聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Owners of local pharmacies have said they felt a downward spin on February 15 when the Sunrise Health Region announced proposed changes to where some homecare patients were to get their medications.
But when the announcement of the proposed changes was not met with positive reaction, the Health Region cancelled the changes effective February 25.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Sunrise Health Region's decision that people who get homecare anywhere in the region needed to get all their medications at one pharmacy, more than likely at Yorkton, would directly affect Preeceville, Canora, Kamsack, Norquay, Langenburg, Esterhazy, Melville, Ituna, Theodore, Foam Lake and of course Yorkton, said Shannon Nelson, manager of Paul鈥檚 Drugs in Preeceville.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 "Sunrise apparently didn't feel the need to even let any of us know about this change that would affect us and our patients," Nelson said. "They put the homecare clients/medications up for tender without almost any of us knowing.
鈥淚f the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan hadn't sent us a fax, we would not have even known this was going on,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o now that we found out we went into the tender and read requirements of this proposal. These requirements are ridiculous and out of reach by most. They say the patient鈥檚 safety is a priority but clearly that is not the case if all medications are going to be moved to one pharmacy.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sunrise Health Region planned to take all the prescriptions from the small towns and again give them to Yorkton, she said. 鈥淲e deliver prescriptions to many homecare patients when they need them. We know each patient not by number but personally and we care, as well as do a great job of blister packing their medications in an affordable way.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Paul's Drugs has been provided quality and professional service to the area for 79 years. It was established by Ed Paul in 1938. The store is a family-owned and operated business.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 "We recognized the need for a standardized process in medication distribution for our homecare clients,鈥� said Krista Boychuk, communications consultant for the Sunrise Health Region. 鈥淥nly the small percentage of clients who require assistance in medication management, not those clients who are able to manage medications individually and with the pharmacies of their choice, were affected.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t is a safety project that will allow us to help ensure patient safety and consistent processes for all our clients," she said.
