Eric Kosiuk
Eric Kosiuk
PCN Pharmacist
Profile submitted by: Katie Clogg
Brief description of role or responsibilities
Eric Kosiuk is the PCN Pharmacist for the Sunshine Coast. He collaborates with providers and patients to do medication reviews, comprehensive medication management, as well as patient education and addressing barriers to optimal medication use. Eric has been working with our Home and Community care and hospital discharge team to support patient care in addition to working with community physicians.
Describe how the individual or team made a positive contribution to patient care or their pharmacy department:
Eric launched a program to support intervention with patients discharged from hospital at risk of readmission. Within approximately two months the data was as follows:
- Number of patients seen so far : 37
- Number of patients needed some form of additional education (questions, concerns, teaching..): 32 (86%)
- Number of patients requiring a medication intervention of a more urgent nature (error on discharge, unclear med rec): 14 (38%)
- Number of patients where I’ve suggested a change to the patient or family provider (not as urgent as above): 17 (46%)
- Number of patients that have been referred to return to Sechelt Hospital: 3 (8%)
The 14 cases requiring urgent intervention was significant in terms of its positive impact on patient care.
Eric also initiated a community outreach to community pharmacists so they knew about the new PCN Pharmacist program, working with the PCN team to host a dinner event at the local golf course.
Eric has had a positive impact with patients. See testimonial below:
Here’s one patient, Joan’s previous experience:
He was very friendly, comfortable person to talk to. Very knowledgeable and I had some questions he answered.
When you’ve been in the hospital and you don’t have a family doctor and you get people telling you things all at once it all gets really confusing. You have questions about your medications, complications, symptoms and what medications you can take with your supplements and other medications.
It was so comfortable to talk to him and ask him questions, it was a very good experience. You normally don’t get that sort of personal interaction with a pharmacist, they’re so busy being able to get one on one time to answer all of my questions was great!
His insights into the medications were very rewarding, I thought they were questions that might be stupid, but he was very comforting. He cleared up the questions I had without making me feel silly, it was great.
It’s a real comfort, I was thrilled to find out about this service. Made me feel comfortable with what I was taking. Gave me insight and knowledge on what I was taking. ~Joan
