Pharmacy Daily | Keep an open mind and say yes

EARLY career pharmacists and students looking to establish themselves in the profession are being urged to keep an open mind about the potential roles they could pursue.

A series of speakers at last night's Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Connect webinar urged aspiring pharmacists to make the most of opportunities as they emerge.

PSA National President, Dr Chris Freeman, said the pharmacists were increasingly opting to work across multiple sectors at the same time, rather than pursuing careers in one specific area.

"Be open to the idea that you don't have to be locked into one sector in terms of where you're working at the moment, or where you will be working," he said.

"I've reflected on my own career, and I can say when I was going through university, I would have been the last person who would have expected to end up having an academic career, I would have had no idea what working in general practice would be like and by no means would I have even considered being the President of the PSA.

"So keeping an open mind to what careers present and when opportunities do present themselves let your default answer be yes, and deal with the consequences of that later.

"Having that mindset of taking those opportunities and seeing what doors and opportunities they open is a really crucial thing."

Pharmacist-turned Federal MP, Emma McBride, urged pharmacists to embrace opportunities to lead.

"Pharmacists have all the attributes to be leaders," she said.

"We know how to listen, we know how to work with others, so I'd really like to encourage pharmacists to consider leadership roles - whether that's in community pharmacy, where I started, in the hospital or general practice setting, where there is a chance to have a say to step up and do that.

"Often someone isn't going to tap you on the shoulder, so you have to be willing to take that first step."

McBride told early career pharmacists that they have the community trust and training to make a difference for their patients and the future of the profession by embracing leadership roles.