People of KHSC: William Lickley

As March comes to an end, so too does Pharmacy Appreciation Month a national campaign that shines a spotlight a department that often works in the background, but has a crucial role in delivering patient care.

KHSC Pharmacist William Lickley has only been in Kingston working at our HDH site for a few months, but is already making a huge impact for our patients.

“I always want to advocate for how much a pharmacists do because so much goes unseen. Most people think we’re just sitting behind a computer reading charts or counting pills. It is really so much more than that.”

“A big part of our job is answering questions to benefit our patients. For example a doctor may mention that a patient is having a hard time taking a medication, so I would research to see if we can we crush a medication to make it easier to take. It’s those types of interactions where I walk away at the end of the day and I feel like I made a difference.”

As medication experts, hospital pharmacy professionals make vital contributions to the healthcare system. Pharmacy teams play essential roles in the dispensary, compounding medications and preparing IV mixtures. They also conduct medication histories, ensuring the care team has accurate and up-to-date information about which medications patients have been taking at home.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into at the time when I got this position as the pharmacist at the Hotel Dieu site, but we have a lot of really interesting clinics, such as optometry, pediatrics and infectious diseases. This job is so much more than what I expected and I am really happy. There is so much to do here and I learn so much on a daily basis.”

Meanwhile, for a hospital pharmacist, it’s all part of a day’s work to develop pharmaceutical care plans to suit each patient’s unique needs and educate patients to make sure they understand their medication plans. Quality care is isn’t complete without hospital pharmacy professionals ensuring safe, effective medication use.

“One of the most interesting parts of my job is advocating for patients and requesting government approval for drugs that aren’t available in Canada for patients with very specific needs. We need to get some of these specialized drugs for people with conditions like cystic fibrosis. Then we need to get the drugs shipped often from the UK, US and France and also maintain stock levels for these patients. Sometimes it’s easy to do and sometimes it’s definitely not.”

On a more personal level, William’s overall transition from northern Ontario to Kingston to work at KHSC has been a positive experience.

“The move to Kingston has been amazing. It’s a beautiful city, the architecture makes me happy and being on a lake feels like home. It is so easy to get into nature and spend time in a park and there is so much good food. I’ve stopped asking people to recommend restaurants because my list of places to try has gotten so long!”

If you would like to share about a positive interaction or thank a member of the pharmacy team, make sure to use the hashtag #ThankYouPharmacy