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, speaks with Angela Stathopoulos, Group Manager of Education and Development at Chemist Warehouse. With nearly 30 years of experience across community, regulatory, and hospital Pharmacy sectors, Angela discusses her dedication to fostering the next generation of Pharmacy professionals. She elaborates on Chemist Warehouse’s dynamic approach to training, highlighting initiatives aimed at advancing Pharmacy practice, developing new services, and supporting early-career Pharmacists. Angela’s journey reflects a passion for embracing opportunities, which she encourages in those looking to grow within the field.
Angela dives into the extensive training programs offered by Chemist Warehouse, ranging from an internally developed internship program to advanced CPD courses. Key initiatives like “Leading for the Future” and “Step Up” were designed to meet the evolving demands of the Pharmacy industry, and Angela explains that these programs were developed in consultation with stakeholders, providing both leadership training and support for early-career Pharmacists. Her approach emphasises Chemist Warehouse’s commitment to equipping Pharmacists with essential skills to navigate the ever-changing Pharmacy landscape while ensuring consistent, high-quality training across all locations.
To achieve this consistency, Angela describes a hybrid model of in-person and online training, made possible through platforms like Zoom and AI-driven tools for Pharmacy assistant training. The integration of AI, she explains, is pivotal for maintaining scalable and standardised training, especially across Australia’s remote areas. However, Angela stresses that AI tools are only as effective as the team managing them, ensuring that quality standards are met. This combination of technology and human oversight allows Chemist Warehouse to meet the educational needs of Pharmacists in varied geographic regions while maintaining flexibility and adaptability.
Internationally, Angela shares the challenges and successes of adapting Chemist Warehouse’s Australian training models for different regions, such as New Zealand, Ireland, and the UAE. Each region brings unique regulatory and cultural needs, requiring collaboration with local experts to ensure training aligns with local standards. Angela emphasises the importance of collecting feedback from both trainees and regional authorities, which informs improvements and adjustments to training programs. This feedback loop is essential for refining programs in a way that balances the needs of learners and the organisation, ensuring a strong return on investment.
The conversation then shifts to the evolving skill requirements for Pharmacists, which have expanded from purely clinical skills to include critical soft skills like empathy, communication, and problem-solving. Angela explains that while technical expertise remains foundational, handling complex patient interactions and regulatory issues requires a broader skill set. Universities have increasingly incorporated soft skills training into their curricula, but Angela believes real-world experience is crucial for Pharmacists to develop these capabilities fully. Through mentorship and targeted skill-building initiatives, Chemist Warehouse aims to cultivate both technical and interpersonal skills in its Pharmacists.
Closing on a light-hearted note, Michael humorously offers Angela “magic powers” to enhance Chemist Warehouse’s training program, to which Angela replies that she would clone her dedicated team to better address training demands. They discuss upcoming programs, such as the “Step Up” initiative for student Pharmacists and a Managing Partner pathway aimed at guiding Pharmacists from entry-level roles to ownership opportunities within the company. Angela’s insights reveal Chemist Warehouse’s focus on career development and innovation, underscoring their commitment to expanding Pharmacists’ clinical responsibilities and supporting a holistic approach to patient care.
