(Newswire.net — February 18, 2021) — Every March, the Canadian pharmacy community is highlighted during Pharmacy Awareness Month. Local pharmacists are recognized by their governing body, the Canadian Pharmacists Association. The Association provides networking and educational opportunities to pharmacists throughout Canada, as well as helping to license them for their work in the community.
This March, the focus is shifting from “awareness” to “appreciation.” The Canadian pharmacy has come to take up a vital role in the treatment and mitigation of COVID-19, along with the rollout of much-needed vaccines.
Pharmacists have taken on a larger role in the Canadian healthcare system since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in early 2020. Exploring everything that pharmacists have done to support local health and wellness among the Canadian population makes it clear that the local pharmacist should receive their moment in the sun.
Andrew Hanna, a licensed compounding pharmacist and owner of Cotton Mill Pharmacy, explains how Canadian pharmacists have stepped up to fill a vacancy in the healthcare system and showed their worth to small and large communities across the country.
Vital Functions of the Canadian Pharmacy
Across Canada, pharmacies fulfill a unique need in community health. There are 42,000 pharmacists in Canada, working in 11,000 community pharmacies. In urban and suburban areas like Toronto, over 63 percent of the local population lives within walking distance of a local pharmacy. 90 percent of the population lives within a 5-kilometre driving radius. Pharmacies are the Canadian population’s most accessible and reliable source of healthcare services.
Canadian pharmacists have unique importance in rural and underserved areas. For many rural residents, it is difficult to access traditional healthcare services due to geographic distance. When patients can rely on their hometown pharmacists for help and information, they feel less isolated and can deal with minor healthcare issues as they arise.
One of the most important functions of today’s Canadian pharmacist is medication management services. Pharmacists can coordinate all of a client’s medications, from prescription to over-the-counter drugs, and let them know about any conflicts or drug interactions that could occur along with any side effects that they may experience. Pharmacists also consult with doctors when arranging medications for their valued clients.
The Increasing Importance of Pharmacies
Pharmacies became even more important during the early months of the COVID pandemic when many people were worried about their continuing health and safety. Pharmacies consulted with their clients on symptoms and appropriate over-the-counter medications, filled prescriptions, and administered flu shots to thousands of people. Local residents came to trust their pharmacists as their most accessible source of healthcare information.
Pharmacies also became important sources of personal protective equipment (PPE) and personal care products like hand sanitizer. These items were somewhat difficult to find in the early months of the pandemic, but pharmacists worked tirelessly to keep them in stock and protect members of their community.
Pharmacists’ Role in the COVID Vaccine Effort
During this year’s Pharmacy Appreciation Month, it goes without saying that pharmacists should be honoured for their increasingly important role in distributing the COVID vaccine. Residents often prefer to receive their vaccinations from their local pharmacist rather than travelling further to see their primary healthcare provider. It may also be much easier to get an appointment at a pharmacy than at a doctor’s office or mass vaccination site.
89 percent of pharmacies administer vaccines on a routine basis, and most are equipped to deal with the demands of administering refrigerated and frozen vaccines. Pharmacists already have the necessary infrastructure that they need to administer the COVID vaccine, and they will become even more important to the vaccination effort as vaccines become more widely available to the public.
How Andrew Hanna Increased Access to Pharmacy Services
Hanna has put a new system into place in his own business, Cotton Mill Pharmacy. It is called the Patient First Virtual Care Program. Since many people such as the elderly are restricted to their homes during the COVID pandemic, the ability to have a live video chat with a qualified pharmacist is vitally important. Patients can ask healthcare-related questions and check on the status of their prescriptions. Sometimes a client needs to ask questions that they would not feel comfortable bringing to their physician whom they only see a few times a year.
Appreciating Local Pharmacists
Pharmacists like Andrew Hanna are an increasingly important part of the Canadian healthcare system. These professionals should be appreciated every day, and it is fitting that the entire month of March is set apart to honour them. Sometimes the vital work of the pharmacist is overlooked by the general public, but they should be recognized as frontline healthcare providers along with doctors, nurses, and clinic staff.
Canadian residents are encouraged to express their appreciation to their local pharmacists, letting these vital healthcare providers know that they are valued. Andrew Hanna and his fellow community pharmacists appreciate all of the feedback that they receive from their valued clients. Today’s pharmacists are ready to rise to the challenges of providing healthcare in a post-COVID world.