Meaghers Pharmacy Group, which operates a chain of nine pharmacies in the Dublin area, has become the first pharmacy in Ireland to introduce online pelvic floor routines for its customers.
The routines, offered in partnership with International Pelvic Physiotherapy Management (IPPM), give customers a step-by-step guide on how to improve their pelvic floor.
Oonagh O’Hagan, Managing Director of Meaghers Pharmacy Group, decided to launch the service after she got an incredible 3,000 responses to an Instagram survey on the subject – with 97% of respondents saying they suffered from some form of incontinence.
Customers can do the exercises in their own time, wherever they are, with no one having to know they are doing them – this is considered important as many people feel embarrassed about the issue.
The exercises, which are affordable, discreet and available across devices, have been developed by IPPM’s Aoife Ní Eochaidh, Chartered Physiotherapist and a Clinical Specialist in Women’s, and Men’s Health, who is a global expert in pelvic, women’s and men’s physiotherapy.
Aoife developed the routines after perfecting them over the last 25 years working directly with thousands of male and female patients and decided to partner with Meaghers Pharmacy Group in order to create a more affordable and convenient online solution for patients that was discreet and easy to access.
Home Pelvic Routines can be accessed through the Meaghers Pharmacy website www.meagherspharmacy.
Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common and often debilitating set of symptoms that can result in many issues for women in particular. It is more common as women get older but contributing factors can include pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and lack of exercise. Associated health issues include urinary incontinence, emptying disorders of bladder and bowel, pelvic organ prolapse, sexual dysfunction, chronic pelvic pain and menopausal impact.
Urinary incontinence impacts one in three women and one in eight men are affected by pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, leading to urinary incontinence and bladder leaks. People can be reluctant to talk about this problem and many suffer in silence.
Oonagh O’Hagan, Managing Director of Meaghers Pharmacy Group, says:
“We’re very excited about partnering with Chartered Physiotherapist Aoife Ní Eochaidh and IPPM to provide this confidential, accessible and affordable solution. The huge response to our Instagram survey was unprecedented. This is a big problem, but people don’t want to talk about it even to their doctor or pharmacist; they are embarrassed. It is still a taboo subject, and most people think they are on their own so it is great to be able to provide this excellent service in partnership with IPPM.”
Aoife Ní Eochaidh, CEO of IPPM, says:
“We want to get the message out to men and women – of all ages – that no amount of leaking is normal; not even one drop. A lot of people think leakage is a normal part of aging or it is normal after giving birth or when going through the menopause. But it is not. People should not accept it especially when there are ways to alleviate it. I’m delighted to partner with Meaghers Pharmacy on this project as they always put the customer at the centre of all care; I am delighted with the response we have had already since launching and am confident that together we will improve the quality of lives of Meaghers Pharmacy customers in Ireland and abroad who need pelvic floor muscle training, either for prevention or essential therapy.”
To access Home Pelvic Routines, please visit: https://www.