Not often the talk of the town, community pharmacies have been an essential access point for healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic.

They have risen to the challenge of staying open throughout the year, with staff working under pressure to support the community.

Pharmacist Gurinder Singh remembers the exact moment when he realised the seriousness of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“On March 6 last year, it was still difficult to understand what was happening. I think, even in healthcare, we never thought it would be what it is today," he says.

“But only a few weeks after that on March 26, we received the news of a pharmacist friend who I went to university with passed away.

"She was in her early 30s, the same age as myself, and that was a few days after her father passed away.”

It was then that the dad of two started to look for health insurance, for the first time in his life, in case something could happen to him or his wife.

The worried thoughts did not stop him from going to work, however. Gurinder works in both education, as a lecturer at the University of Reading, and as a pharmacist at Ridge Green Medical Centre in West Swindon, he also works at Boots in the Brunel on Sundays.

“The workload for both sectors has been hugely affected by the pandemic and both roles have been busier than ever," he tells the Adver. "It’s not just that it’s become busier, but we had to change the way we actually work and the way we were trained to work.”

In a sense, there is a small positive to come out of the pandemic, virtual consultations allowed the teams to support more people than they would've been able to before.

“People used to struggle to get appointments because they’re working, and it’s been made much easier for them to do these online consultations.

“I think the only time we change, and we learn is when we go through a difficult period."

One of the key takeaways, he says, is to incorporate these learnings into daily life moving forward.

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly helped pharmacies built stronger relationships with the community, he says.

“Community pharmacies are on people’s doorstep, but they have often been overlooked. 

"I think during the pandemic we have got a much bigger voice now. And people appreciate the role community pharmacist did during this time.”

Some pharmacists have delivered medication and stayed open later.

“People actually realised how we can help, and how much knowledge we have,” says Gurinder, who's been a pharmacist for 10 years. Still, the pandemic has allowed him to learn more skills. 

“It has given me so many opportunities. I’ve been able to learn from so many people I would never have met.”