Pharmacist saves three lives in four weeks

A Stafford pharmacist has saved three lives in a four-week period after responding to a flurry of medical emergencies in her pharmacy.
Carol Haycock, who works at the The Whitehouse Pharmacy, helped two people who had “severe anaphylactic shocks” with adrenaline pens and used a defibrillator on someone else “in cardiac arrest”. All three have now recovered from the emergencies.
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“While emergency medicine isn’t our day to day, when people come in needing our help it’s up to us to jump into action,” the pharmacist said.
“It was a true team effort that showcased the professionalism, quick thinking, and dedication of everyone at The Whitehouse Pharmacy.”
Haycock told C+D that of the two who had anaphylactic shocks, one of them had prior knowledge of their allergies but “didn’t have an EpiPen on hand” while the other had “never had an anaphylaxis before”.
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She said that while it is hard to know for certain, the individuals would have died without the EpiPen being administered.
When helping the person in cardiac arrest, paramedics talked Haycock through using the defibrillator as the person was “unconscious and flat lined”.
All three people were transferred to hospital by ambulance to make a full recovery after Haycock’s interventions.
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Northwood Dispensing Chemists director Harvey Northwood, who own Whitehouse Pharmacy, said “this is what community pharmacy is all about; being there for patients at the heart of their communities when they need us most”.
“The Whitehouse Pharmacy team went above and beyond, providing life-saving care that made all the difference. Pharmacies and their staff are unsung heroes.”
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