Pharmacy U news

If you are anything like me, you are now getting to the point where you have a list of things that you'd like to change. And given that we are coming up on the New Year, you may have quite a list of things that you would put in the category of “New Year’s Resolutions.”

There’s an old saying: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Of course, a more optimistic version would be: If you make a good plan, you increase your chances of success! That concept is important to keep in mind, especially if you’re making plans for the year ahead.

When I left pharmacy school over 20 years ago, I thought I had attained all the knowledge I needed in order to care for patients. The one thing that all those years of studying didn’t teach me was that my patients were going to become my greatest teachers.

You’re at the pharmacy counter where you’ve just finished counselling Joan, a 65-year-old woman on her new medication for insomnia. You’ve checked all the boxes for a thorough patient encounter. You’ve updated her allergy status, checked pharmanet for her other medications, assessed drug interactions, and counselled her appropriately. But have you asked about non-prescription medications? In particular, have you asked about supplementation?

The playground of life can be a harsh teacher. The kids on the playground can be so blunt. As a result, we develop little pieces of supposed wisdom to help us through these turbulent times. Phrases like “sticks and stones may break my bones” or “I’m rubber and you’re glue.”

Vaccinating children is nothing new to pharmacies. Pharmacies have experience with flu shots, but the number of individuals looking for vaccinations against COVID-19 sees new patients, fears, and hesitancies.

Perhaps you've heard the expression before that experience is the best teacher? I know I have, and I would even suggest that I subscribe to it.

Pharmacy U returned to an in-person event on November 27, 2021 in Vancouver. The event was a joyous reunion for the hundreds of attendees. Against a backdrop of dramatic Atmospheric Rainfall events in British Columbia and the continuing presence of the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmacists and pharmacy leaders from across the country learned from some of Canada's pharmacy leaders. The strictest protocols were followed, every precaution was taken to allow this in-person event to take place. The next Pharmacy U Toronto has been scheduled for April 2, 2022 at the Toronto International Centre. Watch this space for more info!