Your Pharmacy Career Podcast

An innovative Career Podcast, specifically for Pharmacists.​

The “Your Pharmacy Career” Podcast features a leader from the profession, discussing their career and sharing their experiences and learnings.

Hosted by Pharmacist, Krysti-Lee Patterson, get ready to be inspired, informed, and empowered as Krysti-Lee shares her wisdom, experiences, and interviews some of the brightest minds in the field. Whether you're a seasoned professional, a budding pharmacist, or just curious about the diverse opportunities in pharmacy, "Your Pharmacy Career" is your go-to podcast.

Season 8 has kicked off with a bang, featuring:

• Tom Simpson - Charting the Course of Pharmacy: A Journey from Intern to Leader

• Vivian Lee - From Traditional to Digital: Charting a New Course in Pharmacy Careers

• Steve Morris - The Transformative Journey of a Pharmacy Leader: the Evolution of Pharmaceutical Care

• Yvette Anderson - Bridging Pharmacy Expertise and Parenthood: A Spectrum of Experiences

• Vanessa Lontos - Empowering Pharmacy Leadership and Holistic Health Conversations

A quick recap of Season 7, that features:

• Dr Ramesh Walpola - Pharmacist | Pharmacy Academic Lead & Program Authority at UNSW | Certified Health Manager (CHM)

• Jacquie Meyer - Clinical Pharmacist | Pharmacy Owner | Hospital Pharmacist | Naturopath | Mentor to early career Pharmacists | Mother

• Flynn Swift & Georgia Bridges - NAPSA President & Treasurer | Special conversation with the dynamic duo at the helm of the peak pharmacy student body

• Brooke Shelly - General Practice Pharmacist (GPP) | Consultant/Credentialed Pharmacist for HMR | Senior Clinical Pharmacist at Beyond Pain

• Jamil Karaki - Pharmacist | University Teacher | TikTok Content Creator

“We hope the Podcast series becomes a must listen for any Pharmacist in Australia, irrespective of their field of interest, and shines a light on the wonderful role models in the profession and their amazing stories and careers.” - Heidi Dariz, GM of Raven's Recruitment​

This is the Podcast of Raven's Recruitment, an Australian owned recruitment agency specialising in permanent and locum Pharmacist recruitment for the Pharmacy Industry since 1987 across Australia and New Zealand.

S08E05: Vanessa Lontos is a community pharmacist, previous pharmacy owner and inspiring pharmacy leader, speaker, and coach.  Vanessa provides coaching and development to pharmacists and pharmacy teams across Australia, focusing on patient engagement, team culture, leadership, and change management to enhance their ability, and confidence, to deliver comprehensive health solutions and expanded pharmacy care. 

Prior to launching her consulting business, Vanessa led the Learning and Development team at Sigma Healthcare.  Vanessa is also currently a Learning Consultant with THINKA supporting leaders and teams to develop skills and capabilities in Thinka’s ‘human skills’ curriculum. 

In 2010 Vanessa was a finalist for the City of Port Phillip Citizen of the Year award and won the 2019 ARCHI Award at Sigma Healthcare.  Vanessa lives with her daughter in Melbourne.

You can find Vanessa Lontos on LinkedIn.

S08E04: Yvette Anderson is a clinical accredited pharmacist and pharmapreneur passionate about neurodevelopmental conditions.

Spanning over 15 years as a registered pharmacist Yvette has experience in aged care, consultancy, community pharmacy and both private and public hospital pharmacy.

In 2020 Yvette launched The Spectrum Pharmacist, a combination of professional knowledge and lived experience to increase awareness, promote inclusion, and provide education and support.

In 2022 Yvette won the PSA Pharmacy Shark Tank and the PSA Victorian Pharmacist of the Year for her commitment and initiatives in the neurodivergent space.

You can find Yvette Anderson on LinkedIn.

S08E03: Steve Morris is the CEO, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Steve is motivated by making positive and real change in people’s lives through improved health care.

After completing a degree in pharmacy and spending time volunteering early in his career in India, Steve realised his strengths were strategic and that he wanted to make a wider difference with the work that he did.

Steve has worked in numerous clinical and management roles within health spanning pharmacy practice including hospital, community, primary care, industry and NGO sectors.

Career highlights have included three years driving change at NPS MedicineWise ensuring a collaborative and consumer centred approach to improving outcomes. Overseeing significant reform of pharmacy services in SA Health, developing and driving the strategy that increased efficiencies and reduced service inequities, increasing the employee base while simultaneously delivering $30 million in savings. Previous to that Steve developed and delivered a strategy to successfully bring more business focus, increasing the funding base and more flexible service delivery to the National Prescribing Centre in the UK.

You can find Steve Morris on LinkedIn.

S08E02: Vivian Lee is a Senior Consultant at IQVIA, as part of the Strategic Insights and Analytics team.

Her expertise is in leading and executing projects in the management consulting and commercial effectiveness area of practice for Consumer Health and Pharmaceutical clients, where she brings her in-depth industry knowledge of the retail pharmacy landscape, categories and consumer behavioural trends.

Vivian’s background is a registered Pharmacist with 15 years of experience working in various roles within the industry, including ownership of multiple pharmacies, Digital Marketing Manager, Examiner for the Pharmacy Council of NSW and Pharmacist Advisor to the aviation health industry.

You can find Vivian Lee on LinkedIn.

S08E01: Tom Simpson is the President, Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia and Executive Director, Statewide Hospital Pharmacy Tasmania, and has held positions as Chair, Statewide Pharmacy Executive Committee, the Tasmanian Minister’s Health Council and the Pharmacy Board of Tasmania.

Tom is a member of the SHPA Leadership and Management Specialty Practice Leadership Committee and holds a conjoint position as Senior Clinical Lecturer with the University of Tasmania School of Pharmacy.

Tom was awarded 2018 Tasmanian Pharmacist of the Year and the 2019 SHPA Medal of Merit, recognising outstanding contribution to pharmacy practice locally and nationally.

You can find Tom Simpson on LinkedIn.

S07E05: Jamil Karaki, a Locum Pharmacist deeply rooted in the world of retail pharmacy and education. Jamil wears multiple hats, not only as a dedicated educator in the pharmacy program at the University of New South Wales but also as a dynamic content creator on TikTok, where he imparts invaluable health tips and tricks to the public as @megamindpharmacist.

Jamil's pharmacy odyssey began during his student years when he ventured into retail pharmacy, swiftly climbing the ladder to manage large pharmacies and lead teams of up to 47 staff members by the young age of 27. Along this journey, he started sharing his wealth of knowledge through what he termed 'Megamind sessions' - educational forums where he enlightened fellow pharmacy professionals and students about common ailments and their treatments.

These sessions served as the foundation for Jamil's rapidly growing social media presence, amassing nearly 60,000 followers and counting. But Jamil's passion for teaching didn't stop there. Upon joining the pharmacy course at UNSW, he collaborated with Dr. Ramesh Walpola to teach the double-degree pharmacy course. This opportunity allowed Jamil to nurture his newfound passion for guiding the future generation of pharmacists, ensuring they grasp and excel in the intricacies of the profession.

Yet, Jamil's ambitions reach even further. He aspires to become a pharmacy owner, with a vision to revolutionise the pharmacy experience for the public in an unprecedented and innovative manner. Join us as we explore Jamil Karaki's incredible journey, filled with dedication, education, and the relentless pursuit of transforming the world of pharmacy.

You can find Jamil Karaki on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram.

S07E04: Brooke Shelly is one of the few pharmacists across the country working in General Practice as a General Practice Pharmacist (GPP), she was one of the first to hold this role in Victoria. Currently, Brooke enjoys a portfolio career, working as a GP Pharmacist consulting at Ontario Medical Clinic, Consultant/Credentialed Pharmacist delivering Home Medicine Review (HMR) services, and her role as a Senior Clinical Pharmacist at Beyond Pain.

Brooke regularly acts as pharmacist lead for the Murray PHN on their clinical working group teams and has contributed to various Health Pathways as Subject Matter Expert. She has also facilitated and participated in many government round table events representing rural pharmacy at both State and Federal levels. She has recently commenced her first term on the PSA Victorian Branch Committee and the Board of the Pharmaceutical Society Victoria.

Brooke Shelly is a thought leader and conversation starter. She champions the cause to see diversification of the traditional pharmacist role for our next generation of pharmacists, in particular advocating for innovative models of care for pharmacists delivering primary health care to the 30% of Australians who live in regional, rural and remote Australia.

She graduated with a B.Pharm in 2009 from La Trobe University in Bendigo and in her final year of study was awarded the Pharmacy Student of the Year for Victoria. Most recently she was a Finalist in the Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV) Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Allied Health.

Brooke holds a Graduate Diploma of Management, HMMR/RMMR credentialing and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, she is also a Pharmacist Immuniser.

Over the past 4 years, Brooke has been privileged to play her role as the medication expert at Ontario Medical Clinic as their GP Pharmacist. There she is involved in pre-consultations with patients, reviewing patients history, pathology and collaborating with the patients GP to achieve medication optimisation. She assists in the training of the GP registrars, nurses and in the clinical placements of medical students in the chronic disease management space and enjoys overseeing the PIP QI program. Brooke never misses an opportunity to teach the next generation of healthcare professionals about the benefits of inter-professional collaboration and the integration of allied health into Primary Care as part of multidisciplinary teams.

You can find Brooke Shelly on LinkedIn.

S07E03: We're delighted to bring you a very special conversation. We have with us the dynamic duo at the helm of the National Australian Pharmacy Student Association, or NAPSA. Our guests are none other than President Flynn Swift and Treasurer Georgia Bridges who work tirelessly to support, guide, and advocate for pharmacy students nationwide.

They've been involved in numerous initiatives, supporting the professional growth of thousands of students, and they're here today to share their insights, experiences, and advice with you all.

We will be talking about their journeys in pharmacy school, what motivated them to take on these roles, and how being part of NAPSA has influenced their pharmacy education and future careers.

So whether you're an aspiring pharmacist, an early career pharmacist, or someone interested in student leadership, this episode is packed with insights you don't want to miss.

About Flynn Swift

Hi everyone, my name is Flynn and I'm the National President of the National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association (NAPSA). I am a 4th-year pharmacy student at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

About Georgia Bridges

Hi I’m Georgia, I’m a current 4th year pharmacy student. I’m the 22/23 outgoing treasurer of NAPSA, a position I’ve held for 2 years now as well as the vice president of the RMIT Association of Pharmacy Students. I came into pharmacy after pursing another health career but have grown to love it and I’m excited to see it continue to expand and new roles for pharmacists emerge every day! 

You can find Flynn Swift and Georgia Bridges on LinkedIn.

S07E02: Jacquie Meyer is a pharmacist and pharmacy owner who provides a team of pharmacists to her communities to engage in their health and well-being journey. Using robot technology and a forward pharmacy model, Jacquie values the role of the Pharmacist.

Breaking the barrier between hospital and community Pharmacy, Jacquie provides a unique environment for Pharmacists to experience both within her LiveLife Cooroy Pharmacy in this Hybrid model. She also has experience and exposure to palliative care through her Cooroy pharmacy.

Jacquie is continually learning and is not only a naturopath but also training to become a lactation consultant.

As a former PSA QLD Branch President, Jacquie has had much involvement with advocacy at a state level as well as launching the PSA QLD ECP group to engage at a student level and assist in the development and mentoring of soft skills not taught at University.

Jacquie has been a Preceptor to over 10 Intern Pharmacists, assisted in writing the LiveLife Intern Program and has mentored 3 LiveLife Early Career Pharmacists into their Ownership Pathway in the LiveLife Pharmacy Group.

She is passionate about the future of Pharmacy and is always highly engaged with pharmacists to fulfill their career pathways.

Located in the enviable northern region of the Sunshine Coast, Jacquie is a partner in the LiveLife Pharmacy group, which is the largest employer of community pharmacists on the sunny coast.

She welcomes any pharmacist to make contact with her to discuss not only partnership opportunities within a trusted and well respected network but to talk about the ever changing landscape of our pharmacy profession.

You can find Jacquie Meyer on LinkedIn.

S07E01: Dr Ramesh Walpola is a Pharmacist, Certified Health Manager (CHM) and the Pharmacy Academic Lead & Program Authority at the School of Health Sciences. His main area of research expertise and interest is in patient and medication safety, particularly examining the social determinants of safe practices.

Ramesh completed his PhD at The University of Sydney in 2016, which focused on the development of educational interventions to enhance generational change in patient safety practices in the pharmacy setting. He was awarded the FIP Young Pharmacist Award for Professional Innovation in 2012 in recognition of the novelty of this work. Following his PhD, he worked in a number of clinical research roles, including a multi-centre deprescribing randomised controlled trial, development of inter-professional student-led clinics and a review of the junior undergraduate pharmacy practice curriculum at The University of Sydney.

Ramesh’s current research spans a number of areas including patient and medication safety, safety culture, health professional education, patient experience with a focus on vulnerable populations. Ramesh is currently leading the implementation of the new pharmacy program in the School of Health Sciences, as part of the suite of new and relaunched health professional programs. 

You can find Ramesh Walpola on LinkedIn.

S06E05: A discussion about Australian Pharmacy Student Research is featured in this episode, in which the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Australian Pharmacy Students' Journal, Elissar Mansour, and the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Dr Fei Sim, share their research journey and encourage more pharmacy students to participate.Australian Pharmacy Students' Journal is the only peer-reviewed pharmacy student journal in the world, providing pharmacy students around the world with the opportunity to develop research skills and publish their work. In addition to publishing their own work, interns and students have the opportunity to review and edit others' work.

About Elissar Mansour
Elissar Mansour recently graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons I + University Medal) from the University of Sydney and she is now completing her internship at Blacktown Hospital in Western Sydney (NSW). Passionate about research from a very young age, she has been involved in diverse research projects ranging from Pharmacy Practice to Pharmaceutical Sciences, and has recently completed her honours project in the field of Drug Development.

Her passion for the Pharmacy profession also drove her to be a leader at her university where she was elected as President at the Sydney University Pharmacy Association (SUPA) in 2021, and Executive Director at the National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association (NAPSA). Her role within NAPSA expands to also being the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Pharmacy Students' Journal (APSJ), a journal that was created to provide students and interns with the opportunity to publish their work, become reviewers and be involved in editing roles.

Having had the privilege of experiencing research from her first year at university, Elissar hopes to utilise her role within NAPSA to increase the engagement of students in research and create more opportunities for young researchers.

You can find Elissar Mansour and Dr Fei Sim on LinkedIn.

S06E04: Nichole Lanham is a University of Queenslandgraduate with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours). Her passion for Pharmacy in general is evident in her work, however she has a particular interest in the clinical areas of skin, asthma, and generic / biosimilar medications. Nichole is a Pharmacist Policy Advisor with The Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Secretariatand works within the Practice, Policy and Regulations team.

Nichole has previously worked as a Chief Pharmacist and Business Development Manager - Dispensary with Chempro Chemistsand Chemist OutletGroups, providing ongoing training, mentoring, and regulatory advice to pharmacists and pharmacy owners, along with assisting in the development of pilot patient support programs with various companies.

Nichole enjoys providing and facilitating training to Pharmacists and Pharmacy Assistants on a variety of topics and applications within the Pharmacy industry.

Nichole enjoys presenting on her passions within pharmacy and educating those around her.

You can find Nichole Lanham on LinkedIn.

S06E03: Natasha Jovanoska is a passionate pharmacist and pharmacy owner working in the ACT and in rural NSW.  She is always willing to give anything a go and does so with a smile. 

Natasha has been known as one half of the ‘singing pharmacist’, undertaken postgraduate study in wound care and dermatology, become a Heart Foundation Health Professional Ambassador, an AHPRA Oral Examiner, PSA ACT Early Career Pharmacist Working Group member and intern preceptor. She is also on the University of Canberra’s Course Advisory Group and most recently was responsible for the involvement of the Capital Chemist Group at the 2023 Annual NAPSA Congress in Canberra.

Natasha is the most recent recipient of the ACT PSA ECP of the Year Award in 2022.

