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INDUSTRY EDUCATION
LIVING IN THE NEW NORMAL
TBy Colm Maguire, Group Executive, Member Services and Innovation Group, Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
he easing of many restrictions designed to limit the
spread of COVID-19 will
soon bring a resumption of
social and business activities across the country. But it won’t be business as normal because the ‘normal’ we were accustomed to no longer exists. We’re entering a new pharmacy world and, as pharmacy assistants, you have a pivotal role to play in helping to establish this new model and making sure it works.
Your pharmacy probably looks different. Personal protective equipment is now going to be as much a part
of your uniform as a name badge. Protective screens at counters that minimise human contact are increasingly here to stay for many businesses.
This may all seem alien to you and your colleagues, but working together means making it work. In fact, during this transition period, there may be some good opportunities for you to put forward constructive ideas, as almost invariably you have more direct contact with your pharmacy’s patients than many other staff members.
I often say to my team that one of
the most important words you can
use, and often the hardest to say,
is ‘help’. You may also see some of your colleagues struggling with the new models of operation and it’s important that you support them and help them through this period.
There’s no shame in anyone admitting they’re struggling, but there’s shame if no one is there to support and help them. No doubt you have fantastic personal relationships with your colleagues, and the ability to support each other is a symptom of a fantastic culture.
If you notice someone struggling, don’t wait for them to ask for help. Reach out. If you don’t have the answers, try to find them from someone else or workshop your thoughts on what could be the best approach. We’ve all seen major issues or challenges confronted throughout 2020 so far, and while we can review with a degree of perspective, working together to confront and help has been one of the most positive things to witness.
Above all, make sure your workmates and community know they’re not alone.
We’re all confronting this new normal and it’s hard, but we’ll get through
it, that’s certain. Keep an eye out for someone who may not look like they’re lost, but who may be hesitant to ask
for help.
Importantly, all these principles
also apply to you. If you find yourself struggling, go to a teammate and discuss the issues. Speak with the pharmacy manager. As I said, these people are your colleagues and will want to make sure you’re OK and that you’re comfortable with what you’re doing – for your wellbeing and that of the pharmacy and its patients.
It won’t be only your colleagues who may find it all a bit strange. Your patients must also adjust, and it may be a good idea to treat them as teammates, in that they also need help.
For some patients, it may be their first visit to the pharmacy in many months and they’ll encounter a business that’s almost strange to them. As a frontline pharmacy health professional, you may be the first person they encounter,
and they’ll rely on you to help them. You also have to recognise that patient behaviour will have changed.
With COVID-19 having dominated our lives for much of this year, patients will be very aware of germs, viruses
and how infections are spread.
This will affect their interactions with you, and vice versa. They’ll look to you for examples of best practice, because, after all, you’re working in a pharmacy where people come for help and advice about things like viruses and germs.
They’ll be hesitant about close contact, but also want you to explain medicine label information. They’ll want to maintain social distance, but also show you the bump on their arm that’s worrying them. Each pharmacy will have its own protocols for dealing
with these situations, so it’s important you follow these to help patients and your business through the changes. Patients may even offer some constructive suggestions of their own. Listen to them and act on them, as our shared aim is to be able to return to a situation of some normality.
Underlying the success of the future operations of your pharmacy, and
the improved health of your patients, is the broad concept of teamwork and helping one another. Famed US businessman Andrew Carnegie got
it right when he said: “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision ... It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • JUL 2020