National Bug Busting Day will take place 31 January 2015 We see thefrustrationand in some cases down right despair of family members who are trying to rid their family and themselves of these little parasites. I have seen people driven to tears in not being able to rid their household successfully of head lice or their eggs. Worst of all is when a child is finally clear of "lice" and then catch them back through a close contact with someone who is still carrying head lice. We in local pharmacy settings stand ready to support and advise parents , grandparents and children what can be done to help eradicate this horrible scourge. There are numerous treatment options depending on age and whether someone hassensitivityto a particular ingredient. We can help guide you to the most helpful treatment in each case. "Head lice have been with us since at least Egyptian times so we are going to have to try harder and act smarter if we want to eradicate them," says Sanjay Doegar, a pharmacist in Ruislip, Middlesex. National Bug Busting Day will take place 31 January 2015, the intention being to raise awareness about head lice and to stop the spread all together.Schools across the UK take part in 'Bug Busting Day' in a bid to prevent head lice circulating endlessly and we can help.Head lice is a very important concern in pharmacy, parents can come to us for both treatment and for advice and support too. There are many myths around head lice that can cause embarrassment to some customers . See our 'Head Lice Facts' below to make sure you are in the know. Head Lice Facts It is estimated that up to half a million children catch head lice each year.Head lice are small insects that can vary in size and colour.They cannot jump, hop or fly and are passed on by head to head contact.Head lice are unlikely to be passed on through towels, combs and chair backs.Head lice are not fussy and will set up home in a warm head of hair be it clean or dirty.The majority of their time is spent on or near the scalp as they feed on it by suckling blood.The female louse can lay up to eight eggs every night, gluing them to the base of an individual hair.Young louse are called nymphs.The egg shells which are left after hatching are known as nits.The nymphs will be mature and be capable of breeding within 10 days.