TerryWhite Chemmart Coffs Harbour Pharmacist Manager and 2022 TWC Pharmacist of the Year Sarah Ding speaks with Retail Pharmacy about the award, the pharmacy and its health campaigns, her career highlights and more.
Congratulations on your award. What does it mean for you?
It’s been such an honour to be awarded TWC Pharmacist of the Year for 2022. This award is a true reflection of what my team at TWC Coffs Harbour has been able to achieve in the past two years. With the help of our incredible pharmacy owner, Tanya Maloney, we’ve been able to expand the services we provide in our pharmacy. It’s my pleasure to be able to lead my team to go above and beyond for our local community. The award is truly a testament to all the hard work that’s been put into these services, which I believe sets us apart in pharmacy.
Tell us about your professional background. How long have you been a pharmacist and what brought you to work at TWC Coffs Harbour?
I’ve been a pharmacist for five years.
As a 20-year-old, I moved from my hometown in Malaysia to Melbourne in 2013 to further my studies in pharmacy. This may sound daunting to some, but I loved every second of it. In 2019, my partner had a fantastic job opportunity in Coffs Harbour. Not knowing where this was at the time, I decided to take a leap of faith and moved to this regional town on the coast. After all, what’s moving states when you’ve crossed continents?
I started off in a local pharmacy nearby, but often walked past TWC on my grocery run, and thought ‘wow’ as it looked like the place to be. You could say that the stars aligned because, not long afterwards, I was contacted by Tanya, the pharmacy owner, asking if I was interested in a job with her, as she’d heard there was a new pharmacist in town. The rest is history.
What have been some of your career and store highlights so far and the valuable lessons you’ve learned from them?
I’ve been lucky enough to have inspirational mentors throughout my career. I often believe that you are who you surround yourself with. This has allowed me to challenge myself and push boundaries. In the two years, I’ve been with TWC Coffs Harbour, I’ve been privileged enough to have been involved in three different roles, which has led me into my current management role, which I thoroughly enjoy.
Last year, I had the opportunity to build our vaccination clinic, which now runs daily with its own team of staff members. This service is now an integral part of the pharmacy business. With the support of our team, I’d like to think we’re now the go-to destination for vaccinations in our community.
What has been your most satisfying moment in pharmacy?
I once helped a patient in her pain management by giving her a care plan to take home. This provided her with treatment options to consider and allowed her to feel empowered to self-manage her chronic pain.
We also spoke about the mental implications chronic pain can have on an individual. She left the pharmacy extremely grateful because we were able to recognise and acknowledge what patients with chronic pain go through daily.
Some of the other satisfying parts of the job include having patients come in to thank us for doing what we do daily. It’s an important reminder for us to never neglect the basics and always go above and beyond for our patients.
Describe your day-to-day challenges and how you overcome them.
I often struggle at the start of my day with wanting to achieve too many tasks in my day. As a pharmacist manager, my day can often be unpredictable and multi-faceted. To have an efficient day, I’ll prioritise my tasks every morning and have three major goals set out at the start of each week. This allows me to support my team and focus on the patient-driven services that we provide.
Tell us more about TWC Coffs Harbour. What is the size of the pharmacy and what customer base does it attract?
We have a big pharmacy to suit our needs – several clinic rooms, seven direct dispense stations, a dedicated DAA packing area and robotics, significant prestige beauty and fragrance business, a home care department to support those most in need, and we’re next door to a medical centre, too. We really can help take care of all your needs.
We have an elderly population, which reflects our local demographic, but given the size and variety of services in the pharmacy, we’re also attracting young families and those who just want to look after themselves a little better.
Tell us about the ethos of your pharmacy and how it differs from other pharmacies in your view.
Our team has a fantastic culture of going above and beyond for our patients. We pride ourselves on staying positive and always wanting to help and do more. We hate turning patients away and will often help them find a solution to their problem.
Internally, we like to cultivate a can-do attitude. This means encouraging each other daily to achieve each of our goals, and supporting others on a project they might be working on. I believe that with these in mind, we’ve been able to grow in many areas, which sets our pharmacy apart.
What are your values at TWC Coffs Harbour and why is it so important to maintain core values in community pharmacy?
Our core value at TWC Coffs Harbour is to always put patients first. Community pharmacy can often get busy, and our core values forgotten. With this core value and positive team culture, it gives patients (and the team) a pleasant experience at the pharmacy.
Why is looking after your community so important to your pharmacy? What do you think your customer base values most about your pharmacy?
I believe our customers value our pharmacy because of the wide range of services and products we have available. This ranges from professional services to cosmetic makeovers. Looking after our community is our way of giving back to them. If we can help them with any of their concerns, that’s our job done.
This interview was originally published in the September issue of Retail Pharmacy magazine. To read the interview in full as it appears in the magazine, visit: retailpharmacymagazine.com.au/magazine/retail-pharmacy-september-2022
