Balally Pharmacy

Balally Pharmacy Independent family run pharmacy located in Sandyford Dublin 16. Tom McKenna is the Pharmacist owner since 2014. I have 34 years experience and I’m a dad of four.

We have a wonderful highly qualified team instore. Vaccine Information: email [email protected]

02/09/2026

Before you spend money trying to “boost” your immune system this autumn. Start with the boring stuff. 🍂

Because there is no supplement, shot or superfood that can guarantee you won’t get sick.

But there ARE simple things that can help reduce your risk and support your health through cough, cold and flu season. All of which are evidence based.

💉 Keep recommended vaccines up to date
🧼 Wash your hands properly and regularly. Hand sanitiser is great when out and about.
🤧 Tissues in the bin straight away.
🤒 Stay home when you’re genuinely unwell. Not everyone who is vulnerable may be known to you. Infants. Pregnant women. The elderly. Someone fighting cancer. In the shops. On the bus. In work.
😴 Don’t underestimate the power of sleep. Prioritise it. It’s vital to keep your immune system in peak condition. Sleep is medicine.
🥗 Eat a varied diet with enough protein, fruit and vegetables
☀️ Follow the Irish advice on vitamin D during the darker months. Halloween to St Patrick’s Day at least.

None of that is particularly exciting.
You probably won’t see an influencer unboxing it.
Nobody can sell you most of it in a fancy tub.

But prevention doesn’t have to be complicated to be worthwhile. Prevention is always better than cure.

👉I’ll be talking much more about keeping well over the coming months, including this year’s flu and COVID vaccination programmes.

We’re still waiting for confirmation of our winter vaccine start date at Balally Pharmacy, but our priority list is already open. You’ll find it through the link in our bio. 💉

Know someone who starts buying half the vitamin aisle the minute September arrives? Send this to them. 😂

I hope this helps?

Tom the Pharmacist 🧑‍⚕️
Balally Pharmacy, Sandyford

01/09/2026

V@ginal oestrogen is often talked about as though it’s one treatment.

It isn’t quite that simple.

👉There are different oestrogen types, different strengths and very different formulations. Those practical differences can really matter when you’re the person actually using them.

V@gifem is a tablet. Ov€stin is a cream. Bl!ssel is a gel.

One woman might love the simplicity of a tiny tablet. Another might prefer a cream or gel. Another may prefer a combination. Someone else may find a particular product messy, awkward to use or irritating.

Sometimes the other ingredients in the formulation matter too.

For example, glycerol and fatty alcohols such as cetyl or stearyl alcohol can be present in some v@ginal products. Cetyl and stearyl alcohol are recognised as potential causes of local skin reactions in the Ov€stin product information. That’s just a risk. Not a guarantee it will happen.

👉So irritation with one product doesn’t automatically mean v@ginal oestrogen itself is the problem.

That distinction matters because v@ginal oestrogen is an important treatment for GSM, including v@ginal, v*lval and urinary symptoms associated with menopause. It also has an important role in reducing recurrent UTIs in postmenopausal women.

💊 One pharmacist note worth knowing

You may remember a peanut allergy warning associated with some estriol creams.

Current Irish Ov€stin does not contain arachis oil, also known as peanut oil. Other estriol cream formulations have contained it, so always check if you’re allergic.

👉I’ve put together a practical FREE checklist comparing V@gifem, Ov€stin and Bl!ssel, including strengths, dosing, formulations, applicators and some of the differences worth knowing.

Comment CHECK and I’ll send it to you 💙

💚Save this for later, or share it with someone who has tried vaginal oestrogen and assumed there was no alternative.

I hope this helps

Tom the Pharmacist

Ps misspellings are intentional or I get banned for being explicit 😡

⚠️Educational content only. Always consult your own doctor or pharmacist for advice

Balally Pharmacy, Sandyford, Dublin

August at Balally Pharmacy 💚A little look back at life in our community pharmacy in Sandyford, Dublin this month.August ...
31/08/2026

August at Balally Pharmacy 💚

A little look back at life in our community pharmacy in Sandyford, Dublin this month.

