NEIGHBOURING pharmacies in northern NSW are working together to support their communities, as floods restrict access to supplies.
Murwillumbah pharmacy owner, Skye Swift - who hitched a ride to work last Mon on the jetski of former Surfing World Champion Mick Fanning - told Pharmacy Daily it was essential that stores work together during times of crisis.
"It has been a nightmare, we have not had an order [come in] for a week, and we have been the only pharmacy open for three days," she said on Fri.
"But the beautiful thing is that our neighbouring pharmacies, their pharmacy assistants have been able to open the pharmacy to lend us their stock, so the camaraderie there is beautiful.
"The community pharmacy network is essential, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has contacted us to see how they can help, the Symbion warehouse has been in contact, they can't drive stock out to Murwillumbah, so I've said to them, 'leave it at a Tweed Heads pharmacy'.
"I just went to Blooms [the Chemist] there, and the guy there rang me and said 'your stock's here', he's been wonderful."
Swift said that coming on the back of severe floods in 2017, the community's strength was being tested.
"It's heartbreaking... they've recovered [from the last floods] and they've lost everything again," she said.
"[But] I see resilient people, we've had one and a half hour waits on prescriptions, [and] we've not had one disgruntled customers, they've been beautiful.
Swift added that it had been professionally rewarding to be able to support the community during the latest crisis.
"We're a small independent pharmacy, so I think something that is important to note the fact that we go above and beyond every time," she said.
"For me it's been absolutely beautiful being there, because people are panicked, because they've lost their medications, many of them essential.
"They can't get on to their doctors, their pharmacies may be shut, and I just feel privileged to be able to be there and just reassuring them, and as soon as I say to them, 'it's okay, I'm going to look after you', they just start to cry, because they're not used to being looked after like that."
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