“When I was young and I would see scary things in the news, I thought to myself, “Who’s helping them?” You will always find people who are helping others,” said Fred Rogers.
Mister Rogers was right. Not only do we need our neighbors, but we are living in a fearful time full of anxiety-provoking news. We need people to help each other more than ever today. Lives and livelihoods are at stake.
That’s one of the aspects about working in pharmacy that I am most proud of — it is a career that is a livelihood, but it is about lives and helping others.
I’d tell our valued employees, “We’re not delivering pizza or auto parts.” And no offense to those things. I love pizza, and auto parts are needed for everyone at times. What I wanted to get across to them was that medicine is serious business and that our patients’ lives are at stake. We can’t get it wrong. We can’t afford to make any mistake that will cost someone their health or their life.
“I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns. I will hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.”
These words are taken directly from the oath a pharmacist takes upon graduating and receiving the iconic white coat. Pharmacists are responsible for a patient’s prescriptions, but they are also entrusted with giving counsel and offering compassion.
In addition, pharmacists often end up in the role of advocate due to the fractured ecosystem of healthcare in our country. This was true before COVID-19, but it rings true now more than ever before in history.
We are currently at war with an invisible enemy. At Valor, the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering from the pharmaceutical oath hold even more meaning during the pandemic. At our pharmacy, it’s a constant and welcome reminder that we chose the name Valor because it means great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.
Although many people around the globe are out of work — and not by choice — during the pandemic, our roles as pharmacists continue on. Compounding medication is never optional. People still need their medicine, perhaps even more so than before. Our work must go on. We are proud to serve.
At Valor, we want to do more than serve in our roles as pharmacists. We want to step up to address this crisis, look bravely in the face of danger and take it one step further.
We hit the pause button at Valor to ask how can we help now? With a change in the FDA guidelines about how hand sanitizer can be made, we recognized an opportunity. Suddenly compounding pharmacies were given the legal right and ability to make hand sanitizer.
We quickly went to work securing the ingredients. Once the ingredients were sourced, we made almost 700 bottles of hand sanitizers to give to the front lines — to our comrades in arms at war. We came in on our day off to make hand sanitizer to donate to doctors, nurses, hospitals, health institutions and clinics that serve the uninsured.
As pharmacists our mission and oath is focused on the ability — indeed, the privilege — to help others. With COVID-19, the concept of help can take many different forms.
Your health has never been more important. Your health is our business. We are Valor.
Valor Compounding Pharmacy recently made and donated nearly 700 bottles of hand sanitizer to doctors, nurses, & community clinics who are on the front lines battling COVID-19.
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