Pharmacist dedication
February 5, 2013
THE floods that have hit Qld and
northern NSW have been
devastating to locals but amid the
damage pharmacists have shown
their community commitment.
In the Qld town of Gin Gin, Guild
member Tim Spargo has gone to
extraordinary lengths to maintain
access to important medicines for
both his regular customers and the
many displaced people taking
refuge in the town.
At his home in Bundaberg,
watching the flood water come
closer to his house and cut off from
his pharmacy in Gin Gin, Tim
received an urgent call from the Gin
Gin ambulance service: did anyone
have access to the pharmacy so
they could retrieve vital medicines?
With no other pharmacist in town,
Tim was airlifted by helicopter so
he could begin dispensing.
Over 700 scripts later and with
only one dispensary technician to
assist him, Tim was dispensing
scripts well into last night.
“There were people coming in
who had lost everything and police
bringing in scripts on behalf of
evacuees and displaced hospital
patients; I didn’t want to see people
going without,” he said.
Fielding calls as well as dispensing
scripts, Tim received an early call
from a Guild pharmacist offering
advice around emergency supply
regulations and any other support
he might need: “That support from
the Guild was fantastic; it’s great
knowing you guys are there.”
Pharmacists in flood or other
emergency areas are encouraged
to contact their Guild Branch for
any assistance.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 05 Feb 13To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 05 Feb 13
