmacy because their friend told them that big pharmacy up the road charges $1 less per prescription. Yes its a free world but you would think that all that personal attention and care you have given them over the years was worth more than $1 per prescription...Continue reading

16.01.2022 HEY EVERYONE, CAN YOU HELP ME GIVE MONEY AWAY? I'M SERIOUS! My faithful assistant Becky and myself are Justices of The Peace (please don't advertise this) and we are not allowed to accept money for our selves for this service. However when people offer to pay us we say "We have a charity jar, if you would like to make a gold coin donation. We promise you it will go to a good cause." In this way we have recently donated 2 portable DVD players to The Wollongong Children's Hospi...tal. Now we have another small sum busting to be given away. Can we have suggestions please, for smaller charities or causes that cannot afford the advertising of the bigger players and so don't get the dollars? We might even split the money between a few nominations. Waiting for your suggestions..... George Saad, your local Oak Flats Pharmacist.

16.01.2022 Hi everyone, just a few simple hints with "fun in the sun". 1. always apply 50+ sunscreen at least 30 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours after that. I don't trust the 4 hour coverage claim. 2. the thicker the sunscreen product, the longer it tends to stay on the skin. So in general a cream lasts longer than a lotion which lasts longer than a spray. 3. be careful applying sunscreen to a young child/baby as their sensitive skin can easily react. Never apply to a baby...'s face for this reason. Adult skin can also react of course. 4. best sunscreen is clothing that covers naked skin and a broad rimmed hat. 5. stay out of the sun if possible between 10am and 5pm where it can take only 20 minutes to burn. 6. Don't underestimate the reflection of the suns rays off the sand (if under an umbrella) and when in the water. 7. if you do get sun burnt the best remedy is cool, cool and cool...and fluids. Keep up the cool fluids and cool wet towel over burnt areas. Severe burns and dehydration require immediate medical attention. A child that has been badly sunburnt should be admitted immediately to hospital in my opinion. They can quickly deteriorate. Hope that covers everything. Please address any queries via FB page or come in and see me at the pharmacy. If there are any other topics you would like me to publish please indicate the same. Keep well everyone. George See more

15.01.2022 WIN TV NEWS GEOFF PHILLIPS - A BIG HIT WITH ILLAWARRA PHARMACISTS WIN TV news presenter Geoff Phillips was a massive hit as speaker at The Illawarra Pharmacists Association (IPA) Annual Dinner held 8th August at Villa DOro Function Centre in Wollongong. Geoff was one of a number of special guests that included The Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Gordon Bradbury. Past speakers have included Olympian Michael Klim, former Dragons NRL representative player Dan Hunt and Scott Radbur...Continue reading

15.01.2022 MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IS SUCH AN ENIGMATIC DISEASE. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects millions of people around the world. For some it can become extremely debilitating over a short period of time and they may die from its symptoms. Others live with it forever with barely a decline in body function. Nobody has discovered the cause of MS and there is no cure. Diagnosis is often difficult and may take years. And no two patients in the world have the same symptoms with the same sever...Continue reading

14.01.2022 HEY EVERYONE ITS NATIONAL BANDANNA DAY!! Each year in Australia over a thousand patients 0-25 years old are diagnosed with cancer. Please support young people affected by cancer by buying a Canteen bandanna or pen. We still have plenty of these available at the pharmacy for the price of a cup of coffee. You can also donate online at canteen.org.au Keep well

14.01.2022 OAK FLATS PHARMACY WILL BE OPEN THIS MONDAY THE 28TH FROM 9.30AM TO 1.30PM BUT OTHERWISE CLOSED PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND SUNDAYS. MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SUPPORTED OUR PHARMACY - YOU MAKE IT WORTH OUR WHILE! BEST WISHES AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2021 ... Your Local Pharmacist Santa George

13.01.2022 "Jo-and my loaf" - an ODE to love lost, by a Lebanese Wollongong taxi driver on Valentine's Day 2018. (correct spelling at the end of each section). "Jo-and my loaf. You cum to me. You arse me to drive you home. Every nite. But now I did not see you loong time. Where did you go my Jo-and, my bootifool loaf? Jo-and=Joanne loaf=love cum=come arse=ask bootifool=beautiful... Did you see her sumwear? Her hair its black like the road, curly like the steelo Her nose its strate Her eyes like the blackbairy And she has skin. She smiling like shape banana - very pity You can nut mis her. She sumwear, near the rainbo somwun tell me. Please look for her near the rainbo because I dont know where is rainbo. Not near Woolongong on tacky map. Not on tomtom. thanks Sumwear=somewhere strate=straight blackbairy=blackberry pity=pretty sumwear=somewhere rainbo=rainbow tacky=taxi Did you here her? Her vois is bootyfool like the telyvisun, telyvisun lady, on news. Not vois like man on news difrent. She luffing bootyfool like the bird, kookyburra. Sometimes she looking like the kookyburra to, when she mad. Not looking like kookyburra when kookyburra mad. here=hear vois=voice telyvisun=television luffing=laughing difrent=different kookyburra=kookaburra Maybe you smell her sumwear she smelling like the the olif tree, She loaf the garbage roll. Sometimes she eat to much garbage roll and she smelling like the garbage roll - with the garlick. Not smelling like tuboolee Or the homos sumwear=somewhere olif=olive loaf=love garbage=cabbage One day I find my Jo-and One day we twogetta we get mary I will be prins and she will be prinsarse. For shore it hapen one day. We living in the hose in the street in the Woolongong. Twogetta. Jo-and and me Yes I dreem this to much evryday and evry nite this I dreem. Good dreem not bad dreem. Jo-and and me. No one els. Not even tacky or tacky driva in dreem twogetta=together mary=marry prins=prince prinsarse=princess shore=sure hose=house driva=driver But now I jus wait and wait in the tacky rank. my Jo-and she will cum back one day i hop or maybe nex year But I wayting for her in the tacky rank. For shore she cum working on me wit big big banana smile My Jo-and my loaf my swiss hut for eva and for toomorro to from xxx tacky driver Woolongong very sadd man goodby now working on me = walking to me loaf=love swiss hut = sweetheart eva =ever toomorro=tomorrow hop= hope xxx=to protect the real identity Well there it is, was. Love lost. But maybe it will be found again one day amongst the taxi ranks of Wollongong and the world! Let's have your reaction please to this interesting, innocent?, comical yet sad devotion to love. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. George Saad, your local loveless Oak Flat's pharmacist

13.01.2022 TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY, BUT HOW MUCH ALCOHOL IS TOO MUCH AND IS THERE A WAY TO REDUCE THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL? This is a great time of the year to get together with friends and family to celebrate The Festive Season but is there a safe limit of drinking? If so what is it? And are there ways of reducing the build up and elimination of alcohol from our body? HOW DOES ALCOHOL AFFECT OUR BODY?...Continue reading

13.01.2022 WIN TV NEW'S GEOFF PHILLIPS - A BIG HIT WITH ILLAWARRA PHARMACISTS WIN TV news presenter Geoff Phillips was a massive hit as speaker at The Illawarra Pharmacists' Association (IPA) Annual Dinner held 8th August at Villa D'Oro Function Centre in Wollongong. Geoff was one of a number of special guests that included The Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Gordon Bradbury. Past speakers have included Olympian Michael Klim, former Dragon's NRL representative player Dan Hunt and Scott Radbur...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Phone and Fax lines are back to normal at Oak Flats Pharmacy...thankfully! It only took two and a half weeks for the NBNCO to sort out the situation for an essential health service like a pharmacy!! And that's only after I religiously spent a half to one hour every day phoning my providers to check on progress and hurry them up. Otherwise it would have been a September completion date. Sincere Apologies if the disruption inconvenienced any person. Thank you for your patience and understanding. A relieved George Saad

