Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, April 8 (Reporters He Xinrong, Gong Wen) Every morning after seven o’clock, Ye Yifei, a delivery pharmacist, starts to work.
The Shanghai Pharma Cloud Health Yiyao Pharmacy, located at No. 1440 Zhongshan West Road, Shanghai, is where Ye Yifei works. This pharmacy has nearly 1,000 new and special drugs on sale for the treatment of serious and difficult diseases including cancer, leukemia, and rare diseases. Many drugs must be placed in a special cold storage area. For patients using these drugs, the risk of drug discontinuation is self-evident. During the epidemic, many pharmacies were closed, and the role of professional pharmacies in ensuring supply became more prominent.
The delivery pharmacist Ye Yifei put on protective clothing and went out to deliver medicine. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liwang
On the morning of April 5, Ye Yifei, who was wearing a protective suit, took four medicines when he went out. The most recent order was sent to the Central Hospital of Xuhui District, Shanghai, and the farthest order was sent to a resident’s home in a certain community in Zhuqiao Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, with a one-way journey of 50 kilometers. For each order, Ye Yifei is careful to ensure timely delivery.
From March 27th, in order to ensure timely and safe medication for patients, the delivery team, including Ye Yifei, has been living in the pharmacy and is always on call.
“We learned that Shanghai will start nucleic acid testing the next day. We mobilized our staff that night to send out all the medicines for patients in the Pudong area for the next week.” Liu Bin, president of Shanghai Pharma Cloud Health, said, “During the epidemic, Not only has the pharmacy increased the number of orders, but the destination has also changed from the original hospital to the community scattered throughout the city, and it is common to travel one or two hundred kilometers to deliver medicine.”
Ye Yifei (right) delivered the medicine to the patient’s family. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liwang
Liu Bin said that at present, Shanghai Pharma Cloud Health has increased its attention to social networks. The other party sees whether the service is required. “We specially set up a small team to collect online requests for help, and turn patients’ passive drug-seeking into the platform’s active drug supply.”
“Running” delivery pharmacists and The drug orders with hope have become a silhouette of the whole city to fight the epidemic together.