March 2020 was one I will likely never forget. Living in a University town, March means spring break—the university and the local schools are on break one week in March each year. University students often head south to the beaches of Texas or Florida. My family was planning a ski trip to Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
As March progressed, the pandemic was gradually becoming more real to those in the United States. Things were beginning to become serious during the second week of the month, with a few states announcing the close of schools. We were concerned with the potential interruption of our travel plan, so we called the ski resort the day before we left to see if there were any changes in their plans for operations.
The resort had no plans to shut down, so on Friday March 13th we began driving from Iowa to Colorado. In retrospect, perhaps we should have been more circumspect about our departure date: Friday the 13 is not generally associated with good luck.
We stayed overnight in Kearney Nebraska and continued our trip the next morning. After a quick stop at the Denver Airport to pick up a family member, we finished our drive into the mountains, arriving Saturday after about 2 pm. We were all excited: this was a very good snow year and we were ready to hit the slopes.
That afternoon, while we were in line to rent our ski equipment, several resorts, thankfully not ours, announced on Twitter that they were closing immediately. By 10 pm, every ski resort in the state of Colorado was shut down by order of the Governor. Disappointed, but understanding the gravity of the situation, we left for home the next morning.
People of a certain age can tell you where they were when historic events happened: the assassination of JFK, the moon landing, the Challenger explosion or September 11th. In many ways, the moment that the current Pandemic became real to each of us will likely make it onto the list. This pandemic is truly that type of event. My pandemic shortened “road trip” weekend is when this pandemic became very real for me.
Now, Every morning and every evening, on my drive to and from my store, I listen to CNN on my radio. Over the past couple of week, I have become almost numb to the numbers. At our pharmacy, our preventative measures and procedures change almost daily. The new normal is decidedly NOT normal
But with great turmoil also comes potential. With doctors and hospitals overwhelmed, pharmacies have an opportunity to take a more central role in health care. Pharmacists, technicians and pharmacy students have an opening to become recognized for more than just being a source of medication.
So at the same time you are navigating your way through your new normal, keeping both your staff and patients safe, be thinking about what you can do to enhance your practice. Become accountable. Make this opportunity count.