11.01.2022 Hi everyone. Simon from the Oak Flats Anglican Church has asked for my help to promote The Mobile Community Pantry. Its a generous initiative to assist those who are in a tight financial corner and is open to Centrelink Concession card and Immigration card holders. $10 buys a bagful of groceries and its held every second Thursday. Please see attached flyer for dates. If you are not eligible you may know someone who could benefit from this generous scheme. Keep well. George Saad

10.01.2022 ON DEATH AND DYING - A PHARMACIST'S PERSPECTIVE Many elderly couples that frequent our pharmacy have been together for 50 years or more. It's lovely to see and feel the close bond they share and that their love has not waned. For all these years, they have woken up together, shared almost every daily minute together and gone to bed together. Their hearts and souls are intimately entwined. We feel a partner's sadness, anxiety, desperation when they come in to tell us their sp...Continue reading

09.01.2022 Hi Oak Flats Facebookers, I wanted to make contact with all the great people in the area on more than just a clinical basis. Hence this face book page! However don't expect me to put my face on Facebook. It might bring the whole website down! I will do my best to be active and to be up to date on Facebook. Keep well everyone. George Saad the faceless one!

09.01.2022 NOT SURE ABOUT COOKING PASTA FOR DINNER TONIGHT? LET ME HELP YOU DECIDE. 1. Have you been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the latest sequel of the action movies starring Tom Cruise....Mission Impastable IV?... 2. IN BREAKING LOCAL NEWS .....a semi-trailer carrying macaroni has overturned on Bulli Pasta. Detours are in place as the road is now impastable. 3. IN BREAKING NATIONAL NEWS.....a northern Italian vermicelli was recently stopped and detained amid tight security at Sydney Airport's Australian Immigration Office. He was eventually denied entry into Australia and sent back on the next available flight because of serious anomalies in his Pastaport. 4. Tourism in Italy has gone ballistic as macaroni from all over the world jet in to see the greatest and newest attraction, The Leaning Tower of Pasta 5. Why are pasta meals so good for you? Because only PASTArised milk is used in their production. There you go. Have I put you off your off pasta for dinner tonight? *No pasta or their egos were hurt during the production of this fact sheet. **The author's waistline was severely expanded during necessary experimental testing of macaroni and cheese, spaghetti carbonara, rigatoni bolognesek, and the killer pasta lasagne flatulenca, Despite taking such blows on behalf of the community, the author's condition is improving and is expected to make a "full" recovery. Eat well everyone. George Saad, your local food martyr and expanding Oak Flats Pharmacist

09.01.2022 WOONONA MAGPIE ATTACK MAKES INTERNATIONAL NEWS. The BBC (British equivalent of our ABC) reported "Magpie attack: Australian cyclist dies while fleeing swooping bird." Yes a very sad ending to a man vs magpie clash last Sunday, 15th September. In his efforts to avoid a notoriously aggressive magpie a 76 year old male cyclist lost control and crashed into a fence post, sustaining fatal head injuries. He was a father and grandfather and paid the ultimate price for a well meanin...g Sunday bike ride. I am familiar with this Woonona Surf Club stretch of the Gong to Bulli bike track and the same magpie has also given me a bit of hurry curry over the last few weeks. Last Saturday he attacked my helmet four times along a 20 metre stretch of the track. Those who have logged attacks on the Magpie Alert website which tracks swooping magpies say this bird is "very determined". "It is amazing how far it will roam from the nest to chase a chosen victim," Ken said on Magpie Alert. "It swoops quite a lot of people. It swooped a kid yesterday." This is the breeding time of year for magpies and many other birds and so they become very protective and territorial. On a lighter note, a TV news reporter, with her black hair and black and white outfit looked a little like a magpie herself. Fast moving humans (bike riders) are perceived as more of a threat than slower moving joggers and walkers and are targeted accordingly. So it is recommended that riders dismount their bikes and walk through the "magpie territory". Other riders attach a face to the top of their helmets or turn their caps around and put their sunnies on their neck (to avoid attacks from behind). I added a number of cable ties to my helmet. If that does not work I will have to resort to my invisible force field. Please share your magpie experiences. Otherwise enjoy the sunshine everyone and watch out for Malcolm Magpies. Your local future Olympian cyclist and magpie-fearless pharmacist George Saad

