By Glenn Hicks

Hospital Foundation launches pill packaging system campaign

Oct 3, 2017 | 11:15 AM

The Victoria Hospital pharmacy is struggling with its obsolete medicine dispensing system, but the community can play a major role in changing that.

The Victoria Hospital Foundation’s 12th annual Give A Little Life Day – Dispensing Good Medicine Radiothon, has been launched. The campaign this year is to raise funds for an automated pill packaging system.

“Our staff are trying to keep up with the increasing demand,” Sherry Buckler, the executive director of the foundation said. “We want to stay current and have the newest technology because it’s safer and faster and can handle a larger volume.”

Currently the team of pharmacists is manually preparing the medications for the hospital and 13 other care facilities in the region.

“I’m sure you can imagine how difficult and tedious that can be,” Buckler said. “So an automated system is going to eliminate any possible risk of human error as well as increase dramatically the volume they can do.”

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Ultimately that means pharmacists having more face-to-face time with patients and doctors.

“Pharmacists are very skilled individuals and they have a lot of value to bring to a patient’s therapy,” she said. “So the more they can be in front of the patient and speaking with the doctor the better it’s going to be for that patient.”

The Foundation’s 12th annual Give A Little Day – Bringing Good Medicine Radiothon, will take place Friday, Dec. 1 in collaboration with all three local radio stations with the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group: CKBI, XFM and Power 99 FM.

With the new equipment carrying a price tag of up to $400,000, Buckler said she wants to start generating energy and momentum now and is asking the community to think about their fundraising planning.

“Often people will hold third party events, or barbecues or dress down days at work to start raising money to bring to the radiothon. It’s important for the community to understand how important this new equipment is,” she said.

Glenn.Hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow