Each year, hundreds of pharmacy assistants from around Australia gather on the Gold Coast to update their product knowledge, learn from industry experts and network with fellow pharmacy assistants and suppliers.
We often get asked, ‘how should I approach my boss about attending the conference?’, so we’ve put together a few points to get you started:
1. 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.
2. 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
3. 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.
4. Offer to write a report on what you learn at the conference, which can be distributed to fellow staff who were unable to attend.
5. 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.
Good luck and we hope to see you at the conference!
To register or for more information go to: www.pharmacyassistants.com