09.01.2022 DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU LAUGH OR CRY AND DON'T YOU HATE IT OR LOVE IT WHEN.... PART III True tales from Oak Flats Pharmacy over the years 1. Don't you love it when a grandmother brings in that little 3 year old boy and his sister, who know your car. "George, can I see your car?" asks the little boy from two and a half feet off the ground. First stop - must have a look at the key ring, cos he knows all the symbols of the car makers! After identifying the logo on the key ring we ...Continue reading

09.01.2022 SORRY THAT DATE WAS 28TH (NOT 29TH) JANUARY..OPEN FROM 9.30-1.30. George

08.01.2022 Quick 5 PHARMACY MYTH OR TRUTH? See if you can work each of these out by reading the top line only first. Answers at the bottom of the page. 1. The biggest one of them all - you'll catch a cold from the cold. Cold and influenza viruses (and in fact most viruses) are generally reliant on human/animal activity for transmission. The reason that colds and influenza are more prevalent in Winter is that we all spend more time indoors (in closer proximity to each other). This resu...lts in easier transmission of the virus via coughing, sneezing, coming into contact with contaminated surfaces. 2. You can get the flu from the flu vaccine. The current influenza vaccine is manufactured each year from the four most "likely infective" strains of deactivated (killed) viruses - THAT CANNOT GIVE YOU THE FLU! The only likely side effect is discomfort around the sight of injection. As this quadrivalent vaccine does not all the other strains of influenza virus, some vaccinated patients still get the flu. Some vaccinated patients only get a cold (confused with but different to the flu) and wrongly claim the vaccine did not work! 3 - Panadol and Nurofen cannot be given together. Panadol and Nurofen belong to different classes of drugs and can be given together as a combined dose or given alternately at different times throughout the day. The main concerns are to get the dose right (for weight) and to not exceed the recommended maximum number of doses per day. Ensure any patient receiving Nurofen is NOT dehydrated - to protect the kidneys. 4. Eating late in the day makes you put on more weight than eating the same meal earlier in the day. As far as diet alone is concerned weight gain or loss is determined by calories in minus calories out - over any defined period. If we eat earlier in the day we have an opportunity to "work" some of it off, yes. However food eaten late in the day does not have a greater calorie/kilo-joule value per gram than when eaten earlier in the day. 5. Walking bare foot in a public shower or gym area may give you tinea. In fact the tinea fungus thrives in most warm, moist environments including public or private bathrooms or gyms. Direct skin contact with these tinea containing water droplets may lead to a tinea infection as may sharing towels, socks and shoes of infected people. The infection that often starts in the toes may spread to the nails, groin and body. ANSWERS - 1-4 MYTH 5 TRUE .

