Pharmacy Daily | Never be afraid to say you’re not OK

PHARMACISTS need to be kinder to each other to ensure the viability of the profession into the future, an early career pharmacist believes.

In a post on the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Early Career Pharmacist (ECP) Facebook page, the pharmacist reported that they had suffered "multiple nervous breakdowns at different work settings" over the last decade, as a result of bullying.

"I've been in this profession for nearly a decade and in that time I've been exceedingly proud of what I have learnt, the new skills I've obtained and the long-standing advice I have received from various mentors all across the board," the pharmacist said.

"I am also cursed, I've come to accept, from the moment I set foot into the industry as a third-year student on professional placement, I have been bullied endlessly.

"I've been looked down on by experienced individuals when I reached out for guidance/mentorship and while I've tried to ride with the bumps and accept it as 'part of the job', each unpleasant experience at almost every job I've had leaves a new scar in my head.

"I love my profession and can always remember how ecstatic I was when I first got accepted, when I got gowned up on graduation, when I was promised an internship, when I secured my first job.

"But all of this is coming at a cost now to my overall health - I am at a breaking point and struggling to stay optimistic for myself.

"I'm not saying all this for sympathy... and I'm not pointing fingers, but my point is simple - be kind, be understanding and be supportive of one another.

"The biggest regret I have in my career was never having adequate support, but more importantly not having the courage to speak up sooner when experiencing difficulties.

"Never be afraid to say you're not OK, mental health is never a stigma and even stoic pharmacists are humans too with genuine emotions and feelings.

"Just be kind to one another, it's the only way I feel our profession will sustain over time."