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A bright future

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A bright future

Twenty-one-year-old Evie was unsure what career she wanted to pursue, until an advert for an apprenticeship in the local paper ignited a passion for an industry she’d never considered before

Evie Ireland’s pharmacy career began when she embarked on a pharmaceutical apprenticeship in 2011, thanks to Co-op Pharmacy’s centenary apprenticeship campaign. Evie was studying for her A-levels while working part-time at a local garden centre when she spotted an advert for the position in a local paper. It was the opportunity to continue learning about an area that interested her, without having to attend university, which caught her attention.

“I wanted to continue learning, but not at uni,” she explains. “I’ve always been interested in health and science, and this allowed me to have an income while studying, so it was perfect.”

Learning on the job

During her apprenticeship, Evie completed an NVQ in pharmacy services, an MCA course and a BTEC level 3 diploma in pharmaceutical science at South Nottingham College. For Evie, who dislikes exams, the coursework-based learning allowed her to gain a qualification while still earning money. “You’re not thrown into the world of work with no background, plus I still had an income,” she explains. “It eases you into working life.” While studying, Evie gained a broad knowledge of health, learning about everything from physiotherapy to the respiratory system, as well as different conditions, treatments and their side effects. She completed several assignments per module, which were marked by a pharmacist, pharmacy technician and chemistry teacher.

An NVQ assessor would also visit regularly to monitor her progress. As part of the centenary apprenticeship campaign, Evie also volunteered to help regenerate a rural area around St Helen’s Church in Boultham Park, Lincoln, which served as a convalescent home for soldiers during the first world war. The three-day project involved clearing undergrowth, removing litter and laying down a new woodchip path and flowers. “It’s about giving back and showing that you’re invested in the community and local area,” says Evie.

Evie is always happy to go the extra mile to help a customer

 

All in a day’s work

Evie is now working as an accredited checking technician at her local Co-op Pharmacy in Metheringham, Lincolnshire. Her daily responsibilities typically include everything from cashing up, organising Dosette trays and checking doctors’ prescriptions to carrying out date and stock checks, all the while being on hand to assist customers in the wide range of services the pharmacy offers, such as minor ailments, smoking cessation and health checks. “There are only five of us here so we all chip in,” says Evie.

The small branch currently includes two training staff, with Evie being on hand to offer support when required: “Of all the members of staff, I’ve most recently done the level three, so they ask me questions on how to write up the NVQ,” she explains.

Evie is also kept busy at this time of year as the pharmacy runs its annual alcohol awareness campaign every January, and many customers come in to be weighed. Being in a small team, Evie doesn’t always have a lot of time to dedicate to each customer. Nevertheless, she is always happy to go the extra mile when needed.

“An old lady once rang up who I knew was quite disabled and struggled with walking. Her husband is bedbound and needed antibiotics urgently. She rang really quite upset, so I dispensed them for her and delivered them personally.” 

Although serving customers is a daily occurrence for Evie, interacting with the public is not something that comes easily: “I’m quite shy so I find it challenging, but it’s something I’m working on. It’s nice though because I work in the village where I grew up so I often see friends of my grandparents pop in and you really do get to know the regulars.”

Being the only pharmacy in the village, the Co-op is heavily relied upon to serve the community. This, says Evie, is only possible by maintaining a strong relationship with other health professionals. “We get on very well with the local GPs,” she says. “We’ve also built up a relationship and trust with the local community. We’re the ‘go to’ if the surgery is closed and people need advice or emergency supplies.” Despite the hectic days and increasing workload, Evie insists that the role suits her perfectly. “I like seeing that I’ve helped someone and made a difference, plus I’m always learning. We’re a really close knit team – I have good friends here that I get to see every day.”

Looking to the future

Despite her relatively short career in pharmacy to date, Evie recognises the challenges facing the sector. “At the moment, electronic prescriptions are on the increase so workload is rising, but the size of the pharmacy team is the same and that obviously creates stress,” she says. The small team size means that Evie has adapted to having greater responsibilities while her pharmacist, Tim Laycock, meets increasing MUR targets.

Yet Evie isn’t hesitant to call on Tim when needed: “I handle situations as best I can, but I often ask for help if I feel I don’t know enough.” In terms of the sector moving forward, Evie strongly believes that diversifying is essential for pharmacy to continue to thrive.

“We’ve recently been refitted to become a healthy living pharmacy, which I think gives customers a better opinion of the industry. Pharmacies are well known for dispensing prescriptions, but there needs to be more publicity on the other services they can provide, such as checking blood pressure and monitoring blood sugar levels,” she says.

Evie also understands the importance of continual training: “It’s very important in pharmacy. We’re advising customers and patients on their health. We need to keep our knowledge fresh and ensure it’s not outdated.” She counts obtaining her ACT qualification as her career highlight to date and hopes to branch out into a diverse side of pharmacy in the future. “I’m interested in the prison sector,” says Evie. “I’d like to see for myself what it’s like rather than just watching it on TV!”

I like seeing that I’ve helped someone and made a difference, plus I’m always learning

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