5 tips for a successful career in community pharmacy
From how to overcome challenges to making the most of opportunities, a leading Well pharmacist reveals his formula for success
Mital Thakrar (pictured above, left) has spent six years rising through the ranks of Well Pharmacy. Last year he became one of the change implementation leads, supporting a division that spans the UK, with the responsibility of supporting the development and implementation of projects that make the multiple’s branches run as effectively as possible.
He is also co-director of training provider Team Prereg, which was highly commended by judges at the C+D Awards this year in the Online Initiative of the Year category for its webinars. Although only a few years into his career, he was also nominated for the Community Pharmacist of the Year Award in 2018.
He has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and the values to guide him along the way. Here are Mr Thakrar’s five tips on how to make the most of your role in community pharmacy:
- Enjoy what you do, but maintain a balance
“Balance your workload and remember to take the time out to relax. Fulfil your passions, whether it’s playing sport, reading or producing art. It’s always important to have that thing that relaxes you and keeps your mind fresh.”
- Make the most of opportunities
“Take opportunities that push you out of your comfort zone and improve yourself. By doing this you can help others and improve the environment around you.”
- Leave your comfort zone
“Use opportunities to manage larger numbers of people. Get involved in more projects, becoming the champion for a service. Speak to your manager about how you can make that next step.”
- Don’t let a setback get you down
“Challenges will come your way, but you need to break down what the challenge is and understand what you can do to overcome it.”
- Learn about leadership
“I read a lot about leadership – what effective leadership is, and understanding which type of leadership to use and when is critical to managing people.”