BARRHEAD - In light of COVID-19, Alberta pharmacists are taking precautions to ensure residents get the medications they need.
Rita Lyster, a long-time Barrhead resident and a pharmacist for 40 years, as well as a former pharmacy owner (Rita’s Apothocary), has been working as a relief clinical pharmacist since selling her pharmacy in 2016.
One of the pharmacies she regularly fills in at is Pidsadowski’s IDA Pharmacy in Westlock.
“I had shifts booked last week and we decided that instead of me going and risk getting exposed to COVID-19, I would remain on standby,” she said. “We don’t know how this is going to unfold and how many pharmacists are going to get sick.”
Lyster wasn’t just talking about COVID-19, but colds and flu as well, noting there are only a limited pool of pharmacists to draw on and if multiple pharmacists have to go into self-isolation, it could pose difficulty not only for the pharmacy but the public.
That is why the Alberta College of Pharmacy is (ACP) reaching out to recently retired pharmacists.
“Our college has sent out notices to all pharmacists that have retired in the last three years and are making it easier for them if they want to re-license,” she said.
“There has been a lot of work done in the background to ensure that we have a pharmacy workforce to provide essential services. We are also seeing what we can do to license our current graduating class without delay as they face challenges with writing national exams, some of which are being delayed.”
The ACP website said the action is in response to the Alberta Health Emergency Centre which has asked “regulated health professions to facilitate the return of retired or otherwise nonpracticing members to practice.”
The Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (APA) has also waived its membership fee for returning pharmacists who are applying for emergency registration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lyster, who is on the APA’s board, said the organization is attempting to protect its members by providing them with information on best practices, as well as providing other supports, including advocating for PPE (personal protective equipment) to help reduce the strain of an increased workload.
Another concern professional organizations are monitoring, she said, is the supply of pharmaceuticals.
Lyster added that many of the prescription medication Canadians receive are made in plants in China and India, and as a result, there could be a disruption in the supply chain.
“Think about it, if India shuts down for any length of time, it will have tremendous impact on our supply chain. We (Canadian pharmacists) have had to clamp down now and are only giving a 30 day supply,” she said, noting there has been some “push back” by customers.
“We need customers to understand and to think globally, not just of their own particular perspective, and know that pharmacists are doing their very best to continue to effectively manage their health given our new reality.”
On March 23, the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) issued a statement calling pharmacists to limit the amount of medications given to patients to 30-day supplies.
“In the last few weeks, pharmacists have seen a tremendous surge in demand for medical supplies and medications as a result of the evolving and ongoing COVID-19 crisis. As a result, it has become necessary for pharmacies to carefully manage their medication inventories to protect against the real risk of shortages during this critical period. This is a temporary but necessary measure. By appropriately managing inventory today, we are reducing the risk that a patient will not be able to access their medications tomorrow and into the future,” it states.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
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