A servant’s heart

Is following your heart and your curiosity the key to finding your career path? According to branding expert and author Louise Karch, the simple answer is a resounding ‘yes’.

Originally from Canada and now living in Australia with her partner, Ms Karch spent the first part of her career “chasing success”.

“I wanted to be figure skating champion; I wanted all the Girl Guides badges – I was looking for love by achievement,” she said. “But now I’m at a stage of my life where I’ve realised that significant contribution is more important.”

Her early experience in professional figure skating and dabbling in stand-up comedy are part of “probably six careers” so far, during which she has learned that the key to finding the right path is asking, ‘What do I want to learn, what kind of problems do I want to solve, and what kind of environment do I want to be in?’

Referring to career success, Ms Karch uses the analogy of a linchpin when asked about her advice for pharmacy assistants.

While a linchpin is a small item, “without it, nothing really moves”, she says, which is akin to the role of pharmacy assistants within pharmacy: without them, a pharmacy wouldn’t be able to operate successfully.

She points out, however, that this important role requires pharmacy assistants to look after their physical and mental wellbeing to avoid issues with fatigue and burnout, especially during trying times such as the Covid-19 pandemic, throughout which pharmacy assistants have been at the frontline of healthcare.

“One of the things that we all have to learn is how to manage our mental, emotional and physical state,” Ms Karch said.

Keys to such management, she says, are daily physical activity, learning to breathe, engaging in a spiritual practice, being grateful and drinking enough water.

“As a former figure skater, I strive to stay as healthy as possible,” Ms Karch said. “Because, if you don’t have a way of building your physical strength, it’s really hard to be emotionally strong.”

When it comes to burnout, she suggests “some basic techniques”, starting with learning how to breathe properly.

“I know that sounds really basic, but most people, especially when they’re stressed,  breathe up here,” she said, pointing to her upper chest.

“Pharmacy assistants will know that the lungs are big – they’re small at the top and they’re larger at the bottom. If you don’t know how to breathe from your belly, you’re actually not oxygenating the cells. If you’re not oxygenating the cells, they’re not getting what they need to be strong, and they’re not getting what they need to clear out the toxins that can build up through stress.”

Continuing the discussion around physical, mental, and emotional wellness, Ms Karch suggests that “eternal practices” such as “meditating, journaling or movement” can help get pharmacy assistants through challenging times. She lists morning gym sessions, keeping a gratitude journal, and practising yoga among activities that will help to alleviate the anxiety associated with difficult situations.

“We’re all at risk from burning out because the expectations on all of us and our careers are so extreme,” she said. “So, we have to figure out how we’re going to maintain our wellbeing over time.”

While maintaining physical and mental health and wellbeing is important, particularly within healthcare, Ms Karch says achieving success within this industry also involves constant curiosity and learning – “learning the most, so you can give the most”.

Clearly, being armed with knowledge will allow pharmacy assistants to gain the confidence to better service their customers, and Ms Karch says it will also prepare them to help ease some of the worries and concerns that visitors to their pharmacy might have – around Covid vaccines, for example.

“Pharmacy assistants are on the frontline of people’s worries,” she said.

“You don’t come to the pharmacist unless there’s a problem that you’re trying to solve in your life. For the most part, you’re looking for a script to be filled and you’re looking for the right product. [Some] people are coming in, in a slightly anxious state.

“So, let’s say a customer comes to your counter and says, ‘I’m looking for X’. You don’t just say, ‘OK’. You say, ‘so, you’re looking for X’ – you reflect back, so the person feels heard. Because, when somebody feels heard, seen and understood, you’re building rapport and lowering their anxiety. You’re the one person in their life who actually hears them.”

For more and to read the full feature as it appears in the October issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine, visit: rpassistants.com.au/magazines/retail-pharmacy-assistants-october-2021/