Since 2014, David Pyne has headed up the Community Care Chemist in
North Geelong. David and his team of pharmacists
have played a pivotal role in setting up a comprehensive Diabetes program,
including stocking a suite of products and services including the National
Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) products and all major insulin types.
David is a passionate pharmacist who is keen to share his knowledge to
the residents of Greater Geelong. Let’s
get to know David and what drives his enthusiasm with all things health.
What drew you to join the CCC team? How long have
you been a pharmacist? Why did you become a pharmacist?
I’ve been a
pharmacist for eight years and working in pharmacy for over 10 years. I started
my career in Adelaide and moved to Geelong four years ago to further my career
and moved across to the CCC team one year ago. I never thought I wanted to be a
pharmacist growing up; I wanted to be a scientist and sit in a lab all day. I
learnt very quickly though that I enjoyed interacting with people and loved
helping people, so I thought a career change into Pharmacy was the likely
choice, and have absolutely loved it since day one.
In the past few
years, the community pharmacy industry was starting to see some difficult times
and many companies were finding it hard to move forward. This is when I heard
about CCC and the way they were pioneering new ideas. Now that I am part of the team, I have, for
the first time in my career, had the opportunity to do what I set out to do
when I started as a pharmacist: spend quality time with patients and give
medicines and health advice that changes lives and has a real impact.
Why is CCC so unique? What draws customers to CCC
over other pharmacies?
Community CareChemist is such a forward-thinking pharmacy as they provide the resources which
enable us spend a great deal of time with the people who come to our pharmacies
for advice. They are also a non for profit organization, so I know all the
effort I put into making a difference is benefitting the wider community. And
being a local Geelong
business is also very important to me. With Geelong
going through a much talked about downturn in larger businesses, I am very glad
to be working for a local business which services and benefits the Geelong region.
At CCC, you can
speak to a pharmacist about your needs EVERY time you enter any of our stores.
Why is diabetes such a hot health topic in Greater Geelong?
Diabetes is a major
problem in Australia, but is
of significant worry in some areas of Geelong.
There are areas of Geelong
which have nearly twice the national average of people living with Diabetes.
What is on offer in the diabetes safe at CCC North Geelong?
We can help treat and
prevent Diabetes. We have all the common insulin types in store and a large
range of Diabetes support products. We keep a large range of NDSS products for
people who are living with diabetes.
We also have highly
trained pharmacists with extensive knowledge about diabetes and the lifestyle
changes involved.
Also, we have a
diabetes educator who is an expert on managing, treating and preventing
diabetes. She has endless knowledge on the condition and is up to date with all
the latest research, ideas, devices and ways of managing living with diabetes.
What are your top three tips when it comes to (1)
preventing diabetes and (2) managing diabetes
1)
1. Diet
and Exercise 2. Natural supplements to
help reduce Blood sugar. 3. Blood sugar
testing at CCC or your GP at least twice a year (or more often as you get
older)
2)
1. Diet
and Exercise 2. Testing your own blood sugar regularly 3. See your diabetes
educator twice a year
With such a barrage of health information on the
internet, why do Australians still have so many health issues that are still on
the incline such as diabetes?
It is largely due to
our sedentary lifestyle. We spend all our time on our backsides reading about
the health issues on the internet, rather than getting outside and doing
something about it! A lot of the major health problems on the rise (like
diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure) are preventable and
manageable with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. We need to eat well and
keep fit and continue to live a healthy lifestyle even as we get older.
What can CCC do to help residents of Geelong take control of their health?
Our pharmacists are
well trained in providing health advice and if beyond their expertise, are able
to refer to appropriate clinicians
At North Geelong, we
are specifically trained to help with diabetes patients and in helping others
prevent diabetes. We have our diabetes educator, Olga, in store to give up to
date advice to diabetes patients. Olga also has excellent advice around a
healthy diet to manage, treat and prevent diabetes.
We have a weight
management program, Ultra Lite, as well as meal replacement supplements and
other strategies to help you achieve your goal weight.
We are also trained
in advice around most primary health problems. Just come in store and speak to
one of our approachable pharmacists.
What can you expect when you walk through the doors of a
CCC?
You can expect
service and advice. You will always be able to speak to a pharmacist, no matter
when you come into our store.
What do you enjoy
doing outside CCC? Hobbies, travel, books
Running, Soccer and Cycling are my sports. I also like
travelling. I spent last summer combining my love of travel, food and cycling,
following the Giro d’Italia bike race around northern Italy.
What is your ultimate
cuisine and why?
I like trying new food, no matter how out there it is. I
can’t go past a good curry though.
What makes you laugh?
I love standup comedy. I try get to the Melbourne
International Comedy Festival every year. I also love good old English comedy.
I was brought up on a staple diet of Monty Python and Mr. Bean.
No comments:
Post a Comment