NOVEMBER 2018 – Some 120 people gathered in Charlottetown in October to celebrate a pillar in pharmacy—and in their communities. Pharmacist/owner Ray Murphy was lauded for his exemplary service to his profession and his community in a ceremony celebrating his 2018 Pillar of Pharmacy Award from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.
Not only was the event attended by many community stakeholders and supporters—including keynote speaker and PEI’s Health Minister, the Honourable Robert Mitchel—but Murphy offered tickets to any of his staff who had been with his pharmacies for at least 10 years.
In his acceptance speech, Murphy made a case for expanding the role of pharmacists as a necessity for the future. “Pharmacists can play a much larger role in making [health care] better. Adverse drug reactions have been estimated to account for up to 2/3 of drug-related hospital admission and emergency room visits,” he told the audience. “The structure of our healthcare system going forward must be such that the individuals trained in the healthcare field are able to use their skills and expertise to make a positive difference.”
Given its size, Ray pointed to PEI as an ideal province to lead by example in health education, chronic disease management and disease prevention—and to provide innovation that could inspire the rest of the country.
“More than four in five Canadians say allowing pharmacists to do more for patients will improve health outcome and reduce healthcare costs,” he told the audience. “Let’s give Canadians what they want and what they deserve.”
Murphy established Murphy’s Pharmacies in 1981 and today there are 13 locations across the province—as well as walk-in clinics, a home healthcare store and travel medicine clinic.
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