08.01.2022 "Jo-and my loaf" - an ODE to love lost, by a Lebanese Wollongong taxi driver on Valentines Day 2018. (correct spelling at the end of each section). "Jo-and my loaf. You cum to me. You arse me to drive you home. Every nite. But now I did not see you loong time. Where did you go my Jo-and, my bootifool loaf? Jo-and=Joanne loaf=love cum=come arse=ask bootifool=beautiful... Did you see her sumwear? Her hair its black like the road, curly like the steelo Her nose its strate Her eyes like the blackbairy And she has skin. She smiling like shape banana - very pity You can nut mis her. She sumwear, near the rainbo somwun tell me. Please look for her near the rainbo because I dont know where is rainbo. Not near Woolongong on tacky map. Not on tomtom. thanks Sumwear=somewhere strate=straight blackbairy=blackberry pity=pretty sumwear=somewhere rainbo=rainbow tacky=taxi Did you here her? Her vois is bootyfool like the telyvisun, telyvisun lady, on news. Not vois like man on news difrent. She luffing bootyfool like the bird, kookyburra. Sometimes she looking like the kookyburra to, when she mad. Not looking like kookyburra when kookyburra mad. here=hear vois=voice telyvisun=television luffing=laughing difrent=different kookyburra=kookaburra Maybe you smell her sumwear she smelling like the the olif tree, She loaf the garbage roll. Sometimes she eat to much garbage roll and she smelling like the garbage roll - with the garlick. Not smelling like tuboolee Or the homos sumwear=somewhere olif=olive loaf=love garbage=cabbage One day I find my Jo-and One day we twogetta we get mary I will be prins and she will be prinsarse. For shore it hapen one day. We living in the hose in the street in the Woolongong. Twogetta. Jo-and and me Yes I dreem this to much evryday and evry nite this I dreem. Good dreem not bad dreem. Jo-and and me. No one els. Not even tacky or tacky driva in dreem twogetta=together mary=marry prins=prince prinsarse=princess shore=sure hose=house driva=driver But now I jus wait and wait in the tacky rank. my Jo-and she will cum back one day i hop or maybe nex year But I wayting for her in the tacky rank. For shore she cum working on me wit big big banana smile My Jo-and my loaf my swiss hut for eva and for toomorro to from xxx tacky driver Woolongong very sadd man goodby now working on me = walking to me loaf=love swiss hut = sweetheart eva =ever toomorro=tomorrow hop= hope xxx=to protect the real identity Well there it is, was. Love lost. But maybe it will be found again one day amongst the taxi ranks of Wollongong and the world! Lets have your reaction please to this interesting, innocent?, comical yet sad devotion to love. Happy Valentines Day to everyone. George Saad, your local loveless Oak Flats pharmacist

07.01.2022 COVID-19 MEDICATION UPDATE - IMPORTANT The good news is almost all medications are still readily available but the bad news is a few concerning shortages are appearing - 1. Ventolin and Asmol - supply still very limited. Patients on Symbicort 200 Turbohalers can use in these in place of Ventolin. Patients who use Ventolin more than 3 times per week should consult their GP for an upgrade of treatment. 2. Influenza vaccine - supplies are quickly dwindling. NOTE - IF YOU ARE V...ACCINATED NOW YOU MAY NOT BE "COVERED" AT THE PEAK OF THE FLU SEASON IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER. The best time for vaccination has been April-May as the vaccine has a 3 to 4 month duration of action. Covid-19 has changed the vaccination landscape so talk to your GP about the best time for your vaccination. 3. Thyroxine (Oroxine and Eutroxig) all strengths are currently out of stock but we "expect" supply during the next 1 to 2 weeks. At Oak Flats Pharmacy we have been rationing supply to get patients by until stock arrives 4. Tamoxifen - situation same as for 2. above but at Oak Flats Pharmacy we have stock 5. Over the counter lines - hand sanitiser - we will have supply by Tuesday, face masks - we have stock, Panadol and Nurofen - we have stock of pharmacy brands for adults, Panadol infant liquid is in stock and we are expecting a pharmacy brand of Nurofen liquid shortly. 6. IMPORTANT!! PHARMACISTS CAN NOW SUPPLY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS WITHOUT A SCRIPT! Patients who have a history of a medication at their pharmacy can be supplied that medication as a one-off supply. The patient must have no prescriptions left for that medication, and the pharmacist must be satisfied it is not practical to obtain a script from their doctor. Some medications are exempt from this arrangement. OAK FLATS PHARMACY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AS NORMAL. WE WIPE DOWN "CUSTOMER SPACES" INCLUDING COUNTERS, EFTPOS MACHINES AND CHAIRS REGULARLY WITH ALCOHOL AND PRACTICE RIGID SOCIAL DISTANCING. YOU CAN DROP PRESCRIPTIONS IN AND COME BACK LATER IF YOU WANT TO MINIMISE YOUR TIME IN THE PHARMACY. Keep well and calm and optimistic everyone. Your local and (mostly) calm pharmacist George Saad

