Community - BowelScan

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Community Service

 

 
Community Service - BowelScan 
 
Each year, we support the distribution of Bowel Scan kits throughout the St Ives area. Local pharmacies act as distribution and collection centres. Australia has the highest rate of bowel cancer in the world. 1 in 21 persons will develop bowel cancer.
 
What is BowelScan?
 
BowelScan is a Rotary program developed in 1982 in New South Wales and now conducted by over 250 Rotary Clubs across Australia.
 
These Clubs issue approximately 150,000 kits during their annual Colorectal Screening programs. Since Bowelscan commenced, it is estimated that more than 1,000 people with bowel cancer and 5,000 with polyps have been detected.
 
In 1990, a National Committee comprising representatives from Rotary Districts operating Bowelscan programs was established to develop and maintain protocols.
 
BowelScan is essentially a public awareness program seeking to increase community knowledge of bowel cancer and its symptoms. The project involves the distribution to the public of a simple test kit on which is collected small specimens of faeces for analysis.

People can be directed toward life-saving medical attention that they would otherwise not have been aware was required until it becomes too late to save them.
 
 
Our club assisted with the sale of 419 kits in 2009. There has been a steady increase over the past five years in kits being sold.

Many people have come to us telling us their stories of how we saved their lives. Without the initial testing these people would not have gone to their docotrs and so therefore were unaware of any problems.

Each year, we support the distribution of Bowel Scan kits throughout the St Ives area. Local pharmacies act as distribution and collection centres. Australia has the highest rate of bowel cancer in the world. 1 in 21 persons will develop bowel cancer.

 
 
 
 
 

Action List by Month

 

Bowel Scan - February

This is what typically happens in February 

  1. Pick up BowelScan stock from collection point.

  2. In 2005 the Collection point was:

North Rocks School for Blind Children The Blue Room 61-365 North Rocks Road, North Rocks (opposite Westfield Shoppingtown).
Dates and Times for collection were: Friday 18th February 2005, from 9.30am to 3.30pm or Saturday 19th February 2005 from 9.30am to 3.30pm

  1. Arrange to collect your stock on one of those days allocated and have it delivered IMMEDIATELY to the relevant pharmacies. (refer the Pharmacy List)

  2. Ascertain the District BowelScan representative and retain their contact details.

      
 
Bowel Scan - March
This is what typically happens in March
  1. A day or days are chosen to hand out pamphlets to the local community in our shopping centre at St Ives.
  2. Most of the the hard work has been done with the by collection of the kits, and subsequently supplying kits to the pharmacies.
 
 Bowel Scan - April
This is what typically happens in April
 
  1. After the 2nd of April collect unsold kits & proceeds- give the pharmacy a receipt.
  2. Remove Pharmacy Pathology bin a few days AFTER the 16th April 2005
  3. Return Bowelscan stock (unsold kits plus the pathology bins),cheque re pharmacy sales and the Club's Receipt and Delivery Docket books to the Blue Room on either Friday 22nd or Saturday 23rd April 2005 between 9.30am- 3.30pm.
 
The results from the sale of Bowel scan kits has increased steadily since 2002. In 2004; 346 kits were sold: this year there was an increase of 22% we sold 369 kits. Later in the year we will get the results from specimens sent in which will tell us how many if any had problems such as cancer detected, or any other abnormality.