With COVID-19 wreaking havoc with the day-to-day operations of most businesses, it’s no surprise that pharmacies are facing those same pressures all while having to adapt to the current circumstances.

“No, never seen anything like this before,” said Ahmad Hassan, owner of the Uniprix pharmacy in Shawville.

Not only does it mean that pharmacies are dealing with an increase in workload, but they’re having to do it while respecting health guidelines.

One of the biggest adjustments for Hassan is the increase in demand for delivery service.

“We’ve always offered delivery all over the Pontiac,” said Hassan. “But now we have extended that, so as of next week we’re going to start delivering Monday to Saturday.”

Hassan said the increase in demand for medication deliveries has increased by at least 100 per cent.

The increase in deliveries meant that Hassan had to hire more drivers to get medication out the door to Pontiac residents.

When a customer orders medication, delivery drivers are taking efforts to make sure the exchange is as safe as possible.

Hassan said most people pay over the phone with credit cards, which allows the driver to simply leave the medication on the customer’s doorstep. For cash transactions, Hassan said drivers carry hand sanitizer and use before and after each transaction.

But the increase in deliveries means people are taking the advice of healthcare professionals seriously.

“The fact that we’re delivering more is a good sign that most people are listening,” Hassan said.

Hassan noted that one of the side effects of self-isolation is that many people who would have driven into the city to do their shopping must now stay local, which brings an uptick in traffic for local businesses.

“We’re getting a slight increase in business actually,” Hassan said.

That uptick in sales also means that the pharmacy’s staff must be extra vigilant when it comes to limiting their exposure to customers.

Hassan said staff are disinfecting high traffic surfaces as well as a conducting a deep clean at the end of every day. While employees are trying to keep their distance from one another, it’s not always easy given the size of their work area.

In order to ensure business runs smoothly, Hassan will be creating two independent shifts so that if a worker on one shift gets sick, there is still another shift of workers who would not have com into contact with the infected employee, allowing them to keep the doors open.

Like much of the healthcare industry, pharmacies are also facing a shortage of personal protective equipment for staff. But in the end, Hassan said he would rather see that equipment go to where it’s needed most.

“The supply is more important in the hospitals,” he said. “So, we really want the people that need it most to have it. If we’re going to be the last people to have it then we’ll be the last people to have it, which is fine and fair. We just want the doctors and nurses be protected. They’re more on the front line than us.”

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!