Natasha's passion lies in community pharmacy - specifically in health services and community health outcomes - and community pharmacy ownership. She advocates for doing what you love and following your passion. 

You can find Natasha Jovanoska on LinkedIn.

S06E02: Hayley Smilie is on the PDL NSW / ACT local advisory committee and is a Professional Officer for PDL. With over 20 years’ experience as a registered pharmacist, Hayley has worked as a manager in a community pharmacy, as a hospital pharmacist, pharmacist preceptor for student placements and national coordinator for a highly regarded intern training program.

Hayley has written continuing education, worked as a rural remote Section 100 supply and coordination pharmacist in remote indigenous communities and practised as a registered pharmacist in Great Britain. Hayley also has extensive experience in risk management and as a risk consultant and is passionate about professional support for pharmacists.

You can find Hayley Smilie on LinkedIn.

S06E01: Chantelle Turner is a pharmacist, emotional intelligence practitioner, leadership coach and the founder of TURN Pharmacy Leadership, a leadership coaching business created by a pharmacist for pharmacists and people within our industry. Through her business, Chantelle fulfils her purpose of empowering pharmacists and key personnel to become game-changers in their lives, workplaces, and communities.

Chantelle has been described by her colleagues and clients as an inspiring and passionate leader who helps others fulfil their potential by seeing opportunities and perspectives that would not have otherwise been seen. The insight she brings is built from first-hand experience, long days and hard lessons learned, as well as a personal ongoing pursuit for growth and mastery.

Through her business values of trust, upskilling, reigniting and nurturing, she aims to bring everyone to the table to find common ground, growth and success for all and at the expense of no one.

You can find Chantelle Turner on LinkedIn.

S05E05: Miruna Vivekanandarajah is a Self-Employed Pharmacist (Locum) who completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy, with a Major in International Pharmacy at The University of Sydney.

Miruna commenced pharmacy career training in the pharmaceutical industry in regulatory affairs and in community pharmacy.

Currently focussed in expanding clinical, professional and personal skills through working in different pharmacies in rural/regional Australia, Miruna is an early career pharmacist with a goal to work in all the states and territories in Australia!

In this episode, Miruna shares with us many practical tips and useful advice to help fellow pharmacists who are interested in starting or excelling on their locum journey. 

As a bonus in this episode, Allie Xu invited the general manager of Raven’s Recruitment, Heidi Dariz. Heidi shares with us her insights from the 2022 Pharmacy Salary and Market Report, the 7CPA Emergency Locum Service Program, and Heidi is also bringing exciting news about a new initiative at Raven’s Recruitment.

You can find Miruna Vivekanandarajah on LinkedIn.

You can find Heidi Dariz on LinkedIn.​

S05E04: Dr Fei Sim is the first female National President to lead PSA since its Federation in 1977. Dr Sim is a Senior Lecturer and the Coordinator of International Engagement in the Curtin Medical School at Curtin University, Western Australia (WA).

In 2020 she was also made a Fellow of the Society before being appointed as a Director on the PSA National Board in 2021. Dr Sim has over 14 years of clinical practice experience and is currently a practising community pharmacist and a community pharmacy proprietor. Dr Sim also served as PSA’s WA President from 2017 to 2021.

Dr Sim holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree with First Class Honours and is a qualified pharmacist immuniser and an Accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She is a Fellow of the PSA and the Higher Education Academy, and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Dr Sim serves on a number of professional and academic committees.

Dr Sim was awarded the Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award in 2014, the PSA WA Early Career Pharmacist Award in 2018 and the National Early Career Pharmacist of The Year Award in 2019, all of which are testament to her commitment to patient care, learning and teaching, leadership in pharmacy, innovation and initiative in pharmacy service delivery, as well as peer and professional engagement.

Dr Sim is an active pharmacy practice researcher and is also the recipient of a number of research grants and projects focusing on advancing the practice of pharmacy and the implementation of professional pharmacy services in community pharmacy, including the noteworthy JM O’Hara Research Fund grant from the Pharmaceutical Society of West Australia (PSWA) in 2018. Through this grant, Dr Sim and her team conducted and published on a feasibility study on point-of-care C-reactive protein testing in community pharmacy. It is hoped this project will contribute towards facilitating antimicrobial stewardship and advancing evidence-based community pharmacy practice to improve recognition of pharmacists’ roles and remuneration.

You can find Dr Fei Sim on LinkedIn.

S05E03: Nick Panayiaris is a practising pharmacist with over 30 years’ experience and is an owner of a community pharmacy in South Australia. Nick is the SA Branch President and the Senior National Vice President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and has been a National Councillor for 10 years. He was the Chair of the Guild’s Member Services and Innovation Committee and is a current member of the Health Economic and Policy Committee which negotiated the 6th and 7th Community Pharmacy Agreement.

Nick’s other roles include – Board member of the World Pharmacy Council, immediate past member of the Priceline Brand Advisory Committee, the co-Chair and member of the Guild's CP2025 project and is a Director of the Guild Group of companies including Guild Super, Guild Link and Gold Cross.

On a personal note, Nick is married with two children and his interests include fishing, the outdoors, growing vegetables and making wine. Nick's voluntary roles include his Life and Board membership of the Adelaide Comets Football Club with a focus on Junior Development.

S05E02: Ayomide (Mide) Ogundipe is an early career pharmacist with experience in community pharmacy, policy and advocacy, teaching and research.

