2020 ANNUAL REPORT
STORIES
18
PHARMACY AND GENERAL PRACTICE CLOSER TOGETHER With the swift arrival of COVID-19 in New Zealand, the Canterbury health system benefited from existing relationships between Pegasus general practices and pharmacies, and the response has brought them even closer together. The elements of trust, openness and clear communication mean general practices and pharmacies work well together. Cantabrians are all too familiar with crises, so
Photo: The Eastern Pharmacy team works closely with Eastcare Health from left: Diane, Sarah, Suzanne, Lisa, Jacinta, Simon, Jacqui and Stevie.
our emergency response was well-tested. The COVID-19 experience built on the earlier earthquake response. Problems were ironed out quickly. For example, where a
The instant messaging system between general practice
general practice had an oversupply of Personal Protection
and pharmacists, Jitsi, worked well between Eastcare Health
Equipment (PPE), and their local pharmacies had a low
and Eastern Pharmacy, ensuring positive outcomes for
every pharmacy and find out what the challenges were.”
supply, stock was handed over with ease.
patients, as problems and queries were solved quickly.
This intelligence was then fed to the Canterbury Primary
“We have a strong collegial relationship with Eastern
“It is our goal to make things easier and better for patients,”
Response Group (CPRG).
Pharmacy, Aranui,” says Marie Burke, a doctor at Eastcare
says pharmacist at Eastern Pharmacy Aranui, Simon
At a local level, this meant mapping out a matrix of
Health General Practice. “I have worked with the pharmacy
Church. “We are grateful that Eastcare Health gave us some
for more than seven years, and always have positive
of their hand sanitiser and PPE, and we were able to supply
experiences with them.”
‘flu jabs to the general practice when they had a shortage.”
“We already had the structures and systems in place,” says Canterbury Community Pharmacy Group (CCPG) General Manager, Aarti Patel. “As a result, it was easy for us to ring
vulnerable and high-risk pharmacies and making sure CCPG was communicating with them.
Dr Burke says the strong existing relationship meant it was easy to ask for and offer help.
