After helping a woman who had been stung by a bee almost fatally, a community pharmacist has been praised as a life-saving hero.
After being stung on the scalp, Moira resident Joan Johnston saw the initial symptoms of an allergic reaction: intense stinging and redness that soon spread to her neck and ears.
Her doctor urged her to go to her neighbourhood drugstore, where Stephen Joyce promptly gave her an injection of adrenaline and a potentially life-saving antihistamine while she waited for an ambulance to arrive.
Community Pharmacy NI is bringing attention to the importance of neighborhood pharmacy teams during Ask Your Pharmacist Week.
Ms. Johnston is supporting Ask Your Pharmacist Week to increase awareness of the clinical knowledge and healthcare advice that is available and has applauded the prompt action and professionalism of the Moira pharmacy staff.
This year, the campaign’s focus is on the pharmacy team and the wide range of skills that community pharmacists, technicians, dispensary assistants, and delivery drivers have to offer.
According to Ms. Johnston, her care was “nothing other than life-saving.”
“I was attended to promptly upon arriving at the pharmacy on the recommendation of my general practitioner. Stephen was called and promptly assumed responsibility for the situation. I was given an antihistamine very away, but I felt dizzy and faint very soon after. The pharmacy staff helped me get into a chair and called for help. I was brought to the floor and had my feet raised to raise my blood pressure when I started to feel out of breath, lightheaded, and started to lose consciousness.”
