The three pharmacies in Tréguier, as in all the others located on the national territory (20,000), have been facing, with force and rigor, for almost two years the current health crisis and this despite growing fatigue of the teams.
Indeed, in addition to the classic activity, pharmacies must manage the new missions entrusted to them by the government, to face the pandemic.
Time-consuming activities in the three pharmacies
However, in the Tréguier establishments, the situation seems to be more or less disparate depending on the number of staff or the competence of the staff.
A pharmacist testifies: “With a reduced workforce, we are on the verge of psychological and physical breakdown. In addition, we are overwhelmed by a large number of phone calls and time consuming activity. “
Same story in the other pharmacies : “All day long, the phone does not stop ringing. It becomes exhausting with force, but we hold our own. “
“These difficulties in recruiting or being replaced by a licensed pharmacist have meant that some of my colleagues and I have not taken a vacation for two years”, explains a pharmacy manager.
And adds: “When, in addition, we take an additional activity, it’s hard. Plus the guards, that’s a lot. “
Rush on Covid screening tests, supervision of self-tests, vaccinations (against Covid and flu), accompanied by all the paperwork … This accumulation of mission creates an overload of work in these different establishments.
If the supply of self-tests is complicated, it is still sufficient to meet demand, even if one of the pharmacies is already out of stock.
“We are taken more for simple traders”
However, this crisis has shown that the pharmacy network is solid, responsive and efficient with the population.
“Before the crisis, we had an image of simple traders. Since then, we have become real recognized health professionals, points to one of the pharmacists. We responded to the new missions, for which we were not trained and acquired new skills. ” Before concluding : “We will certainly have to exercise other missions in the future, given the medical desertification. “
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