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PATY 2020 NATIONAL WINNER 27 2020 PATY WINNER: Make 2021 a great year! Welcome to 2021, or as I’ve already heard it called, ‘2020 won’. All jokes aside, it’s important we reflect on 2020 and set ourselves up to make 2021 a great year. In early 2020, Australia was on fire ... literally. Not a great start to the year, but help came from all over the planet in the form of financial aid, volunteers and encouragement. With no small amount of effort, the fires were stopped. Our beautiful land was saved, and we proved that this planet can fight for a cause when it needs to. However, this was a mere ‘warm-up’ for what the rest of 2020 had in store. Covid-19 changed the world in an unprecedented manner and the pharmacy industry with it. Assistants all over Australia have adapted to these changes, ensuring that our communities have mostly stayed happy and healthy. This commitment to our communities shouldn’t be forgotten in the wake of a new year. We did our absolute best last year and I’d love to see this energy continued over the course of 2021. There’s more in you than you know! I first heard this phrase five years ago when I became part of my school leadership team. It was said by my headmaster at a morning leadership meeting and was something I’d heard him refer to a few times, although I’ve never spent much time thinking about it until recently. I visited Darwin with my family after Christmas and I had the bright idea of visiting two of the wildlife parks over two days. Now, I don’t handle humidity very well, and neither does the rest of my family, but off we went. The first park was a breeze and we’d seen all we could by one o’clock in the afternoon, so headed home for some rest. The next day we set out for the next park. This park was a loop, with events on at different spots in the park every 30 minutes. We were on our feet non-stop, running around to see as much as we could, and by one o’clock my family was broken. My four-year-old complained, “I’m hungry”, to which I had to reply, “Hi Hungry, I’m Dad”. We were sweaty, tired and hungry, and the park exit was two kilometres away, but despite being worn down, we were still all smiling. It was in that moment that the headmaster’s words found me. Today, we’re heading into the unknown. None of us knows how 2021 will play out. But no matter what happens this year, I’d like everyone to remember that “there’s more in you than you know”. Our dedication to continue providing exceptional service for our communities has been fantastic, despite all last year’s difficulties. Let’s all hit the ground running this year and make sure our communities, colleagues and families continue to have our support. By Benjamin King, 2020 Pharmacy Guild of Australia/Maxigesic Pharmacy Assistant of the Year. With the holiday season over, it’s back-to-school time, and here are a few must-haves I suggest keeping on hand. • Antiseptic cream – good to have available for any scrapes or cuts. • Adhesive bandages – I prefer the fabric BAND-AIDS. They stick better than the plastic ones. Bear in mind that some people have minor allergic reactions to the adhesive or fabric in these products. • Compeed blister pads – plenty of kids will be breaking in new shoes, and blisters are bound to occur. When it comes to blisters, especially in sensitive areas (where the shoe sits on the heels) Compeed is phenomenal. It’s comfortable, padded and sticky. • Head lice kits – yes, the most fun part of being a parent, treating head lice! I keep one of these kits around as a precaution. You never know when you’ll need it. • Ibuprofen/paracetamol – great to keep around for pain relief whenever necessary. RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • FEB 2021