Posted by “I came to the IWK in 1993 for a three-month term and am still here 28 years later,” Anne Landry says.
Landry is a pharmacy practice assistant (PPA) in the IWK Pharmacy. One of the things Landry loves most about her job is the variety of it, which includes preparing medication for patients, filling prescriptions in the dispensary and receiving drug orders when they arrive, delivering medications to Pyxis stations (ward medication stocks) and tracking outdated medications in the machine, which are replaced each day.
“I prepare chemo doses, compounded solutions, suspensions, and topical preparations for pediatric patients which are not readily available on the market,” Landry says.
Landry is most passionate about working in the sterile room, preparing IV medications, epidurals, patient controlled analgesics (PCAs), eyedrops, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) She prepares the unit dose bins for patients, which contain all the medications they will need in a 24-hour period, and is also a checker in unit doses (everything in pharmacy has a double check).
“I have seen many changes over the years, all of which were made for patient safety,” Landry says. “We are using a lot of closed systems in our laminar flow hoods when preparing sterile meds, which is another step we have taken to avoid contamination.”
Landry is very proud of the work techs and PPAs do at the IWK and feels they are a valued part of the pharmacy team. As much as Landry loves her job at the IWK, she is also looking forward to the next phase of her life, which is retirement.
“I will truly miss my colleagues and the hallways of the IWK. I will miss the smiles of the patients and their families, as they are discharged so happy to be going home and truly grateful for the care they received during their stay,” Landry says. “We are very lucky to have such a special hospital for women and children and I am extremely proud to say I work at the IWK.”