Pharmacy team

Ron Welch, Matthew Fehr, Brian Thiessen, Paula Searle, Anita Kupka, Chelsie Hurd, Ellen Curran, Hebatallah Fathallah, Jenelle Northcott

During a significant staffing shortage at Bonnyville Health Centre, the St. Mary’s Hospital Pharmacy team provided remote coverage every Thursday and Friday from May to September 2025. The St. Mary’s Hospital Pharmacy team engaged a second-year pharmacy student working in Bonnyville to help complete best possible medication history and medication reconciliations by empowering the student to interview patients and families.

The St. Mary’s Hospital Pharmacy team communicated with the Bonnyville pharmacy team, physicians and nurses to ensure patients in Bonnyville received timely medication therapy safely and efficiently. They communicated with prescribers and nurses through Connect Care chat to ensure all shared information was accurate and so they could communicate directly with each other. This situation led the rural pharmacy team to demonstrate that even during a staffing crisis, there are ways to provide optimal care to our patients no matter where they are.

The St. Mary’s Hospital Pharmacy team directly supported the Bonnyville pharmacy team despite being short a full 1.0 full time equivalent pharmacist. This allowed the remaining pharmacists at the Bonnyville Health Centre to work within their means without compromising their patients’ or their own wellbeing.