Bridgette Atkinson from Babinda Pharmacy in Queensland has been chosen as the Queensland State Winner of the 2019 Pharmacy Guild of Australia / Maxigesic Pharmacy Assistant of the Year Award (PATY).
Bridgette will now represent Queensland during the National Finals, to be held at the Pharmacy Assistant National Conference (PA2019) in October later this year.
We sat down with Bridgette to find out more about her PATY journey so far.
How does it feel to be the State Winner?
It feels amazing to be the Queensland State Winner! It’s been an unreal experience so far. I’ve enjoyed networking and getting to know people including the other State Finalists, and the workshop was very informative.
Can you give me a brief overview of your career in pharmacy?
I started in pharmacy eight years ago in another pharmacy. I’m currently at Babinda Pharmacy now. I’ve done my Certificate III and I am currently doing my Certificate IV with the Guild.
What was the PATY workshop day like?
It was amazing! The whole process was an amazing experience from learning that I was nominated, to hearing I was a Top 20 State Finalist for Queensland, to the State Workshop Day and becoming the State Winner! The State Workshop was a lot of fun and it was a great day overall, especially meeting like-minded people who have the same passion for pharmacy that I do. There was lots of good content that I could bring back to the pharmacy and it was very interactive.
What have you gained from PATY so far?
I gained more pharmacy knowledge to bring back to the pharmacy. I’ve also gained more confidence in speaking to a group of people, especially people I didn’t know.
What advice do you have for a pharmacy assistant thinking of nominating themselves for PATY?
Just go for it! It’s an amazing experience to be recognised for the role that we do within community pharmacy. It’s very broad what we do but it’s very lovely to be recognised for the role that we play. Also, believe in yourself. It’s a really big thing to believe in yourself to know that you can do it.
Why would you encourage someone to nominate a pharmacy assistant for PATY?
Recognise a pharmacy assistant for the contribution they make to pharmacy, and give them more confidence that they can believe in themselves to go through the process and possibly achieve being a winner.
Will Bridgette be the 2019 PATY Winner? Find out at PA2019 and learn from all the State Winners at the conference. Register now at www.pharmacyassistants.com.