What's your job about?
Ramsay Pharmacy encompasses a wide range of hospital and community pharmacies that are responsible for providing pharmacy services and striving for exceptional care and health outcomes.
My responsibilities as a Resident Clinical Pharmacist at Greenslopes Private Hospital include overseeing the provision of medications to patients, managing discharge medications, being involved in patient-centred medication management and communication across multidisciplinary teams. My role also requires me to work closely with nursing staff ensuring their ward's medication supply is maintained and their pharmacy needs are met.
On a normal day in the hospital, my first duty is the collection, reconciliation and completion of all my wards discharging patients’ medications. Once all have been completed, I can begin my daily review of inpatient medications. This involves preparing a thorough ‘Medication Management Plan’ or ‘List’ of regular medications taken prior to their admission which is then reconciled with the medication charts used by the nurses to administer inpatient medications.
In the cases where there are inconstancies,
I will review the patient's progress notes and evaluate the medication charts to determine if the nature of the discrepancy is an intentional change or error. From this, if necessary I will contact the treating team to review the change and then I will discuss any potential side effects or monitoring required with the patients and nurses.
What's your background?
I grew up in the Glasshouse Mountains and worked as a dental nurse before moving to Brisbane to complete a Bachelor of Pharmacology at the University of Queensland. Dental Nursing was my first exposure to the world of health care, which I’d say sparked my ambition to work in my current setting.
During my university study, I took any opportunity to travel, going on Top Deck Tours through Europe and volunteering with the Challenges Abroad Foundation in Nepal. These experiences were incredible and were a fantastic way of expanding multi-cultural understandings.
Studying Pharmacy at Uni was definitely challenging for me, especially considering I chose the field with very little understanding of the profession, so throughout my earlier years of study I would constantly question if I was making the right choice by staying. It wasn’t until I reached the third year of Uni that I started my first job in pharmacy working with the Ramsay Pharmacy of Greenslopes Private Hospital.
Through Ramsay Pharmacy I found my passion for clinical education and I’ve been supported to advance my professional career, undertaking my Residency and taking on education roles within the hospital. I have since been given the opportunity to educate student doctors and work closely with a variety of specialists in; Neurosurgery, Vascular surgery, Gastrointestinal surgery, stroke and post-emergency Cardiac medicine.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely! I believe that anyone with a passion for health care can accomplish any level of success they strive for. I began my career with a decent level of uncertainty, and it took working in my field to develop the appreciation I have now.
My personal belief is that a well-functioning team or group of people will always produce the best outcomes when they can bring different experiences and opinions to the table.
Being a pharmacist is easiest when you’re a ‘detail-oriented person’ but it also takes a lot of confidence and a patient-centred focus. But don’t stress if you’re not sure if you’re a perfect fit, I think that as long as you surround yourself with work you are enthusiastic about, the day to days of the job will come with practice and you can be confident that you will always be doing work you enjoy.
What's the best thing about your job?
To me, the best part about my job is counselling the patients. It is so rewarding to be able to translate for the patients the things they haven’t understood either from their doctors or a long-standing misinterpretation of their medications’ requirements, often burdening daily life. It sounds so simple but it’s what I miss the most about community pharmacy and is something that I think is such a huge and important part of our job. I am reminded every day of why I love doing my job when I review patients like this.
What are the limitations or challenging aspects of your job?
Being a pharmacist is a huge responsibility. We need to be able to check others' work with a consistent 100% accuracy and also apply the clinical judgement of the medication order we are checking.
There are so many requirements for pharmacists so most people can find a job that suits them perfectly, whether it’s checking in a dispensary, working in a corporate position or working directly with the patients. The trick is knowing what kind of pharmacist you are suited to being.
The biggest challenge is taking on the responsibility of every patient’s medications, then knowing when and having the confidence to question them. This is something I think every pharmacist struggles with and will always be somewhat uncertain about.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
My first piece of advice would be to always challenge yourself. There is always something new to learn in pharmacy and if you settle for something that’s comfortable then you might never find a specialty you’re passionate about.
My second piece of advice would be to make sure to keep enjoying things outside of study. Don’t let yourself forget about your hobbies or the people around you, try and balance everything to the best you can.
My last piece of advice would be to take any and every opportunity to explore other things. Whether it be travel or other learning experiences, meeting new people and making connections (either within the business or around the world) is something so special that will only better you and your future.