Sharing passion and experiences so others can see opportunities

I am a Pharmacy Technician Trainee studying through Open Polytechnic (in 2022) and working at Vivian Pharmacy. I help manage the shop/retail and I dispense medicines, and process them through our computer system, operate and maintain our dispensing robots to create sachets which is all done under the supervision of the pharmacist.

I also get the opportunity to get to know my patients/customers who come into the pharmacy and ensure that they are educated about the products they are purchasing and finding the right item which will help them and getting know them personally as well.

I attended Rapuara Hauora through Why Ora when I was at Spotswood College.  I also participated in Mātaki Shadowing and experienced Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Pharmacy. I have always wanted to be in health care but wasn’t sure where I wanted to be.

I was studying to become a nurse at first but due to health reasons I was unable to continue and ended up finding an interest in pharmacy which slowly turned into a passion. Having family who are pharmacy technicians I was able to gain knowledge about what the job was about and their personal experiences, and the many areas and opportunities this position was able to provide.

I’m passionate about my job, being in a community pharmacy, because I am learning everyday about medicines and what they do, but also, I learn about alternatives like how changing diet or avoiding certain foods can help ones healing.

There are so many people who are having to take multiple medications or purchase them without fully understanding what they do for them.  I find joy in educating my patients/customers and knowing that they understand and how they appreciate the time taken to go through the process with them and also getting to know them as well.

My why for doing this job is to help those who need that little extra support, because I am in a position where there are a lot of vulnerable people who are afraid to ask for help or advice. So, my first job is to help them feel comfortable and to help them feel like they are in a safe environment where they are able to communicate their needs. There is a lot more to being pharmacy technician then many others might think, but I want to bring more to my position and to further my learning as my journey continues.

I believe that being in this profession allows me the opportunity to show Māori that they can get into the health profession. I want to share my passion and experiences to present and future generations, so that they can see there are opportunities for them and not to be afraid to put themselves out there, build their own interests in the industry and to one day have the chance to influence future generations themselves.