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District 5 - RhEA Everatt
I was born and raised in Nelson, moved to Kamloops where I obtained my first degree from TRU in 2002 and graduated from the UBC Pharmacy program in 2008. Upon graduating from UBC I moved to one of the most northern communities in BC, Fort Nelson and then Dawson Creek before I had my first child. I have been the Associate/Owner of the Shoppers Drug Mart in Quesnel since 2012. I have worked in small Northern communities since graduating and know the unique barriers that are faced in working in these more isolated communities. I have become very familiar with the barriers that can affect patient care in Northern BC and work closely with the health care community and my patients to improve patient outcomes. The bonds forged with patients are very important to providing the best patient focused care and the trust that the patients instill in their pharmacist can help improve both mental and physical wellness.
I believe that in order to improve patient care we need to work towards being a fully integrated wellness team that encompasses all professions of healthcare, government, associations and colleges. By focusing on just one or two professions to carry the workload has put a huge strain on the healthcare system which has impacted patient care. Bringing access to lab work, modernizing PODSA Bylaws and granting pharmacists prescribing rights will help improve patient access to their healthcare team and allow patients more freedom in their healthcare decisions. As pharmacists we are the most accessible and often the most trusted healthcare profession for our patients but our hands remained tied to being able to provide our full knowledge and ability to patients, it is time for us to put our patients first and allow them access to what pharmacists are fully capable of. Improving patient outcomes and wellness should always be our number one focus as healthcare professionals.