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24 PHARMACY ASSISTANT PROFILE MEET PHARMACY ASSISTANT, BRYAN HANN For this month’s Pharmacy Assistant Profile, Retail Pharmacy Assistants’ Emily Devon speaks with Pharmacy Assistant Bryan Hann from Midland Pharmacy and Compounding Centre WA, about his career highlights, challenges and tips for working in pharmacy. How long have you been working for Midland Pharmacy and Compounding Centre? I have been working at Midland Pharmacy and Compounding Centre now for one year and six months (from August 2019 to current). Do you have a background in pharmacy? I am now coming into my ninth year in pharmacy as a career. I first began my career in 2012, in a small, picturesque town called Esperance in WA, at Terry White Chemists and was their Vitamin Co-Ordinator. Over the years I have moved to another two pharmacies in Esperance, including Castletown Chemist, before moving to Perth and working at a pharmacy in Midland before moving to Midland Pharmacy & Compounding Centre in 2019. Is pharmacy a career pathway you have always been passionate about? I had no idea what I wanted to do before getting into pharmacy. In Esperance I grew up on a Sheep and Cattle farm and really, any job to get me off the farm was ideal. But I soon found after working in a pharmacy environment that I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and I found that I have a genuine passion for community pharmacy. What are your other hobbies and passions/other activities that you do in your spare time? My hobbies and/or passions include reading (I’m a huge book nerd), catching up with friends for coffee, etc. I love to exercise – I do a one and a half hour walk every day after work, which I also use as a bit of a release from the day. What do you enjoy most about working in pharmacy? The things that I enjoy the most within pharmacy and especially within my current role is the ability to help people and to offer them a complete solution to their concerns. Whether or not they take on the advice, I feel it’s imperative as a pharmacy assistant to always let patients know of products that can assist in giving them a complete health solution. I also \\\[more specifically\\\] love when they come back to the pharmacy and say ‘thank you’ for the item I recommended as it really helped them – that’s what makes the job so worthwhile. “By far the best would have to be being the 2016 WA Pharmacy Assistant of the Year winner, where I represented my state in the national finals in Queensland.” Are there any positive customer interactions that stand out most to you, and if so why? Over the years there have been quite a few, but I always have to go back to my first year as a pharmacy assistant. I was quite new and I helped a lady in the cosmetic section (even though I really had no idea what I was doing!), and I helped the lady pick out a lipstick and a few other items. Little did I know that she was so impressed with the service she received that she wrote a handwritten letter to the manager and dropped it in later that week, complimenting my service – \\\[saying\\\] that I went above and beyond to make her feel important and to say a huge thank you. What are some of the highlights in your career so far? Highlights within my pharmacy career would have to be successfully completing my Certificate III in Community Pharmacy; being given the ability to study on the job for my Certificate IV in Community Pharmacy; successfully completing my ACNEM (Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicines). But by far the best would have to be being the 2016 WA Pharmacy Assistant of the Year winner, where I represented my state in the national finals in Queensland. What has been one of the most difficult challenges you’ve had to overcome in pharmacy, and how did you overcome it? One of the most difficult challenges to date would have to be last year’s Covid-19 outbreak. Never in my time in pharmacy have we seen a pandemic in Australia as bad as this. However, we got through it with resilience and hard work and ensured we kept up with the needs of our communities as best as we could and gave them the reassurance that everything would be OK. What is one thing you think all pharmacy assistants should remember while working? One thing I would have to say, is to know your limitations and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Especially when it comes to products. Also, check and make sure it’s fine to recommend \\\[certain products\\\]. I have found by doing this (and talking through the steps with the patient) it allows the patient to feel important and that we care (which we do!). What do you think makes your pharmacy so unique? We have a real holistic approach to healthcare. We carry unique and quite specific ranges \\\[of products\\\] based on recommendations, for particular conditions. We may not carry extensive ranges, but the ranges we do offer have been specifically researched and curated to the local community. We are also very driven and focused on professional services and, as it says in our name, we are a compounding pharmacy, which to me is fantastic as I have never worked in a compounding pharmacy before. What are your plans for the future, and does it involve pharmacy? I hope I’m still working in community pharmacy. Otherwise, I’m really interested in doing my Certificate in Training and Assessment and possibly looking at becoming a trainer and assessor for pharmacy assistants. Another interest is to further my education and study natural health. RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • FEB 2021