Pharmacies help on the front line
Twice as many people as before the outbreak of the coronavirus count on the help of pharmacies. They are currently making a huge effort to maintain basic medical care and relieve the burden on general practitioners and hospitals. The pharmacy teams are helping to anchor the FOPH's rules of conduct in the population, educate them about medication stocks and, with home delivery services or pick-up trays, minimize exposure times. Pharmacy teams also take protective measures to protect those most at risk.
Many things stand still, the Pharmacies remain open: The approximately 1,800 pharmacies in Switzerland with their more than 22,000 employees currently ensure basic medical care. The credo is: We do not leave the population in the lurch! The pharmacy teams make a central contribution to ensuring that chronically ill and elderly people can continue to be well cared for even in times of the corona pandemic. The rest of the population also uses the pharmacy much more than usual as a first point of contact for health-related questions during these special times.
Great commitment from pharmacy teams
Currently, pharmacy teams are working overtime to be there for customers. For example, pharmacy employees delegate their childcare to their partners whenever possible so that they can work on-site at the pharmacy. The pharmacy community is also strongly in favor of allowing pharmacists who are undergoing further training to become "specialist pharmacists in medicinal pharmacy" to temporarily work in pharmacies on their own responsibility. For the time being, there is no green light for this. pharmaSuisse calls on the federal government to find a courageous solution so that the population can continue to be well cared for.
Protective measures for pharmacy customers
The focus is on protecting the population that is particularly at risk. In many pharmacies, extra protective walls made of Plexiglas are set up to reduce the risk of infection among the population. Some pharmacies offer other services such as a Home delivery service or pick-up trays outside the pharmacy, which are also available outside opening hours. Pharmacy students are getting involved and have started a solidarity campaign: Since there are currently no lectures, they are setting up a delivery service to help out.
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