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32 BUSINESS THROUGH INNOVATION COVID-19 RESPONSE 2021 TAKE FIVE: RESET TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD By Peter Howard. T here’s no question 2020 was a year of extraordinary difficulty, and few would deny Covid-19 was the culprit. The pandemic has become a convenient scapegoat when blame needs a home, but as we look back at the world of community pharmacy over the past 10 months, there are clues suggesting Covid-19 brought more than disruption and distress. We can cast Covid as the villain in any number of different roles, bringing about financial hardship, taking our loved ones, or dangling the ever-present threat of loneliness in lockdowns. But when we look deeper and explore how far we’ve come, we also see Covid as the catalyst that spurred us to grow faster than we’ve ever done before. In a few short weeks we saw accelerated launches of some incredible initiatives, and the pace has continued as we’ve embraced exciting new ideas and adopted different ways of working that were unthinkable this time last year. Thankfully, with a vaccine beginning its rollout, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. However, before you and your team close the chapter on Covid-19 and start working on what’s ahead, it’s important to briefly stop and look back. Pandemic fatigue Those in community pharmacy will want to begin adapting to the new order while focusing on the 2021 goals they’ve already been planning for months. Instead, rather than immediately jumping into a new adventure, we’re recommending you take some time to invest in your team. By exploring five foundational factors key to every team’s success your most valuable resource will be fresh, fighting fit and firmly committed to achieving this success – whatever 2021 has in store. It’s an important step because living and working through the pandemic is known to have taken a huge toll on people. Just as a machine requires maintenance, replacement parts and lubrication, your team need time to repair. In the aftermath of such a tough year, people are exhausted, but they haven’t had the usual opportunities to deal with the pressures they’ve faced. In periods of lockdown, they’ve faced the challenges of work, often in split shifts, dealing with potentially infectious people, all while putting their own health at risk. In most community pharmacies, staff have been faced with new systems to learn, new processes to understand and new protocols to follow, all while experiencing separation from friends and family, and facing the fear of carrying the virus home to their loved ones at the end of a shift. RETAIL PHARMACY • JAN/FEB 2021 With no opportunity to meet with friends, de-stress by playing