Ayomide has successfully coordinated and introduced a number of innovative programs and services to her practice, including the Your Health Expo for the Pharmacy 777 Group, demonstrating her capability in project coordination. Notably, her passion, organisation skills and professional reputation have earned her a national award, the 2019 MIMS PSA Intern Pharmacist of the Year.

Passionate about digital health transformation, Ayomide is determined to make a meaningful contribution to the Pharmacy profession and is currently researching the technological needs of pharmacists to enable contemporary pharmacy practice in current and emerging roles.

You can find Ayomide Ogundipe on LinkedIn.

S05E01: Samantha (Sam) King is a current Intern Pharmacist with Queensland Health, Metro South; and, a graduate of Bachelor of Pharmacy, with First Class Honours, from the University of Queensland class of 2021.

Passionate about equity in quality use of medicines; cultural safety; advancement in pharmacists’ professional scope of practice; and, student engagement in clinical research - she has been fortunate to engage in a variety of unique and rewarding professional development opportunities. Samantha has accrued over four years of employment experience within the pharmaceutical industry and has practised within a wide scope for her age - including: community pharmacy, aged care, private hospital, public hospital - in both digital (ieMR-based) and non-digital hospital delivery formats.

Samantha demonstrates continued passion and interest for the pharmacy profession through leadership in the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA), the Queensland Pharmacy Students’ Association (QPSA), The University of Queensland pharmacy student mentor and leadership program, and the Academic Advocacy Network.

Samantha King is nationally recognised for her outstanding contributions and professional achievements to pharmacy by professional organisations including the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the University of Queensland (UQ).

You can find Samantha King on LinkedIn.

S04E06: Lisa Nguyen is a Pharmacist, and founder and CEO of Astrid, Australia’s first female-led dispensary with the vision to reinvent the traditional pharmacy model and put the plant-power back to patients. Astrid is a boutique specialty pharmacy, pioneering in cannabinoid medicine, plant-based therapies and nutraceuticals, located at the heart of South Yarra in Melbourne.

You can find Lisa Nguyen on LinkedIn.

S04E05: Chris Owen is a third-generation regional community pharmacist with a keen interest in rural health and pharmacy education. He has practical experience and degree qualifications in rural pharmacy as well as offering specialist services in Sexual Health; particularly HIV prevention and treatment.

Chris is the Queensland Branch President & National Vice-President Finance of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and former President of Australasian College of Pharmacy.

In his downtime, Chris holds a keen interest in Golf, Rugby and Horse Racing. He is married to Lachana, who works as a paediatric nurse at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

You can find Chris Owen on LinkedIn.

S04E04: Jess Burrey grew up in regional NSW and has practiced Pharmacy in rural and regional areas since gaining registration in 2006. Cutting her teeth working as a Managing Pharmacist in Mount Isa as soon as she gained full registration, Jess has been practicing in Emerald QLD for the past 12.5 years and became a pharmacy owner in 2016.

Across her group of pharmacies, Jess and her team deliver a wide range of services and extended scope opportunities for Pharmacists. Driven by a desire to develop the skills of young pharmacists and health professionals through mentoring and training Jess has recently partnered with the newly announced Central Queensland Centre for Rural Healthoperated by JCU.

Along with her pharmacy operations, Jess is actively involved in the delivery of health services to rural and remote areas as a board director for Central Queensland Rural Healthand Rural Health Management Servicessupporting rural health practitioners and practices to create sustainability and excellence in rural health and is a member of the CQ Clinical Councilfor the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Central Queensland PHN and member of the Communities of Excellence steering committee.

You can find Jess Burrey on LinkedIn.

S04E03: Verity Boustead is the current National President of the National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association (NAPSA), and former Research Chair. Verity is working as an Intern Pharmacist at Alfred Health in Melbourne, and in her final year of a Master of Pharmacy at Monash University after graduating with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (First Class Honours).

Through her role as the NAPSA President, Verity wants to continue the fantastic work of her predecessors in strengthening the knowledge and experiences of pharmacy students and interns throughout Australia, and ensuring that their future is prosperous.

Outside of pharmacy, Verity maintains a very balanced lifestyle spending time with friends and family, going on hikes every weekend, and spending too much money on brunch.

You can find Verity Boustead on LinkedIn.

S04E02: Lucinda Marks currently part owns and manages two Capital Chemist pharmacies in Canberra. Her pharmacy career began 14 years ago. Since then she has experienced the full spectrum of positions in pharmacy, assistant, dispense technician, intern pharmacist, pharmacist, pharmacist in charge and now managing partner.

In 2019 Lucinda received the MIMS/Guild Australian Intern Pharmacist of the Year and Team Member of the Year Finalist for Capital Chemist. In 2020, she was awarded The Sirianni Scholarship for Future Pharmacist Leaders.

Thoroughly passionate about community pharmacy, Lucinda's passion lies within assisting our community to our utmost ability and motivating our staff to do the same. Lucinda also believes in practising what we preach, living the most balanced life possible, and also loves playing competitive league tag and enjoy being outdoors.

You can find Lucinda Marks on LinkedIn.

S04E01: Jeyda Shiaxiates works at Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) in Pharmacy Operations for Priceline Pharmacy. She has been a community Pharmacist for seven years, and in a brand support role for five years.  She is a mum of two young children (5 years old and 11 months old) and works full time. Her current role involves developing and supporting the Priceline Pharmacists in their career and professional development ambitions. She is passionate about the value a Pharmacist can add to patient care and the importance of a multidisciplinary team of health professionals where Pharmacist’s are the centre of the ecosystem.

