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    IRT pharmacy fills the need for continuing care

    IRT pharmacy fills the need for continuing care

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Kevin Schulze | Air National Guard 1st Lt. Freddy Kabasele-Kalonji, the Cairo site pharmacy officer in...... read more read more

    CAIRO, IL, UNITED STATES

    06.20.2019

    Story by Staff Sgt. Kevin Schulze 

    175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard

    CAIRO, Ill. (June 20, 2019) — Military medical personnel are receiving hands-on training experience during the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation Tri-State Innovative Readiness Training 2019 mission where service members from the Air Force, Navy, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Navy Reserve are operating a no-cost health clinic to the surrounding communities of Cairo, Ill.; Sikeston, Mo.; and Barlow, Ky. Providers will be operating a health clinic in each city until June 22, 2019.

    Dental, optometry and medical clinics are open at all sites, but many more departments are receiving training from this exercise. The pharmacy at the Cairo site clinic keeps up with all prescriptions written by the providers and ensures each patient receives the proper medication and care after their visit.

    “The pharmacy is connected to every department here because they all look to us to ensure we provide the proper continuing care,” said Air National Guard 1st Lt. Freddy Kabasele-Kalonji, the Cairo site pharmacy officer in charge and a critical care nurse assigned to 175th Medical Group, Baltimore, Md.

    After dental procedures or medical examinations, patients are often in need of medication for continuing treatment. It is here that the Cairo site IRT pharmacy steps in.

    “Most of the time when you go to the doctor they send you to the pharmacy immediately after,” said Navy Reserve Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Cameron Labelle, the Cairo site pharmacy assistant with the Operational Health Support Unit, Bremerton. “Here we are definitely more behind the scenes, but we play an important role nonetheless.”

    Filling more than 170 prescriptions thus far, the Cairo site pharmacy works diligently to ensure the proper care is given to the patients.

    “Our main concern is patient safety,” said Kabasele-Kalonji. “So we often take more time and write everything down to make sure we give the patient the right thing.”

    While the focus of the clinics is on patient care, Labelle and Kabasele-Kalonji are also using this IRT for training themselves within the field.

    “Stepping out of my comfort zone to learn pharmacy and gain a clear understanding of the field will definitely better my practice,” said Kabasele-Kalonji. “To teach others and be taught has been a great learning experience.”

    Missions such as the DAEOC Tri-State IRT 2019 provide training experience for military members that prepares them for deployment if and when they arise. This is just one way in which the Air Force, Navy, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Navy Reserve ensure their Airmen and Sailors are fit to fight and ready to respond in a moments notice.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.20.2019
    Date Posted: 06.20.2019 23:35
    Story ID: 328585
    Location: CAIRO, IL, US

    Web Views: 48
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN