Pharmacy Daily | Look past ‘sexism’ to rise

WOMEN make up 62% of the total number of registered pharmacists but this falls to 34% for pharmacy leadership positions and Boards, according to a study published in the Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.

A pharmacist for 25 years, Andria Aird (pictured) was appointed recently to her first Board role, as a Director for Blooms The Chemist.

While there are challenges to being a leader or director in the pharmacy profession, Aird is a firm believer in "looking past the sexism" and trusting yourself in order to climb the corporate ladder in pharmacy.

"There are now better opportunities for women in the pharmacy sector, and it's more acceptable for women to be ambitious," said Aird.

"I have always let my abilities speak for themselves and been confident in what I know."

Aird believes there should be more acknowledgement of the benefits of being a woman in the pharmacy field.

"As a mother and a pharmacist-owner for example, I have had to balance family with a career, and what I have found is that there aren't too many professions that offer the same flexibility as pharmacy."

However, she does believe that to achieve leadership roles what's non-negotiable is "being passionate about what you do," as well as always keeping in mind why you wanted to become a pharmacist in the first place - to help people.

Other criteria include keeping abreast of changes and trends in the industry with general and Pharmacy Guild news and staying updated on legislative changes.

Aird also advocates working in another country where possible, to help facilitate your leadership aspirations, such as when she worked for the Boots Group in London.

"That gave me exposure to different opportunities within pharmacy at a more corporate level and to pharmacy groups and operations."

Aird also worked for the Pharmacy Guild of Western Australia and said, "it was a really good sideways step into how lobbying and politics affect what we do every day".

Aird is excited for the future saying "it's a good place for women who want to build their own future, be a business owner, a leader, as it allows you to be entrepreneurial and think outside of the box".