Michael J Mills, PharmD
Regional Director of Clinical Performance, Health Mart Atlas | McKesson
Who would have thought one year ago this month that this is where we would be as family, community, country, and as a world? COVID-19 has truly changed how we shop, work, interact, travel, live and sometimes just survive. There is not one person that COVID-19 hasn’t affected. This virus has unfortunately touched all of us and for some it has caused complete devastation and loss. We are a people in need of healing.
While almost all aspects in the world as we know them have changed, there is one that has remained constant, the pharmacist. The pharmacist and their teams are in the front lines of healthcare every day. Pharmacists are consistently ranked as the most trusted health care professionals in the industry and that is not by mistake. They are there every day to triage, diagnose, counsel, care, and heal their patients. They provide medicine to the sick, give clinical care, work as a liaison between the physician and the patient, provide screenings and tests, vaccinations, and many others. The pharmacist and their technician teams are the last line of defense in patient care and are an essential part of the health care team. They GET IT DONE!
Ask any pharmacist the first reason they went to pharmacy school and I guarantee the answer is to help people, improve patient’s lives, or something along those lines. With this year and COVID-19 that rallying cry hasn’t changed. Our pharmacy teams were excited and driven to elevate their ability, practice at the top of their license and provide the best care for the communities they serve against this deadly virus. And to no surprise, pharmacists and their staff have risen to the challenge COVID-19 put in front of them. Pharmacists are getting it done! They have gone through extensive credentialing and training. They have changed their workflow, staffing and business models so that they can help immunize and keep their communities safe. Pharmacists and their teams do this while still performing the daily needs of a pharmacy. They monitor, counsel, and dispense medications for patients. As a pharmacist myself, I couldn’t be prouder of the profession of pharmacy and my colleagues out there every day, GETTING IT DONE!
Here are a few pharmacy teams getting it done that I have been honored to work with through CPESN and McKesson.
Aaron Dunlap and Team from Klinger’s Pharmacy
Denise Conway and Team from Conways Eastside Pharmacy and Danville Pharmacy
