Balally Pharmacy

Balally Pharmacy Independent family run pharmacy located in Sandyford Dublin 16. Tom McKenna is the Pharmacist owner since 2014.

We have a wonderful highly qualified team instore. I have over 30 years experience and I’m a dad of four. Vaccine Information: email vaccines@balallypharmacy.ie

27/02/2026

✨This week’s Ask Tom Q&A highlight is the frequently asked question: How long can I stay on HRT?
Many women believe there is a timer set and once they hit a certain birthday the clock runs out for menopause support and care ⏰
The BMS ( British Menopause Society) of which I’m a proud member, together with all reputable worldwide specialist menopause organisations, update advice regularly based on evidence.
👉 The advice is that individualised menopause care is key. There is no one size fits all. Your treatment for perimenopause , menopause and beyond comes down to
💪symptom control, risk evaluation and preventative care like bone health and UTIs amongst others.
The time you’ve been on HRT is not a factor if you still have a need.
💚This is obviously a combined discussion and chat with your doctor. Risk v benefit always wins. But informed consent for HRT treatment involves you knowing what the research says and what experts endorse.

Were you aware of this? Let me know in the comments.

I share valuable expert advice on health and medicines all week. If this interests you make sure to follow me so you keep up to date on a whole range of topics 🙏

Tom

⚠️This is general advice only. For specific advice bespoke to you, please consult your own doctor and pharmacist for advice.

26/02/2026

Turmeric isn’t the villain 🦹
⚠️But the black pepper often added to it deserves much attention.

Turmeric is used as a “natural” anti inflammatory and antioxidant.

👉However supplements vary widely in quality of ingredients and may be very inconsistent as to the percentage of ingredients in the bottle and what the label states.
Supplements are not held to the same standards as prescription medicines and don’t need to specify potential interactions.

✨Most high strength turmeric (also known as curcumin) supplements contain piperine, an extract of black pepper.

👉Because curcumin on its own is poorly absorbed by the body, piperine is added to the turmeric supplement to increase its bioavailability ( your body’s ability to absorb and use the turmeric) significantly.

👉It does this by slowing down drug breakdown in the liver and can change how your body absorbs and handles medicines.
Brilliant for boosting turmeric for use in your body.

😱However, that same mechanism can also influence how certain prescription medicines behave.

💪In pharmacy, I double check turmeric if someone is taking:
•Warfarin or a DOAC such as apixaban or rivaroxaban
• Aspirin or clopidogrel
• An SSRI like sertraline or fluoxetine
• Diabetes medication such as metformin or gliclazide
•Especially if surgery or dental treatment is coming up.

This doesn’t mean you can’t take turmeric.
It means supplements deserve the same respect as medicines.

🌿Natural does not mean interaction free 🛑
If you don’t tell me you take Turmeric, I can’t keep you safe🙏

👉If you’re considering turmeric and want a quick pharmacist checklist to run through first, comment CHECK and I’ll send it to your DMs just to be on the safe side.

💚Follow for evidence based supplement advice that actually considers your prescriptions.

Is this news to you? Let me know in the comments.

Tom

⚠️For educational and general advice purposes only. Please discuss with your doctor or pharmacist for advice specifically for you.

25/02/2026

✨This week’s edition of my weekly series
‘The Wellness Prescription’ focuses on bone health 🦴.

This evidence based series emphasises prevention being better than cure. With pharmacist approved ways you can improve your health.

💪Bone health does not get the hype it deserves. Think of strong healthy bones as the foundation of your house. If the foundations start to crumble, so does the roof.

🙌I want to focus on the positives here. How looking after your bones in your earlier life but especially in middle age, can prevent so many devastating fractures later in life. Yes PREVENT. We do not have to become a statistic where 1 in 2 women will break a bone after 50😱.

👉Focus on a nutrition and resistance exercise with correct technique from a physiotherapist and HRT only if suitable. Oestrogen depletion in women affects bone density rapidly.

👉Check out the wonderful resources freely available from and . Evidence based no hype factual information.

👉Check out your FRAX score. A free online tool to assess your risk of fracture. I have a link in my guide.

👉Discuss with your doctor your need for a DXA scan.

