A big thank you to the pharmacy team during COVID-19

In normal times, pharmacists and pharmacy technical assistants play a vital role in improving the health of their communities by preparing, checking and overseeing the medicine prescribed to patients. They also provide counsel about any side effects from medication and ensure the proper administration of complex medical treatments. In Eeyou Istchee, because of our distance from major urban centers, their presence is crucial to keep our people safe.  

But during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, our pharmacists and pharmacy technical assistants have found themselves in the midst of an unforeseeable health care crisis and have had to take on very demanding extra responsibilities and work extremely hard to ensure the continuing safety of patients while we navigated through uncharted Covid-19 dangers. Their knowledge, ingenuity and deep commitment to the Cree people of Eeyou Istchee are still helping us daily to avoid unwanted situations, including shortages of medications.  The pandemic also brought major changes in the safe handling of medication.

The pharmacies and the CMC’s had to implement delivery systems and pick-up services to avoid having people coming to the clinics for anything other than emergencies. The pharmacists also increased the stocks of critical Covid-19 medications in case the CBHSSJB had to manage Covid-19 emergencies in Eeyou Istchee. In addition, they planned and supervised the installation of physical barriers (such as plexiglass windows) in the pharmacies to minimize the contact with the patients.