Pharmacist Lunch and Learn Draws a Crowd

Kelli McRobert | Jul 26, 2023

Last Friday (luly 23) over 100 people attended a lunch and learn session at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church, hosted by the Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) and Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT).

Attendees were eager to find out what the PharmaChoice in Sydenham had to offer to supplement their health care options in the region. Bhavin Patel gave a detailed presentation that kept the audience informed and encouraged about health care in the area.

According to recent reports from the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP)(Feb 9, 2023), more than 2.2 million Ontario are without a family doctor a large increase from the past year of 1.8 million. Locally, we continue to hear about the slow decline of our health care system, and how family doctors are struggling to recruit replacements for retiring doctors, some that are staying longer than usual due to local demands and patient loads. Many are looking into creative hiring incentives to lure new doctors to the area, and yet still being met with a lack of interest by qualified candidates.

One suggested solution by the OCFP policy paper was to “enable family doctors to take on more patients, and to see them faster, by hiring healthcare team members who can provide family doctors with the support they need to free up more time for patients. Right now, 75 per cent of family doctors and their patients in Ontario do not have access to this kind of team support.”

Pharmacists are now becoming an integral part of these teams offering prescription dispensing services for a variety of common ailments. As of January 1, 2023, pharmacists have taken on additional roles to helped reduce the burden on a currently over-taxed system.

During the learning session, participants were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the various ailments that pharmacies can now prescribe medications for such as:

hay fever (allergic rhinitis), oral thrush (candidal stomatitis), pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic, and viral), dermatitis (atopic, eczema, allergic and contact), menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD))

hemorrhoids, cold sores (herpes labialis), impetigo, insect bites and hives, tick bites (post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease), sprains and strains (musculoskeletal) and urinary tract infections (UTIs)

As health care continues to evolve with virtual doctors, the hope is that more responsibilities can be delegated to pharmacists, and RPNs and that they will be adding the following conditions: Acne (mild), Canker Sores, Diaper Dermatitis, Yeast Infection, Pinworms & Thread Worms, and Nausea & Vomiting in Pregnancy

Bhavin Patel recommends meeting with your pharmacist in a one-on-one discussion about your medication/health conditions/lifestyle etc, so they can help increase your knowledge about medications, contraindications, and any concerns you may currently have.

As guests munched on yummy BBQ burgers and sausages, they were able to meet and chat with Bhavin and his family and get a better understanding of how integral a pharmacist can be to your current health care team.