👉Assess your future fracture risk. Review your diet & resistance exercise habits.
Then we’ll talk supplements and possibly prescriptions with your doctor.

No magic supplement. No influencer nonsense. These are evidence based trusted methods to help prevent frailty fractures and lessen the severity if one does occur 🙏

💚If you would like my comprehensive FREE guide on how to protect your bones just comment BONES and I’ll ping it over to you. I have included lots of information and tips and tricks to

Were you aware of the importance of looking after your bones? Let’s chat in the comments and tell me your experience.

If you want more evidence based expert health advice please follow and share this with a friend 🙏

Hope this helps?

Tom

⚠️Always consult your own doctor or pharmacist
for individual advice. This is educational generalised content only.

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21/02/2026

✨The Ask Tom Q&A highlight of the week is Bowel Cancer Screening ✨
• Every Thursday evening I answer YOUR questions on health and medicines and answer in my no nonsense style with evidence backed answers. No fluff.

Screening programmes nationwide save lives. Colorectal cancer is no exception. Not a glamorous or pleasant topic but a very essential one to normalise.

With an increase in processed foods, regular takeaways and poor lifestyle choices, colon cancer rates are rising.

The good news is that with screening when you don’t have symptoms, many lives can be saved.
The earlier changes are detected, even before you have symptoms, survival rates are very high.

The screening test is pain free and cost free if aged 58-70. You can access screening under this age if you don’t have symptoms just as a precaution but there will be a charge.

⚠️I can’t stress enough how important it is to go straight to your GP no matter how old you are if you detect changes in your 💩, ongoing tummy pains, losing weight unintentionally or a strong family history. This requires medical supervision

💚As a pharmacist I’m really looking forward to an expanded screening programme commencing in pharmacies across Ireland this year. Screening saves lives. With pharmacies in even very rural areas, accessing screening and receiving professional advice at the same time will really help.

👉To access a free screening kit right now you need to register with the HSE https://bit.ly/4aYoUL7

Let me know in the comments if you were aware of the bowel screening programme?

If you know someone with symptoms or a strong family history just share this to keep them informed please 🙏

Tom

⚠️For guidance only. Please consult your own medical team for specific advice relevant to you.

18/02/2026

✨ National Quit Smoking Day ✨
This week’s edition of ‘The Wellness Prescription’ focuses on quitting smoking.

Today is just a date on the calendar. A reminder to quit smoking. But for many a little planning goes a long way.
Smoking is taking years off your life, affecting your quality of life , your general health and your skin.
Smoking isn’t a habit.
It’s a very challenging addiction.
And you deserve support and lots of it 💚🙏

Most people try several times before it sticks. That’s not failure. That’s progress.

Prevention is better than cure.
And today is a powerful day to start thinking about it again 💚

Comment QUIT for my free guide and links to free invaluable resources from experts who help to quit smoking every day. Tried and tested methods 🙌

No magic supplement. No influencer nonsense. These are evidence based trusted life saving methods to help you.

💬 Have you tried to quit smoking? What helped you most? Or are you the supporter on the sidelines? Let’s chat in the comments and tell me your experience.

If you want more evidence based expert health advice please follow and share this with a friend 🙏

I share important advice like this throughout the week. Follow me for more expert health and medicine advice.

Tom

⚠️For general advice only. Please consult your own doctor, pharmacist or the quit smoking experts in the HSE .

16/02/2026

⚠️Your blue inhaler for asthma management is probably all wrong.
New guidelines have been introduced backed by strong evidence based research.

💙If you are using more than 2 blue salbutamol inhalers per YEAR then that’s a clear sign you do not have an effective asthma plan in place. Your technique may also need some review. Please see your doctor asap.

🫁Asthma is not a bit of a wheeze. It’s not to be
underestimated. It’s a very significant chronic respiratory illness.
Sadly we lose at least one asthma patient per week in Ireland. That’s frightening 😱 Especially when over 90% of those deaths are preventable.

🙌Thankfully asthma can be managed very well with so many resources available in Ireland to educate and empower you. Knowledge is power. Know your triggers. Have your asthma plan in place and readily accessible in case of emergency

👉Comment ASTHMA and I’ll send you the contact details you need and some advice to get you started.

