Why experts recommend using hand sanitizer at the pharmacy

As temperatures get colder, the sniffles increase – and your local pharmacy might just be the hotbed of illnesses you’ve been neglecting right now.

“The majority of people who come to pick up their prescriptions are probably sick or have been around someone who is sick,” said Supriya Rao, a gastroenterologist at Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants. “Germs on their hands can end up on the screen, linger there, and then spread to the next person’s fingers.”

Microbiologist Jason Tetro, aka “The Germ Guy,” said the problem is that the majority of people still treat a pharmacy “like a store, and don’t think of it as a healthcare facility” where there will be “a higher percentage of people with viruses.”

Even if a quick trip to the pharmacy only takes a few minutes, that gives you plenty of time to get virus-carrying germs on your hands, because “as soon as you touch something, there will be transfer,” Tetro warned.

One of the first things many people have to touch in a pharmacy is a login screen or touchpad to use a blood pressure monitor, Tetro noted. These high-touch shared surfaces could explain why you’re sick later in the week. “One day you get your blood pressure checked and the next day you have the sniffles.”

Of all the frequently touched surfaces, Rao said door handles, login screens and payment terminals are the surfaces most likely to contain many germs in a pharmacy.

These public surfaces could contain fecal bacteria, cold viruses and COVID viruses in addition to rhinovirus, which can survive on surfaces “for quite a long period of time,” Tetro said.

After touching a surface in the pharmacy, the best thing to do is wash your hands, as some pathogens are resistant to hand sanitizer. However, disinfectant is the second best tool.

If your pharmacy doesn’t already provide it, you should use hand sanitizer immediately after touching one of these shared touchscreens.

“Using hand sanitizer when traveling is a great way to protect yourself,” Rao said. “Washing your hands when you get home can add an extra layer. »

Tetro said using hand sanitizer correctly can make a world of difference when you’re in a public space full of sick people. To get the most out of this product, people should completely wet their hands with a drop of hand sanitizer and rub them for 15 seconds.

“It takes 15 seconds of your time to give you a lot of protection,” Tetro said.

The original version of this story was published on HuffPost earlier.