How is it in your pharmacy? Is your workload still so much higher than ‘before’? Do you have members of staff off sick, in self-isolation or shielding? Do you now have the PPE that you need - or is that still a worry?

Pharmacy teams have been dealing with all these challenges for many weeks now – with pharmacies open to the public, including bank holidays, and very much at the frontline. I’m sure it’s been a long-haul for everyone, with plenty of ‘lows’.

The team may have settled, to some extent, into a new pattern of working, and it will have taken some effort and teamwork to get there.

The 'new normal'

Is this ‘new normal’ all soon to change? Messaging about the relaxation of lockdown may be pretty confusing, but when the public do start to venture out on the high street with more confidence, they will be back in pharmacies – asking for advice on common ailments they’ve been worrying about for weeks, picking up prescriptions, and asking about their medicines.

Workload may rise again, yet a tired community pharmacy workforce will be there - as always - to help and advise. Pharmacy teams will need to be resilient to keep going into this next phase and to manage the risks. Will the public be willing to wear masks and continue to socially distance? Will people with Covid-19 symptoms be prepared to download an app and self-isolate if they need to?

A lot has been learning during this pandemic, and pharmacies have adapted and put new ideas into place, quickly and effectively. Undoubtedly, this will be the same post-pandemic peak, as well.

Get in touch

Please do keep in touch with the Pharmacist team to tell us about the work that you’re doing. We would love to share that with others.

Congratulations to all for what you’ve been achieving in community pharmacy in the past weeks. It is impressive, indeed.