An open letter to the citizens of Orillia from the Couchiching Pharmacists’ Network
In recent months, the world has faced an unparalleled global pandemic that is rapidly evolving. All front-line health-care workers, including community pharmacists and their staff, are doing everything they can in order to ensure your health and safety during the COVID-19 crisis. Here are a few tips you can follow in order to keep yourself and your pharmacy staff safe.
Stay Home, Save Lives
Do not go to the pharmacy if you are sick.
Unnecessarily exposing pharmacy staff members will lower their ability to continue to care for you and others. If you require a prescription, ask your doctor to verbally phone in or fax it to your pharmacist ahead of time.
Please call your pharmacist if you have medication-related questions or if you are seeking health advice for management of mild symptoms. If you are experiencing respiratory symptoms such as cough, and fever, seek medical advice and call public health in advance.
If you are concerned about COVID-19, you may take the online self-assessment tool: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/#q0.
Help to Flatten The Curve
Slowing the spread of transmission is critical to preventing a surge of infections. Staying home, social distancing, self-isolation and quarantining are all ways to prevent overwhelming our healthcare system and protect frontline healthcare providers.
Even if you are well, avoid or limit trips to the pharmacy. Please call ahead or email your pharmacist with your medication needs. Arrange for a friend, neighbor or family member to pick up your prescriptions. Many pharmacies also offer delivery services for medications and supplies.
Be mindful of your physical environment and behaviours
Respect social distancing policies in the pharmacy.
If you absolutely must go to the pharmacy, avoid unnecessary touching of surfaces and products on the shelves. Use a sleeve to open door handles. Avoid handling money and consider paying with credit card or debit card tap.
Avoid touching pharmacy counters. Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before entering and after leaving the pharmacy. For the time being, please avoid returning items to the pharmacy, such as full sharps containers, empty prescription bottles, or expired medications.
Many pharmacies have installed signs and physical barriers. Some have enforced limits to the number of customers in the stores.
Whether you are talking to pharmacy staff at the counter or in the aisles, maintain a safe distance of at least two metres apart from others. Please respect any safety measures put into place by pharmacies to keep their staff safe and healthy.
Protect the drug supply. Prevent drug shortages
Do not stockpile medications. The Ministry of Health has recommended that pharmacists dispense no more than a 30-day supply of medications to protect against the risk of drug shortages during this crisis.
Your community pharmacist understands this may be a difficult adjustment for some patients, but this temporary change is necessary to ensure that chronic medications are available to those who need them.
Be kind to others
Community pharmacists are working tirelessly on the frontlines of this crisis to continue providing the essential service of meeting patients’ health and medication needs.
Your pharmacy staff is under immense stress and heavy workload, and they put their health on the line every day by coming to work. Please be kind. Please be patient. Please be polite. Please be understanding.
Providing medications and health-care is an essential service provided by your local pharmacist.
Patient health has always been a priority, and will continue to be a priority for pharmacists, despite the challenges they face.
During these unprecedented times, please consider how you can keep your pharmacist and their staff safe and healthy so that they can continue to provide quality care to you and your families.
Wash your hands thoroughly and often, and stay home to protect those working on the frontlines.
