With September dedicated to the pharmacy profession, staff at the Heidelberg Hospital pharmacy recently gave back to the community.
The pharmacy dedicated the week of September 11 to 15 to educational outreaches and putting smiles on the little faces of the patients in the paediatric ward.
This year’s theme of Pharmacy Month is ‘Pharmacy United in Promoting Healthcare for Patients’. It includes the public health benefits of adverse drug reaction reporting, immunisation and antimicrobial stewardship.
At the start of the week, the hospital’s patients in the outpatient department received an informative presentation on the correct use of antibiotics and the dos and don’ts while taking their treatment.“At Heidelberg Hospital, we encourage our patients to speak to their healthcare providers if they have questions or uncertainties about the correct use of antibiotics,” said Michelle Fish of the pharmacy.
They held various educational outreaches on Tuesday.
The pharmacy staff visited a few clinics in the community and provided educational speeches on the expanded program on immunisation in children.
The World Health Organisation, with the goal that every child has access to life-saving vaccinations, established the programme in 1974.
According to Fish, this is an important topic in the healthcare world as these vaccinations prevent life-threatening illnesses such as polio and measles.
Wednesday was a fun-filled day where the pharmacy staff played an educational game with the healthcare workers in the wards. The day’s events included a friendly competition with fun prizes up for grabs.
“We gave a presentation on the importance of reporting adverse drug reactions to our clinicians on Thursday,” Fish said.
“It is important to report any reaction you might experience while using any medication. Friday was the jewel of the week!” Fish said in conclusion.
“We had a heartwarming day, gifting toys to the children in the paediatric ward.
“The members of the surrounding communities and pharmacy staff donated the toys. To quote L. Frank Baum – ‘In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child.’ “The week was a success and the staff of the Heidelberg Hospital Pharmacy are looking forward to next year’s activities,” she said.
