Have you always wanted to attend the Pharmacy Assistant National Conference (PA Conference), but you’re not sure how to go about asking your boss for approval?
We have developed five tips which you can take to your boss to help discuss your case:
- Develop a set of goals and objectives that you wish to achieve within your role and then identify the specific sessions, networking opportunities and meetings with suppliers that the conference can provide to assist you in achieving these goals and objectives.
- Emphasize how the conference will assist you with:
- Accessing the latest information on health care advice and product information
- Gaining information and skills that can be brought back to your pharmacy and shared with other pharmacy staff
- Acquiring awareness of what is happening in the industry
- Allowing an opportunity for you to meet with suppliers
- Enabling you to learn from others’ experiences
- Let your pharmacist or manager know that the conference is a great return on investment. Show how the benefits (from point two) of attending are not only specific to you, but to your pharmacy by highlighting relevant sessions in the conference program. Outline how you will then apply the knowledge gained to you and the pharmacy as a whole.
- Offer to write a report on what you learn at the conference, which can be distributed to fellow staff who were unable to attend.
- Provide your pharmacist or manager with a budget advising the overall cost of the conference, taking into consideration your registration fees, airfare, accommodation and meals (if necessary). Also advise the number of days you will be out of the pharmacy so that staff can be arranged to cover you during your absence. Pharmacies which send two or more staff are eligible for a free APP2017 registration, so be sure to point this out too!
This year’s PA Conference will be held at an exciting new venue, Sea World Resort on the Gold Coast, from 27-29 October. To view the full conference program and to register online, visit www.pharmacyassistants.com.
Good luck – we hope to see you at the conference!