Pharmacy Daily | Out of the fire and into the floods

FLOODS across NSW are disrupting pharmacy services, with staff and stores being impacted by the once in 100-years event.

Storms over the last week have seen pharmacies cut off from supply lines and employees for the second time in 15 months, with areas scorched by bushfires little more than a year ago now inundated.

Capital Chemist Braidwood co-owner, Bente Hart, told Pharmacy Daily that she has been flooded at home since Sat, unable to get to the store, which had been among the first affected by the NSW bushfires in Nov 2019 (PD 09 Dec 2019).

Hart who also works at the local hospital and aged care facility in the Southern Tablelands, said the floods had forced her to reschedule a Home Medicines Review (HMR) with one patient, while she had also had to cancel a Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) training session she had been due to host in Goulburn last night.

"Having lived out here for years you get used to these things," she said.

"[But] we've seen flooding like this before."

With the weather clearing across the state today, and flood water levels receding significantly overnight, Hart said she was optimistic that she will be able to return to work at the hospital tomorrow.

However, Hart noted that a nearby bridge was still inundated, and would need to be cleared and assessed for damage.

Meanwhile, pharmacy owner, John Chahoud, whose TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacy is located in South West Rocks, on the NSW Mid-North Coast has been cut-off from surrounding towns by the floods.

A spokesperson from TerryWhite told Pharmacy Daily that Chahoud had been working closely with local police and SES crews to maintain medicines supplies to patients in the area.

"His pharmacy is on call and has opened at various hours of the night to supply crucial medications at their request," the spokesperson said.

Chahoud has also been working with authorities to get dose administration aids, which were packed offsite in Port Macquarie, to the area, while as the town's sole pharmacist he has been asked to visit elderly patients who have been isolated from their carers due to the floods.