07.01.2022 'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY, BUT HOW MUCH ALCOHOL IS TOO MUCH AND IS THERE A WAY TO REDUCE THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL? This is a great time of the year to get together with friends and family to celebrate The Festive Season but is there a safe limit of drinking? If so what is it? And are there ways of reducing the build up and elimination of alcohol from our body? HOW DOES ALCOHOL AFFECT OUR BODY?...Continue reading

06.01.2022 Hi Everyone. A reporter from WIN News Illawarra come into the pharmacy yesterday asking for details of the lady that unfortunately passed away after being knocked down by a car outside of the pharmacy last year. I was one of the first people to attend to her. I cannot disclose any of her details here and as requested by the reporter (for obvious privacy and confidentiality reasons). However I can say she was a lovely, selfless human being and one of our very treasured patie...nts. The driver of the car as you may have heard is to face a sentencing hearing later in the year after testing positive for drugs in her blood (at the time of the accident). The young lady driver has come into the pharmacy on a number of occasions. She is a single mother in the prime of her life and not only will she receive a court sentence but she will be sentenced to life by the horrible memories and psychological trauma of the accident. Two lives were destroyed on that day. I HAVE BEEN TELLING THE PUBLIC FOR YEARS, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF POLICE CONSTABLES THAT HAVE ENTERED MY PHARMACY, AND DESPITE THE EXISTING 40KM/HR SPEED LIMIT, THAT FAR TOO MANY CARS SPEED IN CENTRAL AVENUE!!. THE AREA HAS SO MANY AT RISK ELDERLY PEOPLE AND CHILDREN. THEY RACE THROUGH THE ROUNDABOUT IN THE SAME MANNER THAT THE DRIVER ABOVE SPED THROUGH THE ROUNDABOUT AND KNOCKED DOWN THE ELDERLY LADY. WE NEED TO ADD SPEED HUMPS, WE NEED POLICING OF SPEEDING CARS. Drive safely everyone. George Saad

05.01.2022 THE DRY WEDDING OF THE YEAR... IN THE WET. Rebecca our PR consultant and pharmacy mouthpiece who is always asking customers to sign their prescriptions, recently signed a Marriage Certificate. It was because she was getting married to Anthony (who has been trying forever to model his head on my head. Sorry Anthony you’ll never have my nose). The Wedding at The Port Kembla Golf Club on a drizzly day (rain on a Wedding Day means good luck...and it also means you get wet going... from the car to the venue) was attended by about 30 VIP's and 2 VID's (very important dogs - Kiwi and Alfie). Yes Becky and Anthony's two dogs cruised in via their own Limo and were integral parts of the Bridal Party. The first thing the dogs did on arrival was request a photo with me...as did all the guests. I AM world famous.... Becky and Anthony had a very intimate and quaint ceremony in which Becky promised to step up the tickling of Anthony’s feet, Anthony vowed to continue doing the vacuuming, pick up the VID poos, promise to turn the toilet roll around the right way and to speak to the VID’s in his Kermit the Frog voice. (Apparently Anthony also cannot help but laugh like Kermit The Frog while ever his feet are being tickled). Woof! The chefs and bar tenders got lost on their way to the Golf Club and so there was no reception and no celebratory drinks. In fact we just needed our minds and hearts to celebrate the joining of two high school sweethearts who dated then undated and then found each other again three years later. Becky and Anthony had been searching for love and they found that love in each other. And as they drove off into the Covid Sunset in their custom golf buggy the birds began to sing, the VID’s began woofing and my stomach started to rumble (I missed lunch to get there on timein the rain). Becky and Anthony have a comfortable unit overlooking tall grass and one tree. There will be much love, joy and laughter in that unit maybe more laughter and more Kermit now that Becky has promised to tickle Anthony’s feet even more. Woof! Woof! On behalf of the pharmacy and the local community I wish you Rebecca and Anthony, abundant happiness, your fulfilment of the same dream you both had before meeting (how bazaar!) of having 2 boys and 1 girl, less abundant vacuuming and less abundant VID poo pick-ups. Everyone raise your empty glass (where’s that useless bartender?) to the new Mr and Mrs Tugrul. Cheers!.

