Linden Pirrone has been with the Guild for more than 10 years and was the Retail Manager at Campus Pharmacy in Saint Lucia before joining the Guild as a workplace trainer and assessor.. Even if you’ve never met Linden, you may have seen her regular articles in PostScript and Retail Pharmacy.
Do you have a good relationship with your local pharmacy?
Absolutely! I am on call on the weekends, so I work now and then to keep up-to-date with what is happening in our industry.
Has your perception of pharmacy changed since you started working as a Trainer and Assessor?
Yes, it certainly has. It’s been really exciting to see how pharmacy has evolved over the years. For example the health services that pharmacies now offers is brilliant and community pharmacy is always working towards improving the future health and wellbeing of our community.
What do you find the most interesting about pharmacy?
I find it so interesting that no matter how big or small the pharmacy, or where the pharmacy is located, they all seem to share the very similar problems and triumphs.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing. Both pharmacy and training are my passion. I guess the bottom line is that I can see the difference that the Guild makes and I love training pharmacy assistants because I feel it’s my personal contribution to the industry.
What is a favourite/proudest moment or biggest achievement in your career?
I was honoured to become senior trainer in 2006 and was part of the Community Pharmacy Training Package development process. However, the most rewarding was travelling around Australia in 2007 and 2008 as the facilitator for Pharmacy Assistant of the Year. I met so many amazing Pharmacy Assistants.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have two little boys Reuben aged 6 and a half (going on 16) and Marcello almost 4. They keep me pretty busy.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by the Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference (APP)! I love listening to all of the sessions. I also love jogging; it helps me helps me process my ideas, and it’s a bit of ‘me time’.
Who would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?
I know this might sound corny, but my husband!