When the recent wet season arrived, the communities from Townsville to Tully braced for impact. But in February, unprecedented rainfall brought major flooding, widespread power outages, and isolation to the Hinchinbrook region – disrupting lives, damaging homes, and cutting off vital services for days on end.

Ingham WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods and Cantatore Pharmacy: Rising waters, rising to the challenge

For Brenden Seri, owner of Ingham WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods and Cantatore Pharmacy, the sheer scale of this event was like nothing he had seen before.

“We’re used to wet seasons and flooding – but this time, we lost power. That changed everything,” he said. “We were underprepared for that, but now we’re ready for the next one.”

With digital scripts, communications and systems down, Brenden quickly adapted – purchasing a Starlink satellite to restore communications and ferrying a single generator between his two pharmacies each day to dispense medications.

He even navigated floodwaters by boat to retrieve the generator from his Nonna’s house, stopping along the way to check on an elderly woman with a fever.

“We had mates, Rotary, and emergency services all chipping in. We even coordinated medication deliveries to people who had evacuated to the emergency shelter,” Brenden said.

Through close communication with GPs like Dr Stewart Jackson and support from NQPHN’s Colleen Watkins, Brenden ensured the delivery of medicines to isolated aged care homes –including flying medication administration aids into Ozcare Trebonne by helicopter.

“Continued Dispensing protocols also definitely deserve a special mention, with the Department of Health and Aged Care, and the Pharmacy Guild leading the way,” Brenden added.

Hinchinbrook Community Pharmacy: A pharmacy, a camp bed, and the SES

Down the road at Hinchinbrook Community Pharmacy, pharmacist Andrew Giliberto barely left the premises.

“I camped at the back of my shop for over a week,” he said. “Power was out for nine days. Internet and phones were down. The town was cut off. But we kept going.”

Armed with a generator, Andrew kept one dispensing computer and fridge operating.

As an SES member, he also turned the back of his pharmacy into a forward operations centre, providing emergency responders with access to his Wi-Fi and infrastructure to restore communications.

“This district includes many isolated communities like Lucinda, Taylors Beach, Halifax,” Andrew said.

“We coordinated with the Local Disaster Management Sub-Group, Queensland Police Service (QPS), Queensland Ambulance Service, and Swiftwater Rescue to get medications to them.”

Stock was flown in from Townsville by QPS, while further supplies were coordinated through Andrew working with both his local wholesaler in Townsville and Sadleir’s Pharmacy in Ingham.

Ahead of the floods, he had packed Dose Administration Aids (DAAs) weeks in advance, a precaution born from experience.

And throughout it all, NQPHN maintained close contact.

“They were regularly checking in, offering help. Just knowing that someone had your back made a big difference,” Andrew said.

TerryWhite Chemmart: Powered by community

For Craig Menegon and Chris Holland, co-owners of TerryWhite Chemmart Ingham, the situation was equally dire.

While Craig was stranded at Stone River, Chris remained on the ground in Ingham and opened the pharmacy each day – initially powered by a generator from the Ingham Police Station. Only one day was lost to the peak flooding.

“Internet and comms were a big issue, but thanks to Anthony from Harvey Norman, we sourced a Starlink and were back online by Friday,” Craig said.

“We had staff who lived in town helping out where they could, but shortages made it tough.”

With the Ollera Creek bridge damaged, stock was in short supply. But with help from Ingham Travel and Herbert River Bus Service, they were able to restock just in time to avoid major shortages.

Craig also credited GP clinics, SES, and the Hinchinbrook Disaster Management team for helping coordinate care for vulnerable residents and aged care patients at OzCare.

“Continued dispensing protocols enabled us to supply essential medications for chronic conditions without a prescription,” he said. “That was absolutely critical.”

NQPHN: A steady presence behind the scenes

While the pharmacies were on the ground managing day-to-day crises, NQPHN provided critical behind-the-scenes support.

From contacting stakeholders to flag local needs, to checking on the operational status of pharmacies and health services across the district, NQPHN acted as both advocate and sounding board.

“In the thick of it, I knew Colleen from NQPHN was advocating for us,” said Brenden.

“Just having someone on the other end of the phone, even if all they could do was listen and pass things up the chain – that gave me the bandwidth to focus on the people in front of me.”

In the aftermath, while the mud is drying and power restored, what remains is a sense of pride, unity, and hard-earned lessons for the future.

“This is what community healthcare is about,” Andrew reflected. “It’s about showing up. Working together. Doing whatever you can to keep people safe.”

From sleeping behind counters, to delivering medicines by boat and chopper, Ingham’s pharmacies – backed by NQPHN and a network of health professionals and volunteers – reminded us all of what’s possible when resilience meets compassion.