Page 42 - Retail Pharmacy Assistants - October 2020

40 PRE AND POSTNATAL FROM PAGE 39 Changes to appointments Pregnancy requires regular medical appointments as the nine months progress, to ensure the health of mum and baby. While some changes have been implemented during the pandemic in some hospitals (mainly public health), for the most part within private health appointments, the procedure is “pretty much as normal”, according to Dr Moffrey, albeit with increased precautionary measures. “There’s actually quite a big difference between a public patient and a private patient,” he said. “Public patients have actually gone quite a way from hospital appointments. They’re doing a lot of telehealth, but ... a lot of pregnancies \\\[are being referred back\\\] to the GPs for share care. Whereas in private health, we’re continuing pretty much as normal. “We’re doing a little bit of telehealth but I, especially personally, feel that the importance of getting a blood pressure check, listening to the baby’s heart ... outweighs the risk of Covid-19 at the moment. Especially with such small community transmission \\\[in some states and territories\\\].” Dr Jacobson added: “Most clinics have instituted CovidSafe changes: decreased face-to-face visits, extensive use of telehealth, virtual antenatal classes, limited or no visitors, Covid screening with questions about exposure risks, health, and temperature testing.” Implementing extra precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff is also the case at Dr Moffrey’s practice, in line with those mentioned by Dr Jacobson. “In terms of precautions, we’re social distancing – everyone in my practice has to wear a mask, myself and my staff and also the patients,” Dr Moffrey said. “As soon as \\\[patients\\\] walk in, they’re getting their temperature checked, we’re doing social distancing as much as possible. So, in my consulting room, they’re sitting more than two metres away from me. The only time I come within a close distance is for a short period of time to check the baby’s heartbeat. But the rest of the time I’m more than two metres from them, wearing a mask.” Extra planning is also important when it comes to safe delivery during this pandemic. Community Pharmacist and Master Herbalist Gerald Quigley says that while “precautions vary from state to state”, it’s important to be aware of the various requirements, as set out by the hospital, leading into the birth. “In Victoria at the moment, it’s absolutely essential that you’re kept aware of the requirements \\\[leading into the birth\\\] and ... when your pregnancy is almost up, you should have everything ready \\\[such as having a Covid-19 test before going to the hospital to give birth\\\],” he said. “And that’s just common sense, but more important than ever at the moment because you can’t ... if you go into a hospital not having had the Covid-19 test, you’ll be put into the Covid-19 ward and then you’re completely isolated from everyone else.” TO PAGE 42 RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • OCT 2020