This year, Jeyda works to recognise and support Pharmacists working through the pandemic, with appreciation of  the changes in our profession in recent times and its impact into the future. Further to this, Jeyda has an interest in the emerging generation of Pharmacist Graduates, as they transition from University into the Priceline Pharmacy banner.

You can find Jeyda Shiaxiates on LinkedIn.

S03E05: Kay Dunkley is passionate about the health and well-being of health professionals.  After forging a career based in hospital pharmacy prior to having children, Kay has over the years also been involved in roles providing services which support pharmacists and other health professionals.  These roles have included working for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Victorian Branch), the Victorian Drug Usage Advisory Committee (VDUAC), the Victorian Medicines Advisory Committee (VMAC) and the Victorian Therapeutics Advisory Group (VicTAG).  Currently Kay is employed as the Executive Officer of the Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS).

The role with PSS lead to employment by AMA Victoria to establish and coordinate their Peer Support Service for doctors and medical students which is based on the PSS model.  At AMA Victoria Kay also coordinates the Peer Visitor Program matching elderly isolated doctors with volunteer visitors who are medical students or doctors.  In addition she shares the role of coordinating the doctor in training mentoring program at AMA Victoria.

Kay has also until recently worked as an accredited consultant pharmacist undertaking medication reviews.

In 2020 Kay was awarded the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Symbion Pharmacist of the Year.

You can find Kay Dunkley on LinkedIn.

S03E04: David Paulmert is an early career Pharmacist on Thursday Island. David was awarded 2018 Guild Intern of the Year while working in Port Douglas and continued to work there for four years. David then moved to Thursday Island at the beginning of 2021, and now often commutes to work via helicopter, spending the day in remote health centres on the islands in the Torres Strait.

David is an alumnus of the Griffith University Association of Pharmacy Students (GUAPS), where he served as President in 2015, and Treasurer in 2016. He is also an honorary life member of the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA), following his role on the Board for two years (2015-17).

David carries a strong enthusiasm for rural practice and has no plans to move to an urban location anytime soon.

You can find David Paulmert on LinkedIn.

S03E03: Trent Twomey was elected as National President of The Pharmacy Guild of Australia in March 2021. Trent has been involved with the Guild for over 10 years and was part of the successful negotiating team for the Sixth and Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreements.

He is Secretary of the World Pharmacy Council, immediate Past Chairman and Director of Advance Cairns, a Professor at James Cook University, a Council Member of the Queensland Futures Institute, and a trustee for the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).

Trent and his wife are both pharmacists and own a small group of pharmacies in Northern Queensland.

You can find Trent Twomey on LinkedIn.

S03E02: Michael Minter is an experienced Paramedic and Pharmacist with a demonstrated history of working in the health care industry. Michael has been recognised as the 2020 Pharmacist of the Year for TerryWhite Chemmart.

Skilled in Emergency Medicine, Management and Leadership, Michael has a strong professional focus on health education with a graduate certificate in Diabetes Education.

Michael's special interest is in providing specialised care to marginalised communities including the LGBTIQ+ community, as a part of everyday practice.

This episode features Paige Wilcox, also known as P. K. Wilcox, Paige (she/her) is a compassionate author and Intentional Storytelling Consultant. Paige uses the Intentional Storytelling method to create compelling stories that counter unhealthy or unhelpful bias, tropes, and stereotypes in mainstream media. Her unique skillset draws on formal education in film, television, and theatre acting, business, corporate training, and communications. These are enhanced by more than 15 years of experience with host presenting, panel moderation, inclusion proofreading, creative writing, and book publishing. 

Paige has previously served as board member for Open Doors Youth Service, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting LGBTIQ youth. She also dedicated years to assisting LGBTIQ professionals through roles as Queensland State Director and Director of State Development with Out for Australia. Her combination of training design skills and lived experience have allowed her to help educate medical students, doctors, and other professionals. 

This passion was the driving force behind her science fiction novel Before We Pulled The Trigger, and is thoroughly explored in the semi-autobiographical Memoirable series detailing life before and after her gender transition.

You can find Michael Minter on LinkedIn and Paige Wilcox on LinkedIn.

S03E01: Rheanna Norris is a dedicated and passionate pharmacy student who aspires to work as a clinical hospital pharmacist. As President of the Queensland Pharmacy Students’ Association (QPSA) for 2021 and outgoing National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) treasurer 20/21, Rheanna has been provided with an invaluable opportunity to be involved in the expanding pharmacy industry.

Rheanna attributes these positions to her future pharmacy career and feels privileged to be involved in a fascinating field of study. You can sometimes catch them bouldering at their local gym or catching up with friends in their spare time as they try to balance working as a student pharmacist with academia and leadership commitments.

This episode features some relevant questions answered by Debbie Capuano, Recruitment Consultant at Raven's Recruitment.

You can find Rheanna Norris on LinkedIn and Debbie Capuano on LinkedIn.

S02E05: Gerald Quigley is a Pharmacist and Master Herbalist based in Melbourne. He is a media health commentator heard each week on many radio stations across Australia.

He is a regular weekly guest on Australia Overnight, heard across the Nine Radio network and syndicated stations each Thursday morning. This group includes 4CA, 4BC, 2UE, 5aa, 3AW and regional networks. He speaks on 6PR Perth on Saturday evenings. Additionally, he is co-host of a health and wellness program heard each Sunday on the Nine Radio Network live across Australia. Gerald is a regular guest on House of Wellness TV seen on the Seven Network across Australia each week.

