A QUICK-THINKING Irish pharmacist is shining a light on the role of the profession after saving a man's life with an EpiPen last month.
Tanya Knox, administered the adrenaline when a man presented at the pharmacy with a severe rash, facial swelling and was complaining that his throat was tightening.
Having seen the condition the patient was in, Knox grabbed an EpiPen and brought him into a consultation room away where she injected an initial dose of adrenaline while a colleague called the emergency services.
Speaking to local newspaper, the Tipperary Star, Knox said the experience showed the important role pharmacists can play in primary care.
"Having received my qualifications in 2012, I was proud to have earned the title of pharmacist knowing it meant something profound in the community," she said.
"As a pharmacist I wanted to make a difference and help others.
"By administering the appropriate medical care to this passer-by, I made a vital, lifesaving intervention.
"The patient's life was saved within two minutes - he would not have made it to hospital [without the shot of adrenaline]."
Knox also noted that Irish pharmacy was facing similar workforce challenges to the profession in Australia, with many graduates pursuing careers in other sectors, reducing numbers across the country.
"A lot of pharmacists are choosing other career paths," she said.
"And if things don't change fewer pharmacists means fewer pharmacies, which means that man many have died."
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