🙌PLEASE use the incredible FREE resource of the asthma society of Ireland and on their extensive website www.asthma.ie
Everything you need to know to manage your symptoms is there. FREE advice line and messaging service too with specialist nurses and physiotherapists.

💚My pharmacy door is always open. Pop into us for free personalised advice and help with your inhalers and asthma plan. We are medicine experts and can help you. We can refer you to those health professionals who can help you too.

If this advice about the blue inhaler is news to you let me know in the comments so I can help 🙏

Share this advice with someone you know uses their blue inhaler frequently 🙏

Tom

⚠️This is for educational purposes only. Please consult your own medical team for advice specific to you.

13/02/2026

From stone tablets to antibiotics and HRT💊📜
Same mission. Better evidence based advice 💚
Still explaining how to take your medication safely.

As a highly experienced community pharmacist and dad of 4 grown kids you can’t scare me 🤣
I’ve seen it all and have the answers to your questions way better than Dr Google or ChatGPT. Real advice based on YOUR needs.

If you’re new here I share lots of evidence based health and medicines advice throughout the week on my feed and in stories. Follow along and see what makes this community something special 🥰

Happy Friday to those who celebrate 🥳

Laughter is the best medicine 🤣💊

Tom

Pharmacy isn’t a situationship.It’s a steady commitment built on trust 💘💊❤️You don’t swipe left on your blood pressure m...
12/02/2026

Pharmacy isn’t a situationship.
It’s a steady commitment built on trust 💘💊

❤️You don’t swipe left on your blood pressure meds.
🩷You don’t ghost your inhaler.
❤️You don’t match with a new supplement every week because an influencer with a code said so 😅📱

❤️We build trust you and I.
🩷We work together as a team
❤️We review what works
🩷We don’t keep secrets and we talk.
❤️This helps me to keep you safe 🤗. Always

I’m not here for quick fixes.
I’m here for long term health, proper evidence based advice, and keeping you well for many years to come ❤️ With a side of humour too!

That’s my love language🥰

Did you know you can pop into me in the pharmacy if you’re nearby for any health or medicine advice? We don’t have to keep this online 😜🤣

Let me know in the comments if you were aware this is how you keep your pharmacist very happy 😊

Tom💚

12/02/2026

✨This week’s edition of my weekly series ‘The Wellness Prescription’ focuses on SLEEP 😴 💤
This evidence based series emphasises prevention being better than cure. With pharmacist approved ways you can improve your health.

No magic supplement. No influencer nonsense. These are evidence based trusted methods to get back to the best foundation of your health.

💤 Sleep is the best supplement you’ll ever take.
And it’s free. No fillers. No influencer code. No nonsense.
👉If you’re tired all the time, craving sugar,foggy headed,moody,aching,getting sick,not losing weight, not coping like you used to then lack of quality sleep is a prime suspect.
It’s probably not “low magnesium” because that’s what it said online 😱

🙌It’s usually lack of sleep👇

While you sleep, your body is literally repairing
your heart ❤️
your brain and mood🧠
your hormones ⚖️
your immune system 🛡️
your metabolism 🔥

Without good sleep your whole body suffers

Say NO to Alcohol “to relax” ❌
Late caffeine ❌
Supplements without medical advice ❌

Chronic lack of sleep can be caused by 👇
•Hormone Disturbances
•Anxiety
•Bladder issues
•Reflux
•Pain
These are medical issues that need to be addressed. Not masked over with supplements or endured.

“5 hours and I’m fine” is not a flex as I hear regularly in the pharmacy. It’s burnout in disguise and delaying early medical diagnosis.

Try this tonight 👇
✨ Same bedtime
✨ Earlier dinner
✨ Dark cool room
✨ Morning daylight
✨ Write worries down
Still wrecked after 3 months? No real change?
See your GP. That’s healthcare.

I have a NEW comprehensive FREE sleep guide available. Comment GUIDE and I’ll ping it over to you.

So save your money. Fix your sleep.
Then we’ll talk supplements 💊

Would you agree with this? Let’s chat in the comments and tell me your experience.

I share important advice like this throughout the week. Why not follow me for more? 🙏

Tom

⚠️Always consult your own doctor or pharmacist for individual advice. This is educational generalised content only.

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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