Incontinence
Over 5 million Australians, representing 1 in 4 people aged 15 years or over, experience bladder or bowel control problems with an anticipated increase to 6.5 million by 2030.1 Incontinence can range in severity from a small leak to complete loss of bladder or bowel control. Urinary incontinence (poor bladder control) is a common condition affecting 1 in 3 women, 1 in 10 men and 1 in 5 children in Australia.1 Faecal incontinence (poor bowel control) is more common than people think – affecting approximately 1 in 20 Australians.1
Our approach to continence management is tailored to the specific patient groups within their local demographics. These services align with patients’ needs and desired outcomes, while also taking into account the pharmacy’s capacity and available resources.
Whether you have existing continence issues, we aim to improve your continence management, or help identify if you may need bladder or bowel support. This involves an in-depth discussion between the Pharmacist and patient around the different types of products, support options available, government funding, the Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS), National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as well as state funding availability and concessions.
Did you know?
65% of women and 30% of men visiting a GP have some type of incontinence but only 31% of them seek help.2
References:
- Understanding incontinence. Continence Foundation of Australia. https://www.continence.org.au/incontinence/understanding-incontinence. Published 6 July 2022. Accessed 24 October 2023.
- Key statistics on incontinence. Continence Foundation of Australia. https://www.continence.org.au/about-us/our-work/key-statistics-incontinence. Published 29 May 2023. Accessed 26 October 2023
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