I was hesitant to write two music-themed posts in a row, but as much as I would like to isolate myself in a pharmacy bubble some days, real life forces me to look inwards. Trying to make sense of how people affect each other every single day is a lifetime’s work. In whatever vocation you choose, whether you’re the star of the show, the director, or an essential piece behind the scenes; there is always a deeper story under the uniform.

Gord Downie, best known as the lead singer of the Tragically Hip, passed away Oct 17, 2017 at the age of 53 from brain cancer.

His uniform was that of a poet, whose lyrics evoked canadiana. His prose seemed to always leave a sense of mystery as to the true meaning.

Last year in August, I felt compelled to write a post dedicated to the Hip’s final concert. I wrote about  how it brought so many people (11.7M) together for three full hours of magic. The point of the post was to suggest that we give of ourselves as much as we feel comfortable, and help each other live the best lives we can. The risks and rewards are all part of living life to the fullest; taking our own chances and being ready to catch others should they stumble along the way.

To quote Laura from that post:

“So let’s remember what Gord and the Hip did on Aug 20. They gave everything they had left to their fans in one last hurrah. Every Canadian, healthcare professional or not, can stand to give a little more to others, care a little less what people think and get on with living their best life.”

Being a pharmacist in 2017 is more challenging than ever. Check that, being in healthcare in 2017 is more challenging than ever. As costs continue to rise, service delivery is evolving for all health professionals. There is a need for all health professionals to become more efficient in maximizing our scope. Pharmacists in various parts of the country are involved in a multitude of new services: independent therapy initiation, lab requests, layered access to provincial drug files, projects in the realm of genomic testing and subsequent dosing adjustments, naloxone training, and INR monitoring just to name a few. Patient-focused care is the direction in which we’re headed, with drug therapy being only one avenue to improved health. Some of us are more prepared for these changes, but we all have a part to play in making it happen.

“A great song’s greatest attribute is how it hints at more. The Hip has always had a strong curiosity to see what’s around the next corner. To see what more we can do, what more we can say — to each other, primarily. We try and serve the song. If we’re any good at all it’s because we’re together on that.” — Gord Downie, 2009

Replace the word song with just about any source of pride, and it gets to the heart of who we are as people and as a community. For this blog, I choose to replace the word song with the word profession as that’s truly how I feel about where we are headed. “A great profession’s greatest attribute is how it hints at more…”

You’ve inspired a generation, a country, and gone too soon. You are the personification of the tragically hip, and will live on in the annals of music history.

Rest easy Gord, fully completely.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.