Page 31 - Retail Pharmacy Assistants - October 2020

PATY 2019 WINNER 29 THE YEAR THAT WASN’T By Brianne Lowe, 2019 Pharmacy Guild of Australia/Maxigesic Pharmacy Assistant of the Year. Contributing this article has a bittersweet feeling. My reigning PATY year is over and I feel like I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface. One thing is for sure: a PATY winner has never had a year quite like the one I’ve experienced. It most certainly wasn’t what I’d envisaged, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a whole lot of fun either. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed on some level, as the number one thing I was looking forward to the most this year was getting out there and meeting you all. I wanted to hear what everyone was doing in their pharmacy and what your ideas are for the future. Unfortunately, nothing in 2020 went to plan as group gatherings were restricted and borders closed. This meant important industry events like APP \\\[in its physical form\\\], Pharmacy Connect and the Pharmacy Assistant National Conference were cancelled. However, I was overjoyed when I was invited to take part in the first virtual PATY program. This involved me recording numerous promotional videos, which was a learning experience that resulted in a hilarious blooper reel. I was also lucky enough to be involved in the online judging process, which is also a first for the PATY program. As fun as this process was, I’m very much looking forward to finally being able to meet all the finalists in person. Top three highlights of the year 1. The overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received from other pharmacy assistants and people within the industry took me by surprise. I often have people phone or reach out on social media just to say they enjoyed this month’s article and that they’ve implemented some of my suggestions. 2. Being invited to be a judge for PATY 2020. This was a huge honour that I thoroughly enjoyed and would love the opportunity to participate again. 3. Moving into a Pharmacy Group Manager role for Pharmacy Alliance and having the opportunity to ‘go on tour’ and visit a wide range of independent pharmacies across three states. Considering pharmacy industry events were cancelled, this was a saving grace. I got to meet with pharmacy assistants and owners and discuss why their pharmacies are unique and what they foresee for the future of pharmacy. It also allowed me to provide support to those in need. Starting with the bushfires and onto Covid-19, I’ve learnt so much about obstacles we can face in our industry, as well as how to support staff during difficult times. What’s next Every single person in Australia has been affected in some way by Covid-19 and many people have lost their jobs. As difficult as it has been, I know we’re all very thankful to be classed as an essential service, and therefore still trading throughout the different stages of lockdown. You’ve all done an outstanding job and you should be very proud that you were able to provide support to your local community during an unprecedented crisis. I’m hoping for a better and brighter 2021 for us all. I’ll be out on the road, visiting pharmacies and providing support to you and your greater community. I’m looking forward to catching up with you all at APP2021 in March next year, so if you see me wandering around, please come up and introduce yourself. I’m still waiting to meet you all and wanting to hear what you have to say. RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • OCT 2020