Team Training: Vitamin D
Source: Irish Pharmacy News, July 2026, page 84.
A community pharmacy environment that fosters teamwork ensured high levels of consumer satisfaction. This series of articles is designed for you to use as guide to assist your team in focusing on meeting ongoing CPD targets and to identify any training needs in order to keep the knowledge and skills of you and your team up to date.
The below information, considerations and checklist provides support to enable you to run a team training session and identify opportunities for learning within the topic of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D, or ‘calciferol’, is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for musculoskeletal health by promoting the regulation of calcium and phosphorus (Nice, 2021). It circulates in the blood as Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is synthesised in the skin through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2 can also be obtained from food sources, fortified foods, and supplements (SACN, 2016).
Adverse health outcomes associated with lack of vitamin D include autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, cancer, cognitive impairment, as well as poor bone health (Engleman, 2011). Media coverage of the widespread benefits of vitamin D, alongside more recent reports of links with COVID-19 and vitamin D deficiency, have led to increased interest in vitamin D testing and use of supplements.
How much Vitamin D do we require?
The amount of vitamin D required varies by age, health status, sun exposure, and skin colour, depending on how much is likely to be absorbed through sunlight or diet, or because of health conditions. The recommended level of vitamin D for children over 4 years and adults under 65 years is 10 micrograms per day. While this is usually successfully obtained through sunlight and diet, some groups may require supplementation, either through a specific vitamin D supplement or a general multivitamin. Certain groups of people are advised to take vitamin D supplements, and while the guidance varies by country, the Irish Department of Health recommend the following:
- Breast-fed babies should be given 5 micrograms of vitamin D as a supplement every day from birth to 12 months
- Formula-fed babies should not have a vitamin D supplement unless they take less than 300ml of infant formula per day
- Children from the age of 1 year to 4 years need a vitamin D supplement every day for a few months each year – from Halloween (31st October) to St Patrick’s Day (17th March), they should be given 5 micrograms of vitamin D every day
- Adults aged 65 and older should take a vitamin D supplement of 15 micrograms every day at all times of year.
There are groups of people who may be absorbing insufficient levels of vitamin D through poor diet, health conditions, or inadequate sunlight exposure. According to the HSE, studies show that adults and children in Ireland have insufficient levels of vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D in children can lead to bone deformities such as rickets. In adults, not enough vitamin D can cause a condition called osteaomalacia.
Those at risk of insufficient levels and who should take a vitamin D supplement include:
- People who are not often outdoors
- Those living in residential institutions, such as care homes
- People who wear clothes that cover all of their skin when they are outside
- Those who have a dark skin tone.
Those who are obese or who have certain medical conditions may also be at risk from low vitamin D. Certain diets, for instance vegan, may also result in less intake of foods that are fortified with vitamin D. Potential symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone pain, muscle weakness, and bone fractures.
Consider
- Am I, my team, trained in vitamin D supplementation to boost the number of people accessing the pharmacy for advice?
- Are the team trained in the benefits and risks associated with vitamin D supplementation?
- Does my team know how much vitamin D is required for individuals?
- Am I and my team educated the medications which impact on vitamin D levels?
Key Points
- Check your pharmacy team are aware and understand the following key points:
- What vitamin D is
- The recommended levels for babies, children and adults
- The signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency
- The impact on those who may be vitamin D deficient
- Those who should be advised not to take vitamin D supplements
- Up to date advice for appropriate and healthy diet
Actions
- Include POS with the wider vitamins, minerals and supplements market
- Ensure efficient sign posting to further help and advice or reputable sources for vitamins and supplements
- Keep products merchandised together, along with related products to help build sales
- Ensure that this important category is fully stocked at all times and merchandising plans are amended based on seasonal times of year
- Ensure that I know the recommendations for each vitamin and supplement and the OTC medicines which may cause vitamin D deficiency
- Train the team to meet all the above considerations
