April 15, 2025 • 49 mins
What do you get when a fourth-generation farm girl swaps her ballet slippers for blister packs? You get Shaylee Mills—better known as The Rural Pharmacist—who shares why she chose to take her pharmacy career off the beaten track and into the heart of rural Australia.
Based in Karratha, Western Australia, Shaylee sheds light on what rural pharmacy really looks like—dispelling the myths of outdated clinics and highlighting the modern facilities, advanced technologies, and close-knit teams that make rural practice so rewarding. From working in Aboriginal Health Services to community pharmacies, she highlights how connection and continuity of care shape better health outcomes for patients and professionals alike.
Her award-winning work and social media advocacy are opening doors for countless young healthcare professionals to consider the path less travelled. With infectious energy, Shaylee champions the value of rural practice and encourages early-career pharmacists to think beyond the city. “You can do anything in pharmacy—but it’s easier to do everything in rural pharmacy,” she says, and after this chat, you just might agree.
It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr CEO Sam Miklos, alongside Head of Talent and Employer Branding, Kate Coomber.
We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso
More about Shaylee's Organisation of Choice, the Pharmacists' Support Service
The Pharmacists' Support Service is a free service run by pharmacists for pharmacists. The service provides a listening ear over the telephone to pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and students, offering support related to the many demands of the profession.
Follow Shaylee, The Rural Pharmacist on TikTok and Instagram.
Get to know cmr better!
Follow @ittakesheartpodcast on Instagram, @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment on Linked In, @cornerstonemedicalrec on TikTok and @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment on Facebook.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sam Miklos (00:00):
Welcome to it Takes Heart.
I'm Kate and I'm Sam, and wecan't wait to share more
incredible stories of healthcareprofessionals making an impact
across Australia.
Shaylee Mills (00:08):
We talk about, you know, going into rural
healthcare, but again, if youdon't see what it actually looks
like, you know saying somethingat a university lecture on a
piece of paper is very differentto actually seeing what it
looks like.
There's never really been abetter time to be a pharmacist,
because there's so much changing.
That's the best time to get inthere and, you know, build a
career for yourself and dowhatever you want to do.
(00:29):
And yeah, I am excited aboutthe future of pharmacies.
Kate Coomber (00:38):
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the
land of which we meet who, forcenturies, have shared ancient
methods of healing and cared fortheir communities.
We pay our respects to elders,past and present.
Sam Miklos (00:53):
Today we are chatting with Shaylee Mills,
better known on social media asthe Rural Pharmacist.
Shay is a passionate advocatefor rural life and the
incredible role that pharmacistsplay in these communities is a
passionate advocate for rurallife and the incredible role
that pharmacists play in thesecommunities.
On her Instagram and TikTokaccounts you will find so many
great stories, insights and tipsabout life and work as a rural
pharmacist.
I can't wait to hear more aboutthat.
Even just the quality of whatyou put together is incredible.
(01:15):
Thank you.
Shea is the ultimate advocatefor rural pharmacists and has no
doubt inspired thousands toconsider these unique
opportunities.
Today she has travelled acrossthe country, from Karratha in
the Pilbara region to Brisbanein Queensland, to be with us
today.
Thank you so much, Shay, forjoining us.
No, thank you so much forhaving me here.
Shaylee Mills (01:35):
I am super excited, and it is nice to get
out of Karratha every now andagain, so this is awesome.
Sam Miklos (01:40):
Every now and then at the big swing, we've got you
in this tiny room.
Out of Karratha, big whitespaces is awesome.
Every now and then at the bigswing, we've got you in this
tiny room out of carava bigwhite space.
Shaylee Mills (01:48):
As long as it's not the red dirt, I'm fine.
Kate Coomber (01:50):
Oh, fair, fair yeah, would you know what?
We connected a little while agoand I came across your profile
account what do you call it?
Sam Miklos (01:57):
is it an?
Shaylee Mills (01:57):
account.
Is it an account?
The rural pharmacist um like myinstagram page or account?
Sam Miklos (02:02):
Yeah, we had this conversation.
It's like a profile account.
Kate Coomber (02:06):
So we connected and I was just really taken by
what you were doing.
Thank you, I thought it really.
I really loved the content.
You were really showing varietyof work and real joy in what
you do.
Like there's a real sense ofpositivity and a real passion
for the industry, but also thatrural community work, so really
(02:27):
inspired today, and beauty ofthe rural areas too.
Sam Miklos (02:29):
Definitely, definitely.
Kate Coomber (02:32):
And I haven't seen Hy-Vee's.
You know, people might think of.
Karratha and.
Mining Town and things likethat, but it was really
beautiful.
So, true, Really beautiful yourposts.
I guess what inspired you tostart on socials and sharing
this pharmacy related content.
Yeah, great question.
Shaylee Mills (02:48):
It sort of happened in a very roundabout
way, took me a little whilereally to get there, like I
think it was an idea that sortof been building up over time
and I just didn't really realisethat it was an idea in itself.