August was a very busy one for us.
A full pharmacy renovation whilst working through it, our new dispensing robot Tara settling in, competition time, plenty of brilliant Q&A Thursday nights, back to school & winter vaccine season preparations behind the scenes, some brilliant conversations about medicines and supplements. A few moments we definitely want to remember. National TV & radio and invitations to speak nationally and internationally. Honestly I’m gobsmacked and that rarely happens 😜🤣

Social media however shows only one little part of what we do, but behind it all is the same independent pharmacy in Balally, serving our local Sandyford community for nearly 12 years. Our local patients who cheer us on, keep us focused and lots of craic & chats! With plenty of slagging looking for autographs😜

Having such a strong online community sharing evidence based health & medicines advice is the icing on the cake 🧁. Every week you show up and make this page what it has become 🙏. You provide the questions and tell me what you want to know. I just turn up and share the facts and 34 years of experience as a pharmacist. 25 years as a dad.

So we thought we’d start doing this properly.

👉Each month. A few photos. The people, the pharmacy and the little moments in between. My exceptional team who go above and beyond behind the scenes and make my day infinitely easier. They also keep me grounded and ego firmly in check Irish style🤣

That was August at Balally Pharmacy.

See you in September 🧡. Its going to be even better 🙏

Tom the Pharmacist 🧑‍⚕️

29/08/2026

Never in a million years did l expect this pharmacy page to blow up to 132K followers on Instagram when I started just 1 year ago next week.

What started as a passion project in response to the unending misinformation out there has flipped my career on its head. My mission was and remains very simple.

👉To share evidence based health and medicines information. Simply. No fancy pharmaceutical terms. Just no nonsense and straight talking. I see every day the consequences of this misinformation online and enough is enough.

👉This page shares up to the minute research findings. Tips and tricks to navigate through your health journey. From cradle to grave. It really is that simple.

I think we have built this amazing community together because you see the misinformation online just like me. You’re a truth seeker.

A red flag for me is affiliate codes, sponsored ads or endorsing a product you manufacture. That’s definitely not unbiased even if the product is a good one. Especially from a health care professional in my opinion

From the bottom of my heart thank you for trusting me with your most precious gift. Your health 💚

My opinion is not for sale. I will remain unbiased and do the reading & sharing of the literature for you. I’ll also have a bit of fun along the way with you! My guides will remain free as always.

One last thing. I’m a full time pharmacist running our family owned community pharmacy. Not an instahun!

There is a wonderful professional team behind me in the dispensary with the same ethos and standards. Some are getting brave enough to show their faces soon!

Being an independent pharmacy we do things a little differently. Our way.
You may even be served throughout the week by one of my family! See can you spot the family resemblances ?

Most of all you can have FREE professional advice by just dropping in to us face to face. Or pop in just to say hi! We love meeting the followers of our
page! Our door is wide open.

Tom the Pharmacist.

25/08/2026

If you have a Mirena coil as part of your HRT, do you still need progesterone?

It’s a question I’m hearing more often, particularly as women hear about the benefits of micronised progesterone (Utrogestan) for sleep.

Sleep is often the one sign that makes a woman seek help when she’s waking at 3am for no reason.

Mirena contains levonorgestrel, a progestogen (synthetic progesterone). It’s slowly released over a few years. When used alongside systemic oestrogen as part of HRT, it can provide the necessary endometrial (womb)protection needed for women with a uterus.

So Utrogestan isn’t routinely needed as well for womb protection.

But what about sleep?

There is good evidence that oral micronised progesterone may improve some aspects of sleep in some women, particularly falling asleep.

But the evidence is still limited, and adding Utrogestan purely for sleep when a Mirena is already providing endometrial protection is an individual, off licence prescribing decision. It isn’t automatically a “missing” part of your HRT.

We still don’t know the full consequences of increasing a progestogen prescription using both a Mirena and oral progesterone and the possible increase in breast cancer risks. More research is required.

It’s important to review all other causes for sleep disturbances too. Not just look at prescribing more hormones. Are you waking because of urinary issues. Restless legs. Heart racing. Snoring.

One Mirena detail worth knowing 👇

For contraception: up to 8 years
For endometrial protection as part of HRT: 5 years

Same Mirena. Different jobs. Different timelines.

