This month we spoke with the NSW Central West-based PA from Shortis & Timmins Pharmacy Condoblin about her career highlights, challenges and tips for others in the role.
How long have you been working in retail pharmacy? What is your current position?
I’ve been working in pharmacy for more than two years. I mainly work in the dispensary and in the front of the shop.
Talk us through what a day in your life would look like.
I wake up at 6.55am and get ready for work. I check on my roster where I am for the day (in the dispensary or front of shop). I usually get to work at about 8.50am. We do the daily huddle at about this time. First thing, I usually get all the GuildCare script requests out and put them in the baskets to be dispensed. I check the app throughout the day to ensure that none get missed.
My day usually consists of me serving customers, unpacking and making orders and/or dispensing scripts. In our pharmacy, I’m mainly responsible for doing the deliveries. At around 4pm I get all the deliveries sorted and ready to go – this usually takes me about half an hour. I usually leave for deliveries at about 4.45 to 5pm, depending on how many I have for the day. After I finish the deliveries at around 5.30pm, I head home, make dinner, go to bed, ready to do it all again the next day.
How did you come to work within the industry? What drew you towards a profession· in retail pharmacy?
I was still in school when I started working in the pharmacy – my careers adviser had come up to my group of friends and let us all know that our local pharmacy, Shortis & Timmins Pharmacy, was looking for another afternoon girl. I ended up going home and talking with my grandmother about how it didn’t sound like a bad job. The next day she brought me down to the pharmacy, and I met the owners, and that was it.
What have been some of the highlights in your career as a pharmacy assistant so far?
I’m currently completing my ‘Cert Ill’ and have started working full time – both aspects of pharmacy I’ve been enjoying immensely.
What has been the most challenging part of working as a retail pharmacy assistant?
Sometimes I find it hard to change my communication style based on each individual customer. Finding the right words to explain an issue or problem in a way that the customer understands can be difficult for me, so it’s something I’m working on improving.
Is working in retail pharmacy something you think you’ll be doing in the long term?
Definitely. I really enjoy the work, and I’m certainly spoiled when it comes to the team, community and environment that I work in.
How important is ongoing professional development for retail pharmacy assistants?
It’s incredibly important that all pharmacy assistants continue to expand their knowledge and develop their skills … no matter how long you’ve worked in pharmacy (or anywhere). There are always ways you can improve, and things that you can learn that you didn’t know before, that improve your work performance and the customers’ experience within the pharmacy.
How would you describe working as a retail pharmacy assistant to anyone new/considering the profession?
As an incredibly rewarding job. Our community in ‘Condo’ is pretty tight-knit, and being able to offer such an important service to the members of our community is extremely gratifying and fulfilling. The job mostly consists of customer service and liaising, talking with and working with other health services, recommending pharmacy products, making and putting away orders, and aiding with customer concerns/issues.
What is your advice to other retail pharmacy assistants in terms of achieving career goals and stepping up within the industry?
Listening and learning from other senior pharmacy assistants is instrumental to learning how to be successful in the pharmacy and how to become confident in yourself and your skills as a pharmacy assistant. Don’t hesitate to ask questions when you’re unsure about why something is the way it is or how to do something if you’ve never done it before.
Retail pharmacy (and the healthcare industry) has faced some serious challenges over the last couple of years. What were some of the things that helped you and your team members get through these difficult times? What’s your advice on overcoming challenges?
It’s been an extremely difficult couple of years for everyone. Just taking the time to breathe and prioritise your individual health – particularly your mental health – has been the most important thing for everybody in the last couple of years. Understanding that everybody’s going through something, and that the frustration isn’t directed at you but rather the situation, is incredibly important, and being patient with other team members and customers can go a long way.
Where do you see the industry headed in the next few years?
I honestly have no idea. I think the industry is forever changing and growing. I think Covid is never going to be completely gone, and with it hanging around it’s impossible to predict how it’s going to affect us in the years to come.
If there was one thing you’d like to change/improve about the industry, what would it be?
Supply chain issues and stock shortages are definitely issues within the industry that I want to see improve in the next couple of years. Seeing the toll that not having reliable access to medications and treatments has on our customers and their trust in the healthcare system is somewhat disheartening, especially because of the size of our community and the limited access that we have to support services and specialised treatments/facilities.
This feature was originally published in the September issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine.
