Promoting the role of the pharmacist one anecdote at a time

Drum roll . . . It's Marie-Michèle Ghazal, a young pharmacist, in the job market for barely five years and who works in a Uniprix in Saint-Rémi, in Montérégie. The identity of this mysterious pharmacist is no secret to her colleagues or to many pharmacists. However, the young woman wishes to remain anonymous with Internet users generally. “I want to illustrate the daily life of the pharmacist and I want Mr. and Mrs. Everybody to be able to think of their own family pharmacist while reading the stories. What I am saying is the reality of all pharmacists. If I had been named, I would be afraid that people would say: ah, this pharmacist thinks like that…,” says Ghazal, who also works a few hours each week in a family medicine clinic. Frustration with the public's lack of understanding of the role of pharmacists prompted her to create the page. Ghazal has made it her mission to demystify this still too little known role. “Since entering the workforce, I've realized the majority of patients don't know what I'm doing for them. It's frustrating to want to help someone who doesn't want my help—not because he doesn't want to be helped, but because he doesn't understand what I can do for him, ” she explains. An image pharmacists seem stuck with The image of the pharmacist dispensing pills is difficult to change with the public, she notes, despite major changes in the practice of this health professional in recent years. “In the old days, the pharmacist had this role because he had much less power. Today, the profession has evolved so much. But, people still don't see us as a service provider ”. However, Law 31 and Law 41 gave many powers to Quebec's pharmacists, including the power to prescribe drugs for certain conditions. These powers are still little known to customers, despite the efforts of the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec to spread the word. According to Ghazal, her colleagues must use these new powers for patients to really understand their value. "We have to use this to make people understand that we are not pill dispensers, but health experts." 2200 shares on Facebook One post at a time, she wants to change how pharmacists are perceived—and there's no better way than sharing anecdotes about her daily life, she feels. “I started by telling about some unusual things that happened to me. It was more sensationalistic. But, over time, I found that more mundane posts worked better. Pharmacists and the general public identify more with these posts. I'm glad I found a formula that works. " Indeed, several posts in recent weeks have been shared and seen comments hundreds of times. In early October, a post about burnout and pressure on professionals generated as many as 2,200 shares and 170 comments. Her Facebook page now has just over 2,300 followers and 1,100 on Instagram. Impatient customers Even if her blog is anonymous, Marie-Michèle Ghazal is making a name for herself in her profession. The young woman was featured in a comic book about professional COVID-19 vaccines, which has been relayed several times on social networks. In addition, last spring, she published an open letter in the Journal de Montreal asking customers to be patient when they come to the pharmacy. "I'm sure since COVID-19 it's worse! People are less patient, they are tired, there is more depression and it reflects on us. We try to maintain our energy, but it really is more draining. People are almost mean to us. The main reason behind this is the misunderstanding of our role. " And that's why the pharmacist works every day to change the public's perception. This article originally appeared in French on Profession Santé.

Promoting the role of the pharmacist one anecdote at a time

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