In this episode of the Pharmacy View Podcast’s Rx to Riches stream, international host Michael Alexander, a Pharmacist, entrepreneur, digital health enthusiast, Co-Founder of Audirie, and the Regional Vice-President of Health Plans at Omada Health, interviews Anisha Patel, a Clinical Pharmacist and Senior Clinical Lecturer at King’s College (London). Anisha is also the Founder of the Pharmacist Diaries Podcast. This episode delves into Anisha’s passion for Clinical Pharmacy, their training experiences in the UK, and the evolving landscape of the Pharmacy sector. Listen in as Anisha shares the hurdles faced while seeking international opportunities, including a fascinating role managing emergency services during the Formula One event in Abu Dhabi.
Raised in a family that owned Pharmacies, Anisha spent their teenage years immersed in healthcare environments. Moving from the UK to the US for college presented challenges, and despite excelling academically, they struggled with the pressure to pursue a traditional high-achieving career. After exploring medical school options, Anisha chose Pharmacy, driven by a desire to align their career with their creative side. Returning to the UK in 2005, they immersed themselves in Pharmacy studies, embracing both community and hospital settings.
Detailing their training year and experience in the UK, Anisha explains the evolving options in Pharmacy sectors, such as split placements. They express a passion for Clinical Pharmacy, particularly in a hospital setting, where they enjoyed engaging with patients and optimizing medication plans. Anisha opens up about the challenges faced while seeking opportunities abroad, specifically in the UAE, shedding light on the unique dynamics of Pharmacy practices, cultural considerations, and the hurdles in securing a job.
Anisha then recounts their unique experience working for the government agency National Ambulance during the Formula One event in Abu Dhabi. In this role, they managed emergency services, overseeing the medical center and ambulances for the event. Anisha highlights the challenges and responsibilities, including preparing ambulances, licensing international consultants, and providing crucial education on legal aspects of prescribing medications, especially concerning controlled drugs. Their passion for education and training emerges as they share the intricacies of ensuring a seamless healthcare support system during the high-profile Formula One weekend.
Anisha chronicles their diverse career journey from leading emergency services at National Ambulance to building a Pharmacy for Formula One events and immersing themselves in pediatric and educational roles. As a leader, communicator, and educator, Anisha discusses their passion for training paramedics, creating e-learning packages, and advocating for paramedics to administer drugs. Their transition back to the NHS involves a blend of pediatrics and education, eventually leading to the creation of the “Pharmacist Diaries Podcast” aimed at inspiring Pharmacy students to explore the vast career opportunities within the field.
Note: Stay tuned for Part 2 as we continue to explore Anisha’s impactful journey in Pharmacy.
Topics Covered
- Anisha Patel’s Pharmacy Journey
- International Career and F1 Races
- Leadership in Emergency Services
- Career Transitions
- Pharmacist Diaries Podcast
- Pharmacy Education
Key Quotes (Time Stamps)
- “I kind of was raised in a health care environment, let’s say, in the community.” (4:34 – 4:39)
- “I applied to Pharmacy school from the US and got into a Pharmacy school in the UK, and I moved back home, and the rest is kind of history. Once I came back to the UK, and this is back in 2005, I was really serious and focused.” (9:26 – 9:41)
- “On the weekends, I worked in a Community Pharmacy and truly immersed myself in the environment of what it would be like to work as a Pharmacist. And I thrived in the environment and I found that the course was amazing and in so many different ways. I loved the communication side of Pharmacy and being able to interact with a patient on your community High Street and being able to support them.” (10:22 – 10:48)
- “When I went into the hospital environment, I loved being on a ward. I was crazy about it. I loved doing drug histories on patients and understanding what they were taking at home and why they had come into the hospital and then feeling a little bit like an investigator of understanding what they were taking at home, what they came in with, and how we can amend and change and optimize their medications whilst they’re in hospital and then following their journey during their admission and being able to counsel them on discharge to make sure that they had education and support and guidance as to what they needed to take during their transition back into the house or into a care home or wherever they were going.” (14:05 – 14:50)
- “And then because we have so many consultants coming from all over the world, they had to be licensed as doctors temporarily for the long weekend. This is where my passion for education and training also started—it was that you would have to provide them with the induction, education, and training around the legal aspects of prescribing medications. And if they were to use anything trackside or in the medical centre, they would have to understand the legal aspects of writing a prescription, the rules around controlled drugs, which are completely different to the UK or the US, and supporting them with that induction and making sure that we have access to enough drugs to cover the entire weekend as well.” (27:34 – 28:19)
- “The company was growing at an exponential rate. We were getting more and more ambulances. We were hiring paramedics from all over the world, from New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Ireland, the U.S., and everywhere. So, when those paramedics were flying in for these jobs, they’ve all come from countries where they have access to different drugs. So, education and training became a massive part of my role because I was building an induction package to explain to all these paramedics what drugs they have access to, what indications they’re allowed to use them, what dosages they’re allowed to have, how much supply they have. How do you get a resupply?” (29:38 – 30:21)
- “Things I had never really been exposed to in my life before because I came from a residency, a very clinical patient-facing role and transitioning into a leadership role, which was a massive learning curve. So, when it comes to skill set, I became a leader, I became a great communicator, I became an educator, and I enjoyed learning Pharmacy from a different normal patient-facing role.” (32:58 – 33:26)
Social Media Clips (Time Stamps)
- Rx Revelation: Anisha’s Journey of Navigating Identity and Passion in Pharmacy (3:34 – 11:58)
- Pharmacy Diaries: Anisha’s UAE Chapter – Challenges, Resilience, and Unexpected Triumphs (12:20 – 25:16)
- Trackside Pharmacist: An Inside Look at Emergency Services for Formula One (26:17 – 28:33)
- Anisha Patel: Shaping Career in Pharmacy (29:02 – 36:51)
