Pharmacy Awareness Month event at Sutherland Campus is a success
The Pharmacy Awareness Month celebration at Sutherland Campus on Tuesday, March 14th was a success!
Pharmacy Awareness Month is celebrated every March to educate Canadians about the profession, and provide information on what healthcare services and advice pharmacists and technicians can offer. For their Field Prep course project, Fleming Pharmacy Technician students partnered with community healthcare professionals and/or Fleming students in related disciplines to deliver a unique, complimentary service to the Peterborough community.
“We had the best turn out ever with many people who came to the campus specifically for a service being offered,” said Pharmacy Technician program coordinator Amanda Mushynski. “I expect that it will only get bigger and better each year. It really demonstrated how Fleming College values inter-professional collaboration and education.”
For the Pharmacy Awareness Month event, students and community volunteer professionals delivered free education and services on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Therapeutic Touch Therapy, Heart Health, Mastectomy and Bra Fittings, Breast Self-Exams, Massage Therapy, Indigenous Medicine and Healing, Holistic Nutrition, Yoga, Nutrition, and more.
The Heart Health display was hard to miss in the Sutherland Campus main foyer, with a fun photo booth, cookies, and the opportunity to check your blood pressure. “The project was definitely a lot of work!” said Pharmacy Technician student Camryn Walker. “It takes time to do a display like this, but we wanted a photo booth to draw people in and get attention.”
Donny Watson, Paramedic with Peterborough County/City Paramedics, volunteered his time to partner with the Heart Health group.
“It’s good to promote health within the college-level, as that’s where you can start spreading healthy lifestyles amongst the younger generation,” said Donny. “Taking blood pressure is an easy risk-factor to assess. Some people don’t know they have high blood pressure and it’s just a matter of taking it. It can start as early as your early 20s.”
Marleen Jenkins also volunteered her time to help share information with the public. Marleen is a certified bra fitter and wig fitter at My Left Breast.
“There’s not a lot of information out there for women looking for this,” said Marleen, who does bra fittings, lumpectomy and mastectomy bra fittings, and wig fittings. “This also goes beyond just a bra fitting. One client came in and talked to me for three days before she could be fitted after her diagnosis. After the three days, she was ready to do the fitting. The unfortunate thing I’ve seen is the young age of the women who are coming in.”
Pharmacy Technician student Amber Nicholls worked with Marleen for the My Left Breast display. Through the project, Amber was surprised to learn how many women are not wearing the right bra for them. “It’s surprising how many people don’t wear the right bra size. They’re uncomfy, spilling out… I’m surprised,” she said. “It’s a matter of awareness. And awareness that you don’t have to struggle alone for mastectomy bras and wig fittings, and services.”
The Pharmacy Awareness Month event not only helped provide health information to the public, but it also helped Pharmacy Technician students develop their project management skills.
Pharmacy Technician student Robyn Peterson, who worked with Moksha Yoga on the Yoga & Mindfulness display, said the experience has been rewarding. “Through this project, I’ve learned how to approach people to participate, I’ve improved my organizational skills, and I’ve learned that there’s so many people in the healthcare community who want to share information with others,” she said.