Name: Brooke Snow
Position: General Practice Pharmacist and Project Manager
Place of work: Atherton Health Hub and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
Tell us about your role and what a typical day looks like?
I work as both a General Practice Pharmacist at the Atherton Health Hub and a Project Manager for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), so my days and weeks are varied. If I am in the clinic, I see a variety of patients, which I thoroughly enjoy.
I conduct both patient-facing roles, such as medication reconciliations, reviews, and recommendations for the GP to consider, as well as practice-facing activities, including QI projects and QUM initiatives.
When working as a project manager, I support the implementation of the General Practice Pharmacist role, which is a great privilege to give other pharmacists the opportunity to pursue this career path, while also seeing the practices benefit.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I have always gained immense satisfaction from helping my patients; however, I now also feel this way working with other pharmacists.
As pharmacists, we can have a profound impact on our patients, and that’s incredibly rewarding.
Often, it’s the ability to inform patients and therefore empower them to have a greater understanding of their medications – that is very meaningful work. When working with pharmacists and general practices, this opens a whole new world of service delivery – and that’s exciting!
Is there a particular patient story or experience that has stuck with you?
One of my more complex patients had been seeing me quite frequently in the general practice. When her blood pressure began to elevate, requiring intervention, she gracefully accepted the GP’s recommendations but also requested an appointment with the pharmacist “just to make sure” it was the right medication for her and to have thorough counselling prior to commencing.
As a practice, it was a huge moment of success for the interdisciplinary team and the General Practice Pharmacy model!
Moving regionally was the most significant step forward, and I encourage anyone to have the courage to live and work where they truly wish to.
Why do you choose to work in a regional, rural, or remote area?
I grew up in the regional area that I have now returned to to raise my family. It always has been, and always will be, home.
I feel an immense connection to where I live and work, and to be able to give back to the community as a healthcare professional, where there is immense need, is very humbling.
Magic often happens when it has to, and I have seen that time and time again in our regional, rural, and remote settings where we are forced to think outside the box when it comes to healthcare, and that’s exactly how my role in general practice began.
What do you like to do outside of work when you are out and about in your community?
We have a small beef cattle property, which keeps us busy outside of our day-to-day jobs. When I am travelling for work or at conferences, all dressed up, it often makes people laugh when I tell them I have a farm!
My two little boys also keep me on my toes and have been a huge help in integrating back into our community, and meeting other young families who have also decided to raise their children in our regional town. We couldn’t believe how much the Atherton Tablelands had grown!
Is there anything you would like to add?
When we decided to move back to the Atherton Tablelands, I left the comfort of a permanent position I had worked hard for, and I was scared for my career prospects – I could not have been more wrong!
The opportunities I have had living and working as a pharmacist in our regional town have been phenomenal and changed the trajectory of my career.
Moving regionally was the most significant step forward, and I encourage anyone to have the courage to live and work where they truly wish to.
Atherton Health Hub
Our mission is to deliver exceptional, patient-focused healthcare by fostering a culture of progressiveness and proactiveness. We are committed to staying at the forefront of medical advancements, collaborating within our team, and continuously improving our practices to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients. We value a patient-centric approach, empowering our team to provide compassionate, individualised care while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics.
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
PSA is the national Peak Body for Australia’s 40,000+ pharmacists, bringing together every pharmacist from every sector and connecting them with the resources and professional development they need to succeed.
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