But, like you said, I'mparticularly passionate about
being a pharmacist.
I really enjoy my job and Ilove working in rural pharmacy,
(03:09):
and I think that's quite specialbecause there's plenty of
people in the pharmacy industrythat don't particularly like
working or they're not asexcited about it anymore, or
there's a bit of negativity inour industry, which is
understandable, and I think thatgoes across the board for the
healthcare sector.
But I think it's really specialthat at least that right now
I've got a lot of energy aboutit.
And so, yeah, I honestlyremember my first day working in
(03:34):
my first rural job.
I was an intern pharmacist, soI wasn't fully qualified.
Kate Coomber (03:38):
And where was that ?
Shaylee Mills (03:39):
I just moved to Broome.
So, it was a rotation across theKimberley but the main was in
Broome and, yeah, I'd moved awayfrom home.
I have moved away from home acouple of times, um doing
boarding school and stuff.
But once I'd got there I was alittle bit homesick and I was
like, oh, is this the rightdecision?
Like, what have I done?
I'm feeling a bit nervous, likeI'm a little bit unsure.
Went to my first day.
(04:00):
Um took me an hour and I waslike this, is it like I've made
the right decision?
I'm totally fine.
This is exactly what I neededto do and it just took off from
there.
Kate Coomber (04:09):
What was it that really made you realize that?
Shaylee Mills (04:12):
I think it was just the people that you work
with, like they're so welcoming,they're very calm, it's all
casual, like we're just there tohelp people and the people
coming in.
It's the same thing, like theywant to have a chat with you,
they want to get to know you,they want to know who the new
person is.
Um, yeah, I think it's thatwelcoming part of the community
that, uh, really makes you feellike I basically, like this is
(04:37):
your new home, um, and Iabsolutely love that.
Like I love talking to patients, I could, honestly are you?
Sam Miklos (04:42):
in.
Were you in the Broome Hospitalat that point?
Shaylee Mills (04:45):
No, it was actually in a community pharmacy
.
Sam Miklos (04:47):
Yes right.
Shaylee Mills (04:48):
So it's a community-based job.
It was very aligned withworking together with the
Aboriginal Health Services there.
So, as I said, the main basewas Broome, but I also got a
chance to go out to FitzroyCrossing.
There was a site out in Derbywhich I didn't get to go to, but
, yeah, it was very rotationaland very exciting, very
(05:08):
different, something that neverreally was mentioned at
university.
So when I got there it was veryeye-opening.
I was like this is actuallygreat, like I get to travel
around.
Kate Coomber (05:17):
And how did you get to that point?
Because you're leavinguniversity, and was it a lot of
hospital-based discussions orwhat?
Sam Miklos (05:22):
was the placement.
Kate Coomber (05:23):
Yeah, what was the mainstream that you expected?
Shaylee Mills (05:26):
Yeah, so when you start pharmacy, pretty much you
always start in communitypharmacy.
That's the easiest sort ofentry gateway to get into.
And community pharmacy I guess,like there's so many of them
around, we always need access tomedicines, so there's always
there, there's always work, andthen, as you sort of go through
(05:46):
the different years, it'll behospital sort of like a next
step up.
Like once you get a good basisof what you do in community
pharmacy, then you go intohospital, because that can just
be a little bit more complex interms of maybe the patients that
you see or the medicines or thewards that they specialise in.
So so you do get a varietythroughout university.
(06:06):
But basically, yeah, most peoplewould do placements in
community.
You'd work in communitypharmacy and then, like myself,
I then got a job in hospitalpharmacy afterwards, based off
the fact that I had experiencein community pharmacy and did
hospital placements as well.
I also took rural placementstoo, because I was like you,
like you know the universitythat I went to funds rural
(06:27):
placements.
So I took that opportunity togo somewhere and that's actually
where I found Karratha and mylove for Karratha there.
Sam Miklos (06:35):
Can I just ask so, when you're talking about
community pharmacy, is thatworking in the Priceline
pharmacy or is that working fora community service?
Or pharmacy yeah, or is thatworking for a community service?
Shaylee Mills (06:48):
Yeah, good question actually.
So for the most part it's sortof the pharmacies that you would
walk into.
Sam Miklos (06:54):
In retail.
Kate Coomber (06:55):
Wherever you go, yeah, so also known as retail
pharmacy.
Shaylee Mills (06:58):
Right, I do try to like keep it towards
community pharmacy because allthe pharmacies that I've worked
in it's definitely been and Ipharmacies that I've worked in
has definitely been and I thinkthere's a big shift in pharmacy
where it's more about theservice that you can provide and
the information that you cangive, rather than just selling
the medicines with a label onthe box.
Sam Miklos (07:15):
Is that too, because ultimately you're in a retail
space.
So if I can choose to go tothis pharmacy or that pharmacy.
I'm going to want to go to onewith a customer service lens.
Shaylee Mills (07:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's very wishy-washy, and is there
that?
Kate Coomber (07:26):
retail component.
Shaylee Mills (07:28):
There can be.
