Awards recognise pharmacy’s mahi during COVID-19

When Parsa Hadiyounzadeh became a pharmacy student, he could never foresee that he would launch his career during a pandemic.

But that’s where the COVID-19 Response Individual Awards recipient found himself during his final year and internship.

When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Mr Hadiyounzadeh was a final-year pharmacy student.

“It was a strange time, but as I became a pharmacist, that’s when it got a bit hard,” he says. “I had more responsibilities, giving vaccines and giving more advice. It was more pressure than being a student.”

He recalls a time during COVID-19 when things became serious and “very, very stressful”. He was working at the Airport Oaks Pharmacy, in Auckland, where staff administered more than 100 vaccines daily.

At one stage, the pharmacy was inundated with 80 passengers from a delayed flight to Rarotonga, who all came to the store to get rapid antigen tests done at once.

“It was fun to be doing that together. But, obviously, 80 people coming in at one time was quite intimidating.”

Now working as a pharmacist at Royal Heights Pharmacy, in west Auckland, Mr Hadiyounzadeh says that despite the challenges he faced during the pandemic, there were positives.

“At the end of the day, I’ve learnt some skills and learnt more about myself than ever. I know how to communicate better, and I know how to work together in a team.”

He says winning the award is a “nice achievement” but wishes everyone in pharmacy automatically received it as the sector put in a united effort.

However, he believes that the Government money used to produce the badges might have been better off being put into funding pharmacy services.

“I wouldn’t have minded not getting the badge and getting more funding for everyone in pharmacy. We all went through tough times.”

The awards, which Te Whatu Ora started distributing in April, are given to individuals and pharmacies that meet the criteria, according to an emailed statement from the agency.

Entrants, including all health professionals, must have been employed or contracted by the Ministry of Health or identified as part of the COVID-19 Health and Disability System Response for at least one month between March 2020 and 30 June 2022.

Nominees needed to have provided direct operational support to the frontline COVID-19 Health and Disability response or were part of the vaccination, testing, border and MIQ and National contact-tracing workforces, the statement outlined.

The awards were also open to any healthcare staff who cared for patients with COVID-19. Applications for the awards closed on 31 March.

Pharmacies could also register as an organisation for the award to recognise the collective work of all staff, including those who did not meet the criteria for individual recognition.

Mr Hadiyounzadeh’s boss, Rav Lal, received an individual award and one for the Airport Oaks Pharmacy, one of the pharmacies he owns.

Mr Lal says it was nice to get recognition, but he was gutted the award didn't automatically go to all pharmacy staff. “Just because someone was behind a reception desk doesn’t mean they weren’t involved.”

The award s mark an important moment in history, he says.

“It’ll be nice to show my kids when they’re older and tell them about how crazy pharmacy was during that time.”