Pharmacy Daily | Blooms’ intern program to grow brand

BLOOMS The Chemist, has made the transition from study to practice easier for aspiring pharmacists across Australia by introducing its '2023 Future of Pharmacy Intern Program'.

The comprehensive three-year program is designed to provide interns with a holistic foundation on how to operate in a community pharmacy with a focus on clinical, ethical, and business practices.

"The current personnel shortage in the pharmaceutical industry and the growing need for quality, skilled healthcare workers in Australia means it's important that we grow and develop talented pharmacists within our brand," says Blooms The Chemist, CEO, Emmanuel Vavoulas.

The program provides each intern with a cumulative financial incentive of $30k over three years paid by Blooms The Chemist Support Office.

The program is available to a maximum of 40 interns who must be continually employed full time in a Blooms The Chemist pharmacy for the duration of the three years.

Each intern that is registered as a pharmacist will at the end of their first year receive $5k.

Furthermore, if they remain employed full time with Blooms The Chemist at the end of their second year and third year, they will each receive an additional $10k and $15k, respectively.

This initiative applies to all current and future interns for subsequent years.

The first cohort of 28 interns has begun the program with a view to complete their first year by 31 Dec, second year by the end of 2024 and third year by the end of 2025.

The first workshop of the program, which included an introduction to what it is like to work at Blooms The Chemist, took place last month and was positively received by the new intern cohort.

Commenting on the program, Blooms The Chemist, Orange, intern, Kayla Gibson said that "Blooms The Chemist supports me not just as an intern, but as a student and a person where I'm trusted to learn and practice my skills as a future pharmacist."

Leading the program is the group's Professional Services and Compliance Manager, Casey Shannon who said "interns will complete written and oral practical clinical and ethical scenarios for their final exams by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and the opportunity to receive mentorship from AACP-accredited pharmacists within the network."

Platinum sponsors of the program include Aretex, Haleon, MPS, Sandoz, Sanofi, Seqirus and Symbion.