04.01.2022 ON DEATH AND DYING - A PHARMACISTS PERSPECTIVE Many elderly couples that frequent our pharmacy have been together for 50 years or more. Its lovely to see and feel the close bond they share and that their love has not waned. For all these years, they have woken up together, shared almost every daily minute together and gone to bed together. Their hearts and souls are intimately entwined. We feel a partners sadness, anxiety, desperation when they come in to tell us their sp...Continue reading

03.01.2022 Local and Federal politicians Stephen Jones, Paul Scully and Gordon Bradbury and Suicide Prevention Australia's CEO Nieves Murray, were amongst the VIPs who attended the 2019 Illawarra Pharmacist's Association Dinner recently. The company was great, the food superb and the presentation by Neives Murray on Suicide was absorbing. If you thought the road toll was a massive waste of life, consider that deaths by suicide are more than twice this figure each year! Close to 1020 w...ere killed on Australian roads in 2018 yet over 3,000 people took their own life during that same period. It was sad to hear that there were over 65,000, yes 65,000! attempts at suicide. And forget about cancer or heart disease being the greatest killer of Australians in the 15 to 44 age group. It is suicide. Disturbingly, in recent years suicide in children 0-14 years old has appeared amongst the statistics. There are useful suicide prevention resources to within Suicide Prevention Australias website and also within its member organisations that include Beyond Blue, Kids Helpline, Mind Out! (LGBTI), Black Dog. How to converse with someone who you believe is suicidal is literally a life-saving skill and these websites give great suggestions on how to approach these situations. I highly recommend you check out the Suicide Call Back Service website. The photo of Stephen Jones includes two of Oak Flats Pharmacys brightest stars, Rebecca and Bree (left). Becky and Bree are lovely young ladies and they bring a lot of colour and energy to our pharmacy practice. Stephen Jones was very sociable and easy going a delight to have at any dinner function. Keep a look out for those around you and keep well yourselves! George Saad your local Oak Flats Pharmacist

03.01.2022 BE CAREFUL WHEN PARKING IN THE MAIN STREETS OF OAK FLATS. One of my dear elderly customers was let off by a police constable for "..just stopping briefly in front of the pharmacy to drop scripts in". Correct me if I am in error but the area in front of the pharmacy is a bus zone and normally you cannot park within the 20 metres before or within the 10 metres after a designated Bus Stop sign. This includes the marked striped zones either side of the Bus Stop sign. Many members of the public, including the desperate coffee seekers "ducking quickly into the cafe" use these striped zones as parking areas.There are police cars driving up and down Central Ave all day. Could be a very expensive latte! And you will not be able to afford fries with that! Drive and park carefully everyone. Your law abiding pharmacist George Saad

