Meet Jean-Guy Niquet. He works as a local assistant to the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal’s Chief of the Pharmacy Department. Despite a serious accident that altered his life, he has not been afraid to break down barriers. For almost 25 years he has been part of the family at the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre, where he is a vital resource for his colleagues.
Mr. Niquet, please tell us how you came to be a pharmacist.
“My initial career plans were upended following a diving accident when I was 16 years old. A broken neck left me quadriplegic, putting an end to my plans to become a surgeon. After finishing high school, I studied in CEGEP. Following that, I did one semester in neurobiology at McGill University, which was enough to convince me that laboratory work didn’t really interest me.
I took a few university courses in history and biomedical engineering, and came to the conclusion that I might be better suited to an office job. With that in mind, I graduated from the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières with a bachelor’s degree in administration in 1991. That led me to a job as a social aid worker, which was a very special working environment!
In 1994 I decided to go back to university, this time in a field more closely related to the career ambitions of my youth. I completed a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology at the Université de Laval in three years, and became a licensed pharmacist in 1998.”
What was your first job in healthcare?
“I was an advisor with the Réseau de revue d’utilisation des médicaments, an organization that no longer exists. I worked on studies concerning the use of various medications, the development of data collection forms, and preparing reports.
I left after 18 months because I wanted to work as a pharmacist.”
And how did you come to join our CIUSSS?
“In 1999, I started to work at the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre, assisting the chief pharmacist. At that time, the facility had about 350 beds spread across two pavilions. Shortly before my colleague retired, I took over the role of chief pharmacist. I remained in that position until the facility was merged into the CIUSSS and the pharmacy sector became a single department. Since then, I have been the local assistant to the head of the Pharmacy Department, Hélène Paradis, and the long-term care coordinator—pharmacy for all of our residential care centres.”
What are your primary responsibilities?
“At Grace Dart, the pharmacy team consists of only four people, so we all wear a number of hats. Occasionally I take on a pharmacist’s role by filling and validating prescriptions, answering calls from residential units, advising physicians or nurses, and so on. In other words, all the work that goes into managing pharmacotherapeutics to ensure that a treatment is effective while also keeping potential undesirable effects to a minimum, as well as polypharmacy (the concurrent use of multiple medications).
As the local assistant to the head of the Pharmacy Department, I am regularly asked to develop or write policies and procedures, or to comment on texts written by my colleagues. I also ensure that forms and processes are progressively standardized, implemented, and made available throughout our organization.
In my role as a long-term care coordinator, I frequently take on special mandates as well. These include planning the pharmacological aspects of the Dorval Alternative Home (equipment, logistics, etc.) and the gradual implementation of the OPUS-AP/PEPS, which aims to reduce the use of potentially inappropriate antipsychotics in seniors and to increase the pharmacists’ autonomy in managing pharmacotherapeutics. Along with that, I organize meetings with other pharmacists working in long-term care settings to discuss issues related to working in that context.”
What are your biggest challenges?
“As I mentioned, we have a fairly small team. It is made of up a pharmacist, two pharmacy technicians, and myself. So, getting our priorities right is important. For example, I need to make sure I always give the team all the attention they need, even when my focus is primarily on the coordination aspects of my role.”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
“It’s when the work I do has a direct and positive impact on the residents or my colleagues. It’s gratifying to know that a newly prescribed medication is helping to improve a resident’s quality of life. I also enjoy opportunities to make it simpler or safer for nurses to administer medications, for example. Sometimes it’s the little things that have a positive impact on the work of others.
I really enjoy the team spirit we have at Grace Dart and the opportunities to share with all of my colleagues in the department.”
Mr. Niquet agreed to tell us a little bit about his life outside of work.
What should we know about you?
“After living in the Montréal area for many years, my wife and I recently moved to Drummondville. With retirement now on the horizon, it was the right time to return to the city of my youth, where both my mother and one of my sisters also live.”
Why did you choose to work remotely most of the time?
“I had the opportunity to build a home that is much better adapted to my condition. With age, my limitations have become more of an issue, which has led to more frequent injuries from transferring between my wheelchair and my car. By working remotely, I may be able to extend my working years.”
To relax, you…
“I’m interested in high-fidelity audio. There’s nothing like optimizing the sound quality of my audio system to enjoy good music and great films at home! I also enjoy riding my adaptive bicycle. There’s a bike path near my home, that allows me to get out and relax in nature.”
Pharmacology has evolved a great deal over the years, particularly in terms of managing medications for seniors. This approach to pharmacology for seniors is part of the overall specialized approach to senior care,” adds Mr. Niquet.
“Although there has been a great deal of progress in terms of accessibility, there is always room for improvement. That’s also true in the healthcare sector. There have been times when I’ve gone for an X-ray, only to discover they had no adjustable table to help me transfer from my wheelchair, nor was there a patient transfer lift,” explains Mr. Niquet.