A fresh face has taken up residence in a longstanding community business just outside your door! After many years working as a pharmacist in Regina, then overseeing multiple pharmacies in the province, SueEllen Frankowski is proud to be a pharmacist and the new regional pharmacy manager at Pioneer Co-op Pharmacy.
Now living in Swift Current with her family, she notes that the welcome has been amazing.
“We really enjoy the community. Everyone has been so welcoming. I'm really excited about working here and being back in the dispensary and providing clinical care to our patients and our customers. Just getting kind of that one-on-one facetime with patients again has been really nice.”
Frankowski’s predecessor is Mike Davis, who is retiring after 30+ years.
“He did an amazing job growing the business and developing a wonderful team,” Frankowski shares. “There is a great culture within the team, and that’s due to Mike’s leadership. He’s been super helpful in the transition. He stops in to say hi and see how things are going, and is able to provide support. He’s still working for us, casually, part-time and filling in, so the staff appreciate that, I appreciate that, and I know our patients do, too.”
Over the years services have expanded greatly at Pioneer Co-op Pharmacy and across the province. These include authority to perform vaccinations and injections, authorize prescription extensions and emergency supplies of certain medications and prescribe for minor ailments.
“The pharmacist's scope of practice has increased substantially over the years that I’ve been practicing,” Frankowski muses. “More recently within Saskatchewan, certain pharmacists have been able to prescribe for pharyngitis, which is strep throat, and acute otitis media, which is ear infections. So that’s a service that we’ve been offering and piloting at our store.”
Uncommon at many pharmacies, Pioneer Co-op Pharmacy has a rapid Strep test machine to assist in diagnosing a possible strep infection. “There is the assessment piece to determine if a test is needed or if there are any red flags that need to be assessed by a physician. If we do run the test, we are able to get the results within minutes, a much shorter wait time than going to the lab.”
Closing the gap between busy medical professionals and the communities they serve, pharmacists are making access to medical assistance just a little easier for the average Canadian.
“We've seen a lot of positive feedback,” Frankowski observes. “If you're not able to see your doctor for refills, we're able to provide those refills in emergency situations which we utilize a lot, especially in smaller communities in rural Saskatchewan, because we know it's challenging to get in to see your family doctor.”
Common ailments that the Pioneer Co-op pharmacy team are able to prescribe for include acne, eye infections, ear infections, strep throat, urinary tract infections, oral contraception or birth control, diaper rash, cold sores, shingles and more. They also administer and/or prescribe vaccinations for flu, travel, COVID-19, shingles, pneumonia, and RSV.
“We will review your vaccine history with you and make recommendations on what you need to get them up to date. We will discuss what we can do at the pharmacy and then refer what we don't do in-pharmacy or what's covered publicly to the public health office here.”
Beyond pharmaceuticals, Pioneer Co-op Pharmacy offers compression stockings and fittings, mobility aids including scooters and walkers, and assisted living products. The Pioneer Co-op Pharmacy also boasts an equity program- talk to your pharmacist to see if you qualify.
Appointment bookings can be made online. Please note that strep throat and ear infection testing appointments must be made over the phone- call (306) 778-8821.
Find Pioneer Co-op Pharmacy in Swift Current’s Wheatland Mall, or learn more on their website.
