Cleaning the ear canal is vital and requires a high level of competence and skill by a professional. The accumulation of cerumen or earwax in the ear canal is one of the most observed problems in patients, and ignoring it may cause hearing loss, irritation, and discomfort. Several techniques have been used to clean the ear canal, including irrigation, i.e., curettage, water pick, and syringing. Many patients cannot clean their ear canals through a natural self-cleaning process.

The body produces earwax, also known as cerumen, to collect and trap dirt and bacteria in your ear. Inserting a cotton swab or any other object into your ear risks damaging the eardrum or ear canal by pushing earwax further into the ear, making it even more difficult to remove and risks perforations to the ear drum. NICE does not recommend ear syringing either. Therefore, professionals can use techniques such as ear microsuction to support their patients to help keep the ear canal clean.

What is Ear Microsuction?

Ear microsuction works by gently suctioning the wax from the ear, like a vacuum cleaner. It requires a microscope to view the inner ear as they remove the blockage. It is much more precise and less risky to the ears when compared to other methods. The process only lasts between 10 and 20 minutes, and there’s less risk of infection, too, as the process is done dry and there is no direct contact with the skin of the ear canal.

What equipment do you need?

You will require equipment and some consumables to conduct microsuction. Equipment includes

• Otoscope with halogen bulb.
• Suction bottles.
• Suction line.
• Connecting tube.
• Specula.
• Gloves.
• Tissues; and
• a Probe

Our training provides you with discounts for the equipment and all you need to go to market and provide the service and maintain the equipment you need to use. We also offer a support line to provide expert clinical advice if you run into trouble.

The Training

GP practices no longer provide this service under the NHS. There is, therefore, a massive gap in the market. There is also considerable demand for this ear microsuction. This course is ideal for pharmacists wishing to increase their arsenal of private services. The course only lasts half a day and will provide you with all the skills, equipment and policies required to conduct the service quickly; this includes red flags, anatomy of the ear and practice using the ear microsuction device.

Record Keeping

Our training provides you with the skills to record your interventions using our clinical software to ensure that you keep on the right side of medicolegal issues.

Profitability

We estimate that it is possible to charge anywhere between £60-£100 per consultation. Patients will likely want to come back repeatedly for further cleaning, which will help with your repeat business. We, therefore, estimate that pharmacists can make between £300-£500 profit and substantially more providing this service.

Next Steps

This service is quickly becoming a standard service in community pharmacies, much like the travel clinic service that operates in many pharmacies already. We recommend commencing the service now to ensure your repeat business grows and to maximise profitability.

Contact us at info@pharmaplusltd.co.uk or phone us on 020 8863 3335 for more information and how to join this service!