“At work, I have been spat on, splattered with hot coffee, had death threats, and called every horrible insult you can think of. In my line of work, I cannot take these things personally. My patients lead a hard life, and on the street that is how things are dealt with.”
Greg Becotte is a pharmacist at the Pier Health Resource Center in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). The DTES is a neighbourhood notorious for high rates of poverty, mental illness, crime, and infectious disease. Pier Health’s team ensures access to healthcare services for the neighbourhood and provides outreach treatment to the 1500 sheltered and homeless residents and the 3500 residents who live in local hotels.
Though his work can be emotionally draining, Greg knows he’s making a difference in Vancouver’s struggle against public health issues like opioid addiction and overdose. He provides tools like naloxone, the temporary antidote to opioid overdose, and even saved a woman’s life administering naloxone while on the job.
The Pharmacists Support series is issued by the School of Pharmacy for #PAM2017. It runs every Tuesday and Thursday in March.