He has lectured in Drug & Integrative Pharmacology to 3rd Year students at the Southern School of Natural Therapies, part of the Torrens University Group, in Melbourne. Gerald has also published a textbook on the benefits of Olive Leaf Extract. Gerald is a Fellow of the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia (NTAA) and Fellow of the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA).

Gerald consults to a number of companies within the health and wellness network within Australia, lectures at Wellness conferences and regularly speaks to a variety of Community groups and  communities about physical and emotional health. He sees patients by appointment at Botanica in Malvern Victoria.

His passion is to empower each person to make sensible health decisions, and to continually maintain and improve their quality of life, especially as they age. Gerald reinforces our rediscovery of the ability to understand wellness, the role of food choices, and aging well – all of which are aspects of vitality fundamental to our future.

You can find Gerald Quigley on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

S02E04: Megan Tremlett has more than 25 years’ experience working as a pharmacist across public and private hospital (across 3 states of Australia as well as overseas), community pharmacy, consultancy, project management and research.

Megan is currently based in Queensland working for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia as a Senior Pharmacist in the Program Delivery Team, managing a number of palliative care projects. She is also supporting the Brisbane South Primary Health Network in a joint appointment with PSA to lead a number of priority pharmacy-related initiatives.

Prior to this role, Megan spent two and a half years as one of PSA’s project coordinators for the Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to improve Chronic disease management (IPAC) trial, which sought to explore the impact of pharmacists integrated into Aboriginal health services.

Megan is passionate about job diversity and the development of career pathways which enable pharmacists to work to their full scope of practice in a variety of settings, optimising professional satisfaction and striving to improve patient health outcomes.

You can find Megan Tremlett on LinkedIn.

S02E03: Sam Turner has a passion for community pharmacy in Australia and it's changing potential. With over 10 years of experience Sam has experienced pharmacy as a Manager, Locum, Pharmacist & student whilst obtaining exceptional growth results during his leadership ventures. More recently Sam has traveled and locumed around Australia.

Sam is now the Operations Manager for Scrypt Ventures, a pharmacy software development and digital transformation company who partner with leading vendors to provide end-to-end dispensary solutions for community pharmacy.

Sam's further experience includes extensive involvement in professional organisations and industry representation over the last 5 years including the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Pharmacy Development Australia, and the Digital Health Agency to name a few.

You can find Sam Turner on LinkedIn.

S02E02: Bridget Totterman is Chief Operating Officer of the White Retail – White Medical Group leading and overseeing the management of seven pharmacies, eight medical practices and the support office at White Retail Group. She is the business owner of an additional four pharmacies: TerryWhite Chemmart Toowong; TerryWhite Chemmart Toombul; TerryWhite Chemmart Canelands Mackay and TerryWhite Chemmart Mackay 2.

Bridget was appointed Clinical Fellow of Queensland University of Technology in 2018 and is a member of the Course Advisory Group for QUT Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons.). She sits on the Queensland Branch Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

Bridget has completed courses in Integrative Medicine for Pharmacists; Successful Negotiations; Human Resources and has an Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama and successfully completed the Company Directors Course by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

You can find Bridget Totterman at White Retail.

S02E01: Anthony Tassone is a community pharmacist and has been a proprietor of community pharmacies since 2006 in outer south eastern Melbourne.  He has been the Victorian Branch President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia since 2013.

His pharmacies have been recognised for community engagement and customer service excellence on multiple occasions at both a State and National level.  Over the past decade, Anthony has served on a range of advisory boards for multi-national pharmaceutical companies, and had advisory roles with State and Federal governments.  Anthony is currently a Director of the National Return of Unwanted Medicines Board.

In 2019, Anthony was the recipient of the Holt Australia Day Award recognising his contribution to health promotion, primary healthcare and volunteerism in the community.

You can find Anthony Tassone on LinkedIn.

S01E10: March has been a month of celebrating the achievements of women internationally. As we approach the end of the month, let’s not forget it is not just a day or a month to celebrate and recognise women. It is an ongoing campaign to help women around the world to be heard, understood, empowered and supported. The global UN Women theme for International Women’s Day this year is “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. This is a timely reminder of how important it is to celebrate women in pharmacy leadership roles. 

Today, we are very fortunate to have a great female leader in pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Fellow, Joyce McSwan join our show and share with us her journey as a pharmacy leader. Joyce is a multi-award winning clinical consultant pharmacist and educator within the field of pain management. She is the Clinical Director of the Gold Coast Primary Health Network ‘Turning Pain into Gain’ program and Managing Director of PainWISE. Before we hear from Joyce, I want to wish you a safe and happy Easter holiday. Thank you so much for your support in the past 9 episodes we are going to take a break for 4 weeks before we continue our journey sharing the stories of innovators in the Australian pharmacy industry. Please take time to listen and take notes from our past episodes to receive invaluable insights from our amazing guests.

You can find Joyce McSwan on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E09: Regina Cowie is the national health care service manager at Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) - for brands such as Priceline Pharmacy, Pharmacist Advice and Soul Pattinson Chemist - one of the leading health care and beauty companies in Australia that is involved in pharmaceutical distribution, retailing and manufacturing.

In this episode, Regina shares her experience exploring the opportunities throughout Australia. Her experiences encompass various suburban, city and remote settings, including rural and remote support in Darwin, Northern Territory. She also shares her insights and offers her advice to empower all students and pharmacists alike to establish a successful pharmacy career.

