Life-saving Treatment: An infant’s journey with Bayshore Specialty Rx
By: Sahar Khan, Communications Coordinator
In healthcare and pharmacy services, each patient’s journey is unique and may require extraordinary and customized treatment. Caroline Aubin, a dedicated Program Manager at Bayshore Specialty Rx (BSRx), shares the story of a special patient, a baby treated with life-saving medication.
Caroline recalls when this patient, just 18 days old, was referred to their services. “I reviewed the enrollment form multiple times to confirm the birth date!” she exclaims. “This patient was a baby with a serious illness. I couldn’t imagine the stress and anxiety the parents must have felt.”
Despite challenging circumstances, Caroline was inspired by the mother’s calmness and determination. Caroline referred the family to Bayshore Pharmacy in Edmonton, where the pharmacist contacted the parents to communicate the information they required for their baby’s treatment journey. Caroline’s Patient Support Program team, as well as the pharmacy team, provided comprehensive support to the family at every step. They meticulously coordinated every aspect of the patient’s care through team collaboration.
“Follow-up calls were always stressful, but I soon realized this infant was thriving on this treatment,” Caroline reflects. “He was gaining weight and seemed to enjoy life at home with his family. After a year on Vitrakvi, a treatment for adult and pediatric patients with cancers having a specific genetic feature (biomarker), I received a wonderful e-mail from the mother – the patient was tumor-free!”
The patient and their family reaped the benefits of the multifaceted BSRx team. Key roles such as Associate Director, Single Point of Contact Nurse (SPOC), Case Manager team, pharmacists, and other members of the pharmacy team, all played their part in ensuring prompt resolution of issues. The team worked diligently to gather all the required information and Caroline compares it to assembling the pieces of a complicated puzzle, ‘The Bayshore Way’.
Caroline also highlights the Pharma Client’s role in the Patient Support Program, which was crucial in ensuring the family received the support they needed. “They always prioritize the patient. Thanks to their generosity, this baby spent his first time at home with his family, not in hospital isolation,” Caroline shares.
Through dedication, collaboration, and unwavering support, Caroline and the team at BSRx exemplify compassionate care, bringing hope and healing to patients. “This is the best news I have heard all day, I am literally tearing up,” said Salima Merali-Damani, the pharmacist managing the patient’s care at Bayshore Pharmacy in Edmonton, upon learning about the patient’s recovery. “This was one of the hardest calls I had to make monthly. This is great!”
“Despite the challenges, witnessing the progress and ultimately receiving the news that the patient was tumor-free brought tears of joy,” says Caroline. “We cried, we clapped, and we are hopeful for his future!”