AT ITS Parliamentary Dinner last night, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia bestowed Life Memberships upon those who had been members for 50 years.
Victorian pharmacist Geoff Kirschner (pictured) was one of those recognised on the night.
Kirschner's daughter Jenny, the founder of Pharmacy Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation (PALS), proudly told Pharmacy Daily that Geoff has always championed members of the community who may otherwise have fallen through the cracks.
"My father has always shown me that being a pharmacist is not about transaction but about supporting and helping others, and helping to build community," Jenny said.
"This really influenced and inspired my work with PALS."
Jenny recalled some of the people Geoff has helped over the years, going above and beyond in his role as a pharmacist.
"There is a particular patient who comes to mind, who has only one leg, is confined to a wheelchair and lives alone.
"She often calls my father's pharmacy on Saturdays, just before closing time, to ask for a delivery from my dad.
"When he arrives at her house, she encourages him to come in while she sorts out the scripts that she needs to give him.
"She has also asked for assistance with things like changing a light bulb, which my dad will do, and he has also helped her go through her fridge a few times to sort things out," Jenny said.
She also mentioned Geoff's willingness to help people on the opioid replacement program who are struggling in other areas of life, such as covering the costs of food, accommodation and bills.
"Financial pressure is a risk factor for loneliness, and my dad has been known to lend patients money to help them out in that situation - without expecting it to be repaid," she said.
"Examples like this are my dad witnessing critical social determinants of health, which include loneliness and social isolation, and leaning in to address these as part of his role as a pharmacist."
In acknowledging Geoff's achievement, Guild Executive Director Gerard Benedet told him, "Your interactions with patients have ensured that the pharmacy profession is held in extremely high regard.
"Congratulations on a well-deserved honour," he concluded. KB
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