Kathy joined the Guild as a Trainer/Assessor after an extensive career in retail pharmacy. She’s had experience in almost every area of the pharmacy, including the dispensary and management. Kathy is passionate and enthusiastic about pharmacy and hopes to convey that to her students.
We sat down with Kathy to talk about her experience in the pharmacy industry, and what she looks forward to in the future.
How long have you been working at The Pharmacy Guild?
I started working at the Guild in August of 2016, time flies when you’re having fun!
How long have you been in pharmacy?
I started working in a pharmacy on my 17th birthday and completed a traineeship in Community Pharmacy soon after. Since then, I have worked in multiple roles and stores all over the country – my husband was in the Defence Force, so we moved around a lot. I could always find work in a pharmacy as it offered convenient hours and has always been a good fit for my lifestyle.
What qualifications have you gained?
I have completed my Certificate II & III in Community Pharmacy. Once I moved into a management role, I decided to undertake a Diploma of Business to help me in some areas where I needed development. It was great in teaching me how to deal with HR and IR issues. I’ve also completed my Certificate IV in training and assessment.
What is your biggest professional achievement?
When I was working in pharmacy, I was so humbled to be approached by my manager and ask if I’d like to work in a management position. It was nice to know my manager had faith that I could successfully lead our team.
What is your biggest personal achievement?
While I was a manager, we had a good staff retention. I think it’s hard to keep everyone on track, but our staff were happy and focused. That reassured me that I was doing something right, and it felt very rewarding.
What do you want to achieve in your role?
As a Trainer/Assessor, I hope to inspire my students. I want to convey to them my passion and enthusiasm for pharmacy and I know they will all love pharmacy as much as I do!
What is something people don’t know about you?
I’m pretty simple! Everyone probably knows way too much about me.
What inspires you?
Passionate people inspire me! I’m inspired by individuals who know what they want and know what is required to achieve their goals. I can get distracted easily when it comes to my personal goals, so I’m always inspired by people who are focused and very determined.
What is your favourite book?
I’m not a big reader, and I do love puzzle books; I do sudoku every day. It’s a great challenge, and I’ve just moved from numbers to symbols, so it’s continually testing me!
What would you choose as your super power?
I’d like to be Ant Man! He’s a Marvel character who’s half ant, half man. He can get into these small spaces but he’s got super strength! I thought that would be helpful! Or, I’d like a magic key that can open any door!
What is something you’re excited about in the future?
On a personal note, I enjoy weight lifting, and my current short term goal is to be able to squat my body weight.
Where would you travel to next?
I would love just to go anywhere at the moment! My dad has always wanted to go to South America, so I’d like to be able to take him to Peru. I wish I had the bank account to go anywhere in the world, whenever I wanted to jet off.
If you did something completely different, what would it be?
I think I would like to be able to take care of baby animals. Or I would love to be one of those professional baby huggers, for infants that are separated from their parents and just need love and affection.