In March, Brampton-based pharmacist Aska Patel got an email from her employer asking if she’d volunteer to work in a hospital that was hit hard with Covid. Patel agreed, and in April, she was redeployed to the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie. Here’s how it all happened.
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As told to Andrea Yu
“I was born in India and immigrated to Brampton with my parents in 2000, when I was 12. In high school, I volunteered at a pharmacy to complete some of my community service hours. I watched how the pharmacists talked to patients about their health and I saw how much the patients valued their guidance. I decided this was the job for me. I now work for Home Community Care Support Services Central West in Brampton as a consultant pharmacist. It’s a really rewarding position because I get to consult with patients one-on-one to help optimize their medication therapy. I mediate between the community pharmacist, the family physician and any other specialists—I think of myself as a patient advocate.