Topics Covered
- Angela Stathopoulos’s Career Path and Role at Chemist Warehouse
- Chemist Warehouse’s Training and Development Programs
- Use of Hybrid Training Models and Technology
- Adapting Training Programs for International Regions
- Evolving Skill Requirements for Pharmacists
- Continuous Learning and Mentorship Programs
- Future Programs and Pathways in Chemist Warehouse
Key Quotes (Time Stamps)
- “I’ve actually been a registered Pharmacist in Australia for 28 years, and my career has spanned probably nearly every part of the Pharmacy industry. So, community, regulatory and hospital, both public and private. And so, I’ve been very-very fortunate that I’ve seen a lot of different aspects of Pharmacy.” (3:35 – 3:54)
- “And in all of those roles that I have had, I’ve always had students and interns, and it’s been a passion of mine to actually nurture the next generation. So, when the opportunity arose to join the Chemist Warehouse Group in this particular role, I jumped at it because I thought Chemist Warehouse is big enough that I can make a real difference to the way Pharmacy gets practiced in this country.” (3:55 – 4:19)
- “So, whilst education is the core part of my role, I get drawn into a million different things. And so that’s what I find exciting. And my one piece of advice to Pharmacists is: Don’t say NO. Take opportunities as they arise. And that in itself creates more opportunities for you to advance.” (5:06 – 5:24)
- “It’s really-really important to understand the industry is ever evolving and our educational offerings need to evolve with the Pharmacy profession.” (6:26 – 6:34)
- “And it’s a mechanism by which we can standardise the offering across the country. And some of those programs are a combination—a hybrid of face-to-face workshops and online. Some of them are purely online. So, it really just depends on the audiences and the needs for those audiences.” (11:15 – 11:36)
- “But the approach we take is obviously: the greatest number of resources are in Australia and we support the organisation globally. We’ve got models that work in Australia and we’ve got the template, so to speak, but it’s really-really important that you overlay both the regulatory aspects of the local environment and those cultural aspects and really look at the work force and what they need.” (20:23 – 20:52)
- “Feedback is super important. And so, we have mechanisms by which for each particular part of the training, they can provide feedback on the satisfaction, what hit the mark, what was missing, what they thought of various presenters. And then at the end of the program, we actually do a more holistic survey of the learners, the preceptors and business owners to make sure we’re hitting the mark. That information gets stratified—it gets looked at nationally, but also gets stratified into each jurisdiction. And then we provide that information back to those states as well. Then we have program evaluation meetings with each of the jurisdictions, and then we decide, well, what things do we need to change and improve on.” (24:00 – 24:57)
- “There’s this no doubt that Pharmacists need to have a core level of knowledge with respect to medicines, medicines’ safety, diagnostics and a whole raft of different things so that they can deliver on the technical aspects of their role. But the soft skills are just as important. So, things like problem solving, communication, empathy and the whole raft of things that are required for true health care professionals. And it’s hard. It’s really-really hard because Pharmacists are black and white and the world is all around shades of gray, right? And so, you need to make sure that you’re complying with the regulatory requirements, but you need to do it appropriately and realise that there’s a patient at the center of everything we do.” (27:46 – 28:38)
- “Now, the universities have pivoted and they’re doing a lot more soft skill training in their courses. But there’s still a long way to go to ensure that Pharmacists actually register with all of those soft skills. As you move on through your profession I think your knowledge base actually declines, but your soft skills increase and so your problem solving skills get better. So, I think that almost makes you a better Pharmacist because you treat people as people and don’t think that they’re trying to rort the system will get around the system. And so, it’s about making sure that we deliver patient-centered care.” (29:39 – 30:25)
- “Even in my role now, I mentor and coach my team so that they develop. It’s inherently part of what a Pharmacist does, but it’s also rewarding because you’re giving back to the profession that has supported you in your journey.” (33:32 – 33:48)
Important Time Stamps
- Why No Two Days Are Alike for Chemist Warehouse’s Education Leader! (2:20 – 5:24)
- Empowering the Future of Pharmacy: Inside Chemist Warehouse’s Training Evolution! (5:45 – 11:38)
- AI in Pharmacy Training: Tools for Tomorrow’s Workforce (11:44 – 19:33)
- From Australia to UAE: Tailoring Training for Every Region (19: 35 – 26:09)
- Balancing Clinical Knowledge and Compassion: A Pharmacist’s Essential Toolkit (26:10 – 31:51)
- Pharmacy Excellence: Chemist Warehouse’s Blueprint for Skill Development (32:04 – 35:26)
- Angela’s Magic Wish: Building a Bigger, Brilliant Training Team (35:28 – 36:25)
- Pathway to Ownership: Chemist Warehouse’s Unique Career Growth Programs (36:35 – 44:41)
