Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in your local branch of Whitworth pharmacy? Now’s your chance to find out!
In this instalment of our ‘What a Typical Day Looks Like,’ series, we speak to dispensing assistant Kirsty Pearson and find out why she couldn’t wait for her maternity leave to end, what she finds most challenging about her job and much more…
Q1. Why did you choose to work for Whitworth Pharmacy?
Before I started working for Whitworth Pharmacy, I was working for another healthcare professional and I was going to be made redundant. I heard that there were opportunities available at Whitworth, so I applied. I have been with the company for over four years now.
Q2. What does your job entail?
I’d say that one of the most important aspects of my job is being friendly, keeping customers happy and offering an effective, efficient and appropriate service to meet our customers’ needs.
I also dispense prescriptions, answer phones, keep the shop up to date with planograms, create healthy living displays with other staff members, and tell our customers about extra services that we provide such as flu jabs, health checks and our walk-in service.
Q3. What do you love about your job?
I love going to work because I know I’m helping to make a difference in the world. By doing a great job I’m helping our customers, providing the correct medication and showing them that they matter.
The customers have shown their appreciation for our service and friendliness by sending us gifts, thank you cards, and leaving glowing reviews on sites like Google and Facebook.
I also love knowing that I’m part of a great team that works well together.
Q4. What does a typical day look like?
A typical day at work for me involves serving on the counter, providing the best information and guidance for customers, dispensing prescriptions, solving queries on prescriptions, and keeping the pharmacy clean and tidy.
Q5. What are the challenges you face on a daily basis?
Keeping our customers happy and meeting their needs despite shortages and other changes is never an easy job. It’s not easy providing the right medication and making sure the prescriptions are on time!
Q6. What has been the most rewarding day in your job?
The most rewarding day in my job was receiving the ‘Branch of the Year’ award at the annual conference. There is a two-day annual conference that all Whitworth pharmacies and support staff attend, and it gives a great opportunity for training to take place for all staff and to share knowledge with each other. In the evening there is an awards event that takes place to identify achievements within the pharmacies and support office. This year we managed to continue with the conference online.
Winning ‘Branch of the Year’ was a credit to the team and all our efforts of working well together.
Q7. What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about working in/for a pharmacy?
When I applied for the job, I thought I was just going to be serving behind the counter. How wrong I was!
Thanks to my hard work and extra training I’ve received at Whitworth, I’m now a dispenser and working as part of a great team. I’ve learnt so much since I joined and feel very confident in my work and feel confident with the customers.
Q8. What advice would you give for somebody looking to join the pharmacy profession?
Although I think working in any part of the pharmacy profession would be excellent, I’d say that specifically, Whitworth is a great company to work for.
It gives you loads of opportunities to progress in your career, you learn a lot and you make great friends including customers. It’s a lovely place to work and when I was on maternity I could not wait to come back! I’m excited about continuing my career progress in the future!
