How Chesterfield pharmacy staff are going 'above and beyond' to help people during coronavirus crisis

Pete Johal, the owner and superintendent pharmacist at Calow Pharmacy, has arranged a tag team approach in which staff are separated into two smaller parties who work on alternate weeks.

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He leads the first team while his pharmacist wife, Sukhi Johal, is in charge of the second group.

The teams are isolated from each other outside of work time – with Pete staying at home one week and in a hotel the next. Sukhi uses a vice versa approach.

The husband and wife duo look after their two sons when it is their week to be at home, drastically reducing the likelihood of infection spread after having isolated in a hotel for a week.

Deliveries at Calow Pharmacy are now made without any close contact and personal protective equipment (PPE) is used at all times.

The shop on Church Lane has also limited the number of patients and customers to two at any one time and people must keep a distance of six feet from each other.

A thorough clean is completed at least once every hour and points of contact, such as door handles, are thoroughly santitised.

The pharmacy has also suspended cash payments and PPE is worn when having to handle money.

In addition, the pharmacy has now installed a protective screen around its counter and introduced video consultations

Christopher Dane Baker, who used to work at the pharmacy and keeps in regular contact with staff, contacted the Derbyshire Times about their efforts.

He said: “The pharmacy is now the true frontline of healthcare in the community as the GP’s doors are closed.

“The patients are treated as if they are family at Calow Pharmacy and there is a true sense of community and solidarity – this is what motivates the team more than anything to keep services running.

“They are truly going above and beyond for the residents of Calow with their nationally unique plan in these unprecedented times and I believe that the whole team at Calow Pharmacy should be commended for stepping up to the plate despite the dangers they face.”

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