Why this pharmacist started an educational video series

In many provinces, much of the public may remain unaware of recently expanded services pharmacists can offer. In British Columbia, pharmacists are allowed to prescribe for 21 common conditions like pink eye and shingles.Enter Steven Hopp, the owner of Rutland Medical Pharmacy in Kelowna, B.C. Hopp felt like there wasn’t enough awareness surrounding all that he and his fellow pharmacists can do for patients, so he teamed up with Kelowna Now, a local newspaper, to create a video series all about what pharmacists can do beyond dispensing medicine. “Beyond the Counter,” Hopp’s video series, is designed to “raise awareness for the public, which is good for the public, good for the profession and good for our healthcare system,” he says, adding that he saw the opportunity to be an advocate for his business, but also all pharmacists. Hopp says that he was first put in touch with Kelowna Now after running advertisements for his pharmacy on their website. After deciding to cut back on the number of ads due to cost, Hopp asked the team at Kelowna Now if there were other opportunities to spread the word. That’s when they came up with the idea for a monthly series detailing the ways that pharmacy practice extends beyond the counter. The series began with a video covering what Hopp says is “one of the most important topics for the profession and for the public”: the fact that pharmacists in B.C. have been able to prescribe for minor ailments and contraception since 2022. He says he knows people will wait for hours at hospitals, walk-in clinics and other healthcare environments to be seen, while he and other pharmacists can also assess patients, often with little to no wait. But not many seek out those specific services. “It seemed like the best topic to open the series with and that will hopefully help the most people.” Earlier this year, Hopp won the Murray Dykeman Mentorship Award at the annual B.C. Pharmacists Association Awards, and education is at the heart of his practice. This extends to the video series, which he hopes will be a valuable awareness-raising tool. He really wants B.C. patients to know that there are so many things that pharmacists can do for them, which will hopefully divert some of the demand away from overburdened hospitals and doctors’ offices. “Pharmacists really are frontline healthcare professionals, and should be considered go-to,” Hopp says. “By doing these videos, maybe we can train more people to look to their pharmacists for things they might not traditionally.”Hopp also hopes that by training the public to refer to pharmacists more, the government might also see how valuable the profession is and, in turn, divert more budget and continue to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice. In the future, Hopp wants to continue creating videos with the goal of teaching the public about health, the healthcare system and where pharmacists fit into the whole puzzle. Up next, Hopp is planning on making a video about the current measles outbreak in Canada and the importance of measles vaccinations—a timely and pressing issue that he hopes will be valuable to the public.For Hopp, it’s all about serving people and teaching them to use all the resources they have. “People are what we need to be focussed on in this profession, whether it’s your teams or clients that come in, if you are people-first, you can do amazing things,” Hopp says.

Why this pharmacist started an educational video series

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics

Business Topic