Page 27 - RPA Magazine December 2020

Joshua Edye, ACT – Erindale Pharmacy What has been your biggest learning curve in working in retail pharmacy through the Covid-19 pandemic? One of the greatest challenges throughout the Covid-19 pandemic has been prescription and OTC medicine shortages. A major learning curve for me has been supply chain management, building relationships with suppliers and managing patient expectations. What are your top tips for getting through the silly season, particularly for those who may be alone during this time? As families are heading outdoors or to the coast during the summer holidays, community pharmacies are a great source of advice on sun protection suitable for all ages and skin types. For those spending the holiday season alone this year, your local pharmacy is an easily accessible first point of contact for both physical and mental healthcare needs. Tori McRae- Field, South Australia – Direct Chemist Outlet, Torrensville What has been your biggest learning curve in working in retail pharmacy through the Covid-19 pandemic? During the Covid-19 pandemic, my biggest learning curve has been adjusting the pharmacy and our procedures while still being able to service our community the best we can. Due to social distancing rules being put in place and only allowing a certain number of customers into the pharmacy, it has made the pharmacy feel extremely clinical and has changed the atmosphere completely. My team and I have worked/ are still working extremely hard to counteract this with the service we’re providing to our customers. What are your top tips for getting through the silly season, particularly for those who may be alone during this time? My top tips for getting through the silly season are, first and foremost that it’s so important to take a deep breath. We’re all enduring this crazy time and I feel we sometimes get so caught up in it all that we forget to take a moment to breathe. Secondly, I urge people who may be alone or feeling isolated to have a chat to someone. Whether that might be a friend, a team member at their local pharmacy, or their healthcare physician, there’s always going to be someone who’s ready to listen. Lastly, just remember that we’re all in the same boat this silly season, so be kind to others around you and keep smiling! I can guarantee there are many people feeling the same way you are, so kindness in the community and a smile go a long way and may just make someone else’s day. James Brown, NSW – Blaxland Day n Night Pharmacy What has been your biggest learning curve in working in retail pharmacy through the Covid-19 pandemic? Definitely learning how to manage a greater workload, with new systems for scripts and patients asking for information on items that may not have been as popular as before, as well as keeping up to date on the latest cases and developments surrounding Covid-19 – it’s an immense amount of information to take in and process. Adapting to the pressure that the pandemic has given us hasn’t been an easy task, but together we’ve readjusted our processes to continue to provide high quality care to our communities, and that’s why I love working in pharmacy. What are your top tips for getting through the silly season, particularly for those who may be alone during this time? Keep busy with things that you enjoy or find something new that you think is interesting and give it a go. Don’t be afraid to try or experience new things. There are so many spaces online that have people who share the same interests. Find something that you love and see if there’s a community online. It’s a great way to stay together even when we’re far away from each other, and you may make a couple of really great friends along the way. Jaclyn Jensen, Western Australia – Wizard Pharmacy Rossmoyne What has been your biggest learning curve in working in retail pharmacy through the Covid-19 pandemic? The biggest learning curve throughout the Covid-19 pandemic was adjusting our pharmacy to accommodate our community, ensuring everyone had access to the pharmacy by setting up a regular delivery service and over- the-phone card payments. We focused on the importance of supporting TO PAGE 26 PATY STATE/TERRITORY WINNERS 25 RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • DEC 2020