Pharmacy alumni in Simcoe area talk pandemic and community practice
There are a number of Roulston’s Pharmacy locations under the I.D.A. banner throughout southwestern Ontario. Each provides different services and caters to unique patient populations. Alumni at these locations share some reflections on serving their communities during COVID:
Allison Tario (Rx2014) adapting to the changes in the community environment
“This pandemic has turned my job description on its head! I now am working exclusively at one location in Port Dover, where before I would move between locations for various needs in dispensing and clinical services. We are providing care for patients as safely as we can and have now had plexiglass installed and have personal protective equipment (PPE).
This location has been undergoing renovations for the last year, which have still continued as well. Nothing in pharmacy school trains you to be a pharmacist during a pandemic, alongside someone jackhammering!
Despite delivery and curbside options, many vulnerable patients just want to come to the pharmacy as they always have, so we’re trying to re-frame expectations for our small community — less socializing in the pharmacy these days. We are busier than ever but working hard to ensure we still keep ourselves and our patients safe.
Allison and the team she works with. The pharmacy has split employees into two teams that do not overlap to avoid unnecessary contact. In Allison’s words: “these pharmacist assistants and technicians are keeping this ship afloat!”
David Lopes (Rx2015) and Sid Nandi (Rx2018) using technology to meet increased demand and physical distancing requirements
“We’ve certainly all shifted gears at Roulston’s I.D.A. Pharmacy in Simcoe, Norfolk County. This large retail pharmacy store is operating as a high-volume dispensary offering delivery service and curbside pickup for their patients. In our two-month closure to public access, these were our only options to access our many services and prescriptions.
This new approach has fast-tracked advances in tech-focused services via online ordering and texting platforms. The team has embraced the opportunity to improve delivery services and added more phone lines. We have strengthened rapport with local physicians and healthcare practitioners by providing clinical support to our community and filling health-care gaps.”
David, Ashley Gubbels-Smith, and Sid inside the pharmacy.
Ashley Gubbels-Smith (Rx2011) managing a compounding department
“My role as a clinical pharmacist and manager of the compounding department at Roulston’s has changed tremendously since COVID-19. The location I now exclusively work at was closed to the public for 2 months — clinical services have been cut back to only essential needs.
As a result, I have been doing some patient care by phone and some emergency home visits (in full PPE gear, once we had it). Long-term Care clinical reviews are now done remotely.
Our compounding department typically had three pharmacists and three technicians, but it is now down to one of each because all hands are needed on deck in the dispensaries. After lots of formula testing, we developed a compounded hand sanitizer that has been helpful in our stores, for the public and is in high demand for many local businesses. With pharmacists being so highly accessible (even when we were behind closed doors!), I find that I am often helping bridge gaps in care to provide health advice by phone or by contacting local physicians on behalf of our patients. I'm also helping out in the dispensary as much as possible because our volume has more than doubled.”
Ashley in the compounding area of the pharmacy.
Peter Rempel and Paul Stefan supporting Long Term Care medication access and front-of-store needs
Read more about Peter and Paul’s experiences in this article.
