Members of the Southlake pharmacy department include, front row from left: Brenda Anderson, Patti Ferguson and Laura Koenigsberger. Middle row: Bryan Pick (left) and Denise Tunney. Rear: Leo Liu.
Health
January 29, 2008 03:45 PM
beingwell magazine Winter 2008
Your pharmacist isn’t only the friendly face behind the counter at your community
pharmacy; it can also be the pharmacist who contributes to your care if you stay in the
hospital or visit one of its clinics.
At Southlake Regional Health Centre, the pharmacy department is comprised of more than 50 employees, pharmacists and technicians. Technicians distribute prescribed doses throughout the hospital, packaged in the necessary format and prepare products used in the operating rooms, neonatal intensive care and so on. Pharmacists monitor your drug therapy for effects — both good and perhaps not so good — and make any needed adjustments, while interacting with the rest of your health care team to work toward the best medication treatments for you.
Pharmacy Tips
A pharmacist has both a specialized university degree and licence to practise issued by the provincial College of Pharmacists. Having a licence means the pharmacist has agreed to
follow a professional code of practice and ethics. The pharmacist is your medication expert and is also one of your most accessible health care professionals in the community.
Always ask your pharmacist for the answers to your drug-related questions. By understanding your medication, you will be able to take it properly and identify any problems that may occur. Each year, many people miss work, end up in the hospital or even die because they do not take their medication properly. The costs of not taking your medication well are extremely high, both to Canada’s health care system and to you as a taxpayer.
Canadian pharmacists prevent and solve millions of prescription and non-prescription medication problems every year. As the medication experts, their training allows them to identify drug-related problems that other professionals may not detect. This improves the health of Canadians and is estimated to save the health care system hundreds of millions of
dollars in communities and hospitals every year.
In the community, choose a pharmacist who best meets your health care needs and always visit the same pharmacy. The better the pharmacist knows you, the better care he can provide for you and your specific health needs.
Your pharmacist can also help you manage such conditions as asthma, diabetes, high blood
pressure and other diseases and provide information on herbal remedies. She will help you pick cold medicine, pain relievers, vitamins, sunscreens, anti-smoking aids and home glucose monitoring devices.
Yours in health,
Your Pharmacy Department Team at Southlake Regional Health Centre
Questions to ask your pharmacist
• Why am I taking this medication?
• How do I take it?
• How will I know if it is working for me?
• When will I feel better?
• What side effects may occur? What do I do?
• What do I do if I miss a dose? (Never assume taking two doses the next time is safe!)
• Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
• Will I feel drowsy on this medicine?
• Can I take this if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
• I am taking three other medications. Can I take this one, too?
• Is there a less expensive medication I could use?
• Please teach me how to use this inhaler properly.
• Is there a container available that is easier to open?
• What can I take for this cough? (Always tell the pharmacist what prescription drugs you are also taking.)