Attention to detail

Welcome to Care Close to Home – written by the people who are at the heart of Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH). This ‘inside view’ is designed to help our communities get to know the WDMH team – in their own words. This month, we hear from Cindy Kerkhof – a member of the Pharmacy team.

I was born at WDMH and have lived in Winchester all my life. I have worked as a Pharmacy Technician in the community for last 31 years, with the last nine at WDMH.

I have a passion for WDMH and our patients. I love helping people and making a positive difference in someone’s life.  I include this philosophy in all my pharmaceutical tasks right down to smiling to the patients and making them feel special and appreciated. My main goal when I start each and every day is patient safety. In fact, in January, I received my designation from the Ontario College of Pharmacists as a Registered Pharmacy Technician after two years of study.

As a Registered Pharmacy Technician, my days are busy and fast paced. The tasks include filling prescriptions for the patients. This is not a task that I take lightly.  There are a number of checks to consider: Do I have the correct patient? Are there any allergies? Are there any interactions? Is this the correct dose? Do I have the correct drug? Is the patient on similar therapy?  I work closely with our pharmacists to ensure accuracy and timeliness for everything we dispense. Medication safety is key in all my daily functions.

The same attention to detail goes into preparing chemotherapy and the safe management of cytotoxic drugs.  I also make other medications such as intravenous mixtures, syringes, and eye drops. 

Over the years, I have taught many students. This is one of my favorite tasks. I teach them to take pride in their profession and tell them to make every product as if they were making it for a loved one. 

As a professional at WDMH, I am grateful to help each and every patient and hope to make a difference in their lives.  It gives me the opportunity to provide care that is important to me.

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