📌 Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free practical Mirena + HRT guide.

Please share this with a woman using Mirena and HRT. She may never have been told the difference.

Hope this helps,

Tom the Pharmacist 🧑‍⚕️

Back to school health: 5 things I DON’T recommend as a pharmacist 👀🎒Every September, parents ask me about head lice trea...
24/08/2026

Back to school health: 5 things I DON’T recommend as a pharmacist 👀🎒

Every September, parents ask me about head lice treatments, threadworms, vitamins, immune supplements and what medicines they should have ready for the school year.

👉As a pharmacist and dad of 4, I’m all for being prepared and having paracetamol on call for those 2am temperatures 🥵. Many parents & teachers know that by mid September those pesky bugs have had time to spread around the classroom.

But treating problems before they exist? Or buying something because it promises to “boost” your child’s immunity?

I’m not a fan of this approach.

My rule is simple: know what you’re treating, use what actually works and don’t let clever health marketing convince you that back to school requires a pharmacy haul. It’s just that. Marketing.

Going back to school is a very expensive time of year. Don’t allow FOMO to creep in to your child’s health based on what you see online.

If you’re unsure what your child actually needs, ask your pharmacist. Sometimes the best advice we can give you is NOT to buy something.

Pop in and ask us! The advice is free, you may leave empty handed but you will know the advice is based on your child’s needs. Not marketing.

At the end of the day routine, sleep, hydration, nutrition, hand hygiene and exercise beat all kids supplements. This is how we protect them and how they can fight infections 💪

All very boring. Nothing trendy. Not packaged with cute designs on a bottle. Takes consistent effort by parents. But it’s what is PROVEN to give your child the strength to fight off bugs best. Not giving them expensive urine. Not making their liver & kidneys work even harder to deal with unnecessary products.

📌 Save this for the school year ahead and send it to another parent who needs to hear this.

Hope this helps,

Tom the Pharmacist

20/08/2026

The number of “billions” on the front of the box.

When someone asks me “What’s the best probiotic?”, my first question is:

👉What do you want it to do?

Because probiotics aren’t all the same.

🦠 The strain matters.
Evidence for one probiotic strain doesn’t automatically apply to another.

🦠 More billions doesn’t mean better.
50 billion CFU isn’t automatically better than 10 billion. The right amount depends on the particular strain and what it’s being used for.

🦠 The reason you’re taking it matters.
There is evidence for certain probiotics in certain situations. That doesn’t mean everybody needs to take a daily probiotic for general “gut health”.

🦠 Check what’s actually in the product.
I want to see the genus, species and ideally the specific strain, rather than just a vague blend of “friendly bacteria”.

🦠 Food can matter more than yet another supplement. Feed the good bacteria you already have. Start slow and steady increasing gradually.

A varied, fibre rich diet is important for your gut microbiome. Fruit & vegetables. Whole grains. Fermented foods containing live cultures, such as Greek yoghurt and kefir, can be useful additions too.

Remember, not every fermented food automatically counts as a probiotic.

My pharmacist take?

👉Probiotics are not nonsense. There is good evidence for specific probiotics for specific uses.

But don’t choose one because it has the biggest number on the box, the most expensive or take one indefinitely 🙏

Ask instead:

👉“Is there evidence for THIS probiotic for what is MY specific need?”

💚I’ve put together my FREE Pharmacist’s Guide to Probiotics, including what to look for on the label, when they may be useful and conditions they may help.

Comment PROBIOTIC and I’ll send it to you right away. 🦠

Share this with someone who believes they need a probiotic but not sure which one.

Follow to stay up to date with your health & medicine questions 💊

Hope this helps,

Tom the Pharmacist 🧑‍⚕️

18/08/2026

Using an oestrogen HRT patch? A few small things can make a big difference 👇

Where you put it matters. How often you change it matters. And if it keeps lifting, irritating your skin or falling off, don’t just assume patches “don’t work for you”.

HRT patches deliver oestrogen through the skin. They’re also associated with much lower risks than oral oestrogen.

The aim is to use the lowest strength to control your symptoms before increasing the dose.

But a few practical reminders can make all the difference before abandoning patches or increasing your dose.