You can find Regina Cowie on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E08: Thank you so much for all your feedback from the last episode where we interviewed Debbie Rigby, PSA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 Recipient. If you missed it, don’t forget to listen to it. This week, we are excited to invite the 2021 President of the Victorian Pharmacy Student Association (VPSA) to share her journey as a student leader and what she has gained from stepping out of her comfort zone.

Mahek Shah is a passionate 3rd year Monash Pharmacy student. Alongside her leadership role, she sits on the PSA Early Career Pharmacist working group, a position in which she can contribute to her future Pharmacy career. She values a balance between work life, academia, and leadership commitments.

Being brought up in Kenya, it was difficult to look past the hardships faced by others with access to healthcare. This has shaped her vision to work alongside organisations such as MSF or the WHO as a Pharmacist.

You can find Mahek Shah on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E07: Debbie Rigby is an Advanced Practice Pharmacist with postgraduate qualifications in clinical pharmacy, geriatrics, and respiratory medicine. Debbie is a past Director of NPS MedicineWise, past National Vice-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and a member of Lung Foundation Australia COPD Advisory Committee. Debbie is a fellow of PSA, SHPA, ACP, Australia Institute of Company Directors AICD, Lifetime Fellow of American Society of Consultant Pharmacy, and the finalist for inaugural women in the spotlight award at the Texas ASCP conference.

Debbie currently conducts Home Medicine Reviews and provides medicines education to pharmacists, nurses, GPs, and other health professionals through her company Pharmeducation. For her passion and commitment to the pharmacy profession and quality use of medicines, Debbie has received numerous awards including PSA Pharmacist of the Year, the inaugural AACP Consultant Pharmacist of the Year, PSA Gold Medal award, SHPA Clinical Pharmacy Award, and the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award.

You can find Debbie Rigby on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E06: Are you interested in pharmacy ownership, or are you interested but scared and don't know how to prepare and get into pharmacy ownership? This is the perfect episode for you.

Join me to chat to 2020 Pharmacy of the Year owner Rebecca Young and learn more about her journey as a successful pharmacy owner.

Rebecca is an experienced community pharmacist with a passion for providing a whole range of Health Solutions. Rebecca is an invested business owner and manager of Capital Chemist Chisholm. In 2018 and 2019 Rebecca won Capital Chemist's Pharmacy of the Year and in 2020 Capital Chemist Chisholm was named the Guild Pharmacy of the Year.

You can find Rebecca Young on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E05: Joey Calandra is a PSA member and the former Director of Strategic Partnerships & Engagement at PSA and current Innovation leader. His experiences span Academia, Community Pharmacy, Organisation management and Industry. He has also worked as a pharmacist both in Australia and overseas.

Joey has successfully transposed his pharmacy skills into many areas. Currently, he is a management professional with extensive experience in business strategy, partnership development and innovation. He enables organisations to build growth through his ability to uncover new collaborative opportunities and identify trends which are pivotal to business development.

You can find Joey Calandra on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E04: Elise Apolloni is a community pharmacist and pharmacy owner, credentialed diabetes educator, asthma educator and mental health first aid instructor. She is a PSA and Guild branch committee member, ACT Practitioner Member at Pharmacy Board of Australia and a passionate advocate for the role of pharmacists in the Australian health system.

Elise became a partner in two pharmacies when she was 25 years old, she has had a steep and exciting learning experience of pharmacy ownership, leadership and management. Her pharmacy, Capital Chemist Wanniassa, has received a number of industry and business awards for their innovative health service approach to health care. Elise also is a Mum of one little human, 3 chickens, 1 dog, and has a very supportive pharmacist husband who joins her on this crazy ride called life!

You can find Elise Apolloni on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

​S01E03: In keeping with the theme of NAIDOC Week 2020 in celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, we are pleased to launch the next episode in the Your Pharmacy Career Podcast with Faye McMillan, the first Indigenous Pharmacist and 2019 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year.

Associate Professor Faye McMillan is a Wiradjuri yinaa (woman) from Trangie, NSW. In 2001 Faye was the first Indigenous Pharmacist to become a registered pharmacist in Australia. Faye is the 2019 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the year, Senior Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity and a founding member of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA).

Faye works at Charles Sturt University as the Director of the Djirruwang Program - Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health), a program dedicated solely to the education of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander people for the Mental Health Workforce.

You can find A/Prof Faye McMillan on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E02: Shefali Parekh grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and moved to Australia in 2014. During her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree she was elected as National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association (NAPSA) president in 2017. After graduating from Griffith University and completing her internship at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Shefali is now employed as a Pharmacist at both Alfred Health and Austin Health.

Shefali is passionate about helping people. She firmly believes in giving back both to her peers and also the broader pharmacy community. She understands the power of relationships and networking which she developed whilst leading the largest group of pharmacy students in Australia.​

You can find Shefali Parekh on LinkedIn or Twitter or read the transcript of this episode.

S01E01: Karen Brown is an innovative, multi-award-winning pharmacy owner, pharmacist and entrepreneur. She is the Owner and Pharmacist of the industry-leading TerryWhite Chemmart Samford since 2008 and TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills since 2018.

In 2018, she co-founded the Innovative Pharmacy Group and also was separately awarded the prestigious TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacist of the Year for her dedication to improving the health and wellbeing of her community and her Samford pharmacy won the National TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacy of the Year. Karen is a member of the TerryWhite Chemmart Advisory Group and has been a 3-time finalist for the Rhonda White Leadership Award.

You can find Karen Brown on LinkedIn or read the transcript of this episode.​