EP 68 It’s An Exciting Time to be a Pharmacist!

In this episode of Pharmacy View Podcast’s Pharmacy Career, Resource & Training, host, Kavita Nadan, Pharmacist, and Founder at Locumate, is joined by Kevin Ou, Manager of Training Delivery, and Assessment at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA). Kevin is a practicing Pharmacist with a diverse background in clinical education, policy development, and program implementation, and in this episode, they talk about their journey in the industry, the learnings along the way, and what young and upcoming Pharmacists need so that they can better the profession as a whole. In their own words, Kevin is a proud practicing Pharmacist and what excites them about the industry is being able to bring science and evidence into education and training products to be able to upskill the industry as a whole. Kevin is also a mental health advocate and brings mental health-related training to the Pharmaceutical industry. Talking about their early days, Kevin shares how they started out thinking they would become a Hospital Pharmacist only to meet some really amazing people and fall in love with Community Pharmacy along the way. Kevin finds being able to impact people’s health in the community as being rewarding. Then Kevin went on to work at PSA. At PAS, combining their frontline experience as a Pharmacist with their deep understanding of the wider healthcare system, Kevin is able to design, develop and deliver training and assessment strategies. When asked about what their top pieces of advice would be for anyone wearing multiple hats at work as they do, Kevin shares the following: 1. Be open-minded Being a Pharmacist is an evolving profession. There are so many opportunities out there and one needs to be open-minded to explore those. 2. Bite off more than you can chew, and then chew like mad Kevin borrows this advice from PSA’s National President, Dr. Fei Sim. Positive affirmations and visualizing success can be helpful in leveraging opportunities and resources. 3. Find a mentor Kevin believes that mentors can be both official and unofficial and we can all benefit from having mentors in our careers. Mentors can help you master your craft, provide feedback and give you a new perspective, advocate for your cause, and be willing to collaborate with you, among many other things. And when asked about what they have learned along their journey, Kevin was quick to share the following: 1. Trust yourself 2. Celebrate your wins And here’s what Kevin has for those looking to become Pharmacists after their year of internship: 1. Be kind to yourself 2. Give yourself time to settle into your new environment 3. Get to know your colleagues 4. Develop and follow a training plan 5. Build a good support network 6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help 7. Seek feedback 8. Invest in a comfy pair of shoes (quite literally!) Drawing back to PSA, Kevin highlights how PSA exists for all Pharmacists, regardless of where they practice and what their roles are. PSA can help Pharmacists stay up to date with industry knowledge, what’s happening in the profession, and what opportunities are available. Adding to that, PSA also helps Pharmacists network with like-minded Pharmacists. Kevin says how these are exciting times to be a Pharmacist. Kevin elaborates how COVID has really helped bring attention to the positive impact that Pharmacists can make on healthcare. There are opportunities and in the coming days, Pharmacists will have much bigger roles to play in patients’ healthcare teams across a variety of settings: community, hospital, general practice, aged care, and aboriginal community-controlled health services. Kevin wants to keep the momentum going and sees their role flourishing in their new environment. They want to diversify their experiences and have the courage to keep trying new things in the days to come. In a time when change is the only constant, Kevin wants to continue being comfortable with change.