03.01.2022 A PHARMACY'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE COVID-19 VIRUS AND THE SO CALLED SHORTAGES. Government and peak health bodies have been regularly updating pharmacies throughout 2020 in relation to the Corona(Covid-19) virus. The articles have focused on the spread of the virus, recognition of symptoms and how to react if confronted with suspected cases of infection. This information can be sourced by the public online but a few take home points include 1. a well member of the public who doe...s not have the risk factors for infection by the virus (e.g. recently returned from overseas or recent exposure to infected individuals) is not encouraged to wear a face mask. Face masks should be saved for infected and at risk individuals. 2. Prevention of infection is enhanced by a. maintaining a social distance of at least 1.5 metres from other persons especially those who are coughing, sneezing and generally unwell, b. hand washing for at least 20 seconds using plain soap and water or an alcohol based sanitiser. 3. The symptoms of the coronavirus are similar to those of other viral infections and unless a patient has been exposed as in 1. above, the NSW Department of Health states, at this point in time its unlikely to be a Coronavirus infection. 4. If the suspicion of infection is high, one can get tested at their GP or ED clinic. If the Coronavirus infections continue into the 2020 Influenza season, confusion in diagnosis and increased illness and mortality via the overlap of these infections, will become serious issues. Other than hand sanitisers and face masks, pharmacies are generally WELL STOCKED IN ALL OVER-THE-COUNTER AND PRESCRIPTION ITEMS. At Oak Flats Pharmacy we have N95 face masks for free but limited distribution to at risk members of the public. There are shortages of some medications but these started well before and are not related to the Corona Virus. The current shortages in toilet paper, rice, etc have been generated by the media publicising panic buying. I can assure the good people of Oak Flats that if everyone goes about their life in their normal way, there will not be a shortage of medications. Keep well. King (Corona) George

02.01.2022 PHARMACY QUICK 5 MYTH OR TRUTH? Read the first sentence of each claim and see if you can work out it if is a myth or it is true. Answers at the bottom of this section. 1. You need to drink about 6 to 8 glasses of water every day. Water is found in most foods and comprises a large proportion of fruits and vegetables. We receive most of our required water intake through our normal diet. Most patients should "drink to thirst" i.e. drink when the body through thirst, tells you to...Continue reading

01.01.2022 QUICK 5 - PHARMACY MYTH OR TRUTH? 1. THERE'S NO POINT IN GETTING A FLU JAB BECAUSE IT GIVES ME THE FLU ANYWAY! The flu vaccine is constituted every year from the (four) strains of influenza virus that were most responsible for the outbreak in the previous Northern Hemisphere winter. The flu vaccine itself does not contain a live virus and the amount of virus is so small that it cannot give you the flu. As the vaccine does not cover every strain of flu and because the virus ...Continue reading

01.01.2022 A PHARMACYS PERSPECTIVE ON THE COVID-19 VIRUS AND THE SO CALLED SHORTAGES. Government and peak health bodies have been regularly updating pharmacies throughout 2020 in relation to the Corona(Covid-19) virus. The articles have focused on the spread of the virus, recognition of symptoms and how to react if confronted with suspected cases of infection. This information can be sourced by the public online but a few take home points include 1. a well member of the public who doe...s not have the risk factors for infection by the virus (e.g. recently returned from overseas or recent exposure to infected individuals) is not encouraged to wear a face mask. Face masks should be saved for infected and at risk individuals. 2. Prevention of infection is enhanced by a. maintaining a social distance of at least 1.5 metres from other persons especially those who are coughing, sneezing and generally unwell, b. hand washing for at least 20 seconds using plain soap and water or an alcohol based sanitiser. 3. The symptoms of the coronavirus are similar to those of other viral infections and unless a patient has been exposed as in 1. above, the NSW Department of Health states, at this point in time its unlikely to be a Coronavirus infection. 4. If the suspicion of infection is high, one can get tested at their GP or ED clinic. If the Coronavirus infections continue into the 2020 Influenza season, confusion in diagnosis and increased illness and mortality via the overlap of these infections, will become serious issues. Other than hand sanitisers and face masks, pharmacies are generally WELL STOCKED IN ALL OVER-THE-COUNTER AND PRESCRIPTION ITEMS. At Oak Flats Pharmacy we have N95 face masks for free but limited distribution to at risk members of the public. There are shortages of some medications but these started well before and are not related to the Corona Virus. The current shortages in toilet paper, rice, etc have been generated by the media publicising panic buying. I can assure the good people of Oak Flats that if everyone goes about their life in their normal way, there will not be a shortage of medications. Keep well. King (Corona) George