💊 Apply to clean, fully dry, cool skin below the waist, following the instructions for your specific patch.

💊Press down firmly with your hand and hold for 10 seconds to ensure the adhesive sticks well.

💊 Avoid creams, oils, fake tan or moisturiser where you’re about to apply it. Including your finger tips.

💊 Rotate application sites rather than using exactly the same spot each time.

💊 Check how often YOUR patch needs changing. They’re not all the same.

💊 If you still have a uterus and you’re using an oestrogen only patch, you’ll usually also need a progestogen to protect the lining of the womb.

👉Comment PATCH for my 🆓 guide on using HRT patches. The do’s the dont’s and how to guide you need.

If your patch isn’t sticking, your symptoms have returned or you’re unsure whether you’re using it correctly, ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Sometimes the boring practical details really do matter.

💚Pop into us and we can advise you before giving up on patches. You don’t have to do this alone. Check your patient information leaflet too as patches may have different advice. These leaflets are how your patch has been tested and licensed. Relying on advice from your friend or online may be adding to your issues.

Save this if you use HRT patches and send it to a friend ❤️

Hope this helps?

Tom the Pharmacist

Pharmacy hills I’ll die on 💊After more than 30 years as a pharmacist, there are some health opinions that have stood the...
17/08/2026

Pharmacy hills I’ll die on 💊

After more than 30 years as a pharmacist, there are some health opinions that have stood the test of time.

💤 Sleep matters. It’s not a luxury. It’s a basic health need. If it’s not great ask for help 🙏

🩸Know your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a silent killer.

☀️ Wear sunscreen. All year. Skin cancer kills.

🍃 “Natural” does not automatically mean a supplement is safe. Always check especially if you are on any medication.

One more 👇

I’ll question the evidence behind every supplement regardless of who developed it. A healthcare qualification doesn’t give a product or its claims a free pass. In fact it raises the bar I expect. Promoting brands based on sponsorship and profit, leveraging the trust the public have placed in your profession is unethical to me. Endorse a product based purely on robust evidence in the public’s interest.

Evidence over hype and nonsense. Every time.

Which hill are you joining me on? What would you add? Let me know.

Hope this helps,

Tom the Pharmacist 💊

16/08/2026

€250 a month for a longevity supplement. As a pharmacist, is it worth it?

This is my Q&A of the week regarding Advanced ID by ID Formulas.

👉32 ingredients. Selected around healthy ageing and healthspan. Described as “clinically backed” and says the ingredients are optimally dosed.

When something costs €250 every month, I think it’s reasonable to look beyond the ingredient count & marketing and ask:

👉 Are the individual ingredients evidence based?
👉 Are they present at evidence based doses?
👉 Can we see exactly what we’re getting?
👉 And most importantly, has this specific combination been shown to deliver the benefits being claimed?

This is where research and evidence matters.

👉ID Formulas conducted a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled clinical study and a separate photobiology study. However,neither results are published in a peer reviewed journal for me to review.

👉The company also formed “The Circle” for analysis. 80 people used Advanced ID for 12 weeks while tracking measures including sleep and recovery with WHOOP.

Those results are interesting, but ID Formulas itself is clear that The Circle was an observational, pre launch programme, not scientific research or a clinical trial. Participants were an invite only group of friends, family and close contacts. Some since have affiliate codes online as influencers.

My pharmacist verdict?

At €250 per month, I personally want considerably more published evidence on the finished product before I could say the price is justified.

👉 There are credible ingredients here, but some ingredients fall short of the evidence, while others aren’t transparent enough to assess properly.

We do however have very strong evidence that a diet of lean protein, fruit, vegetables & fibre provides all the nutrients you need. Supplements should be used where a deficiency is identified. Alongside this, the biggest drivers of long-term health are consistent exercise, good sleep, not smoking, and limiting alcohol.

Expensive doesn’t necessarily mean effective

Tom the Pharmacist 🧑‍⚕️

Address

Sandyford Shopping Centre, Blackthorn Drive Sandyford D16V2P 5
Dublin
D16V2P5

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 7pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 7pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 7pm
Thursday 8:30am - 7pm
Friday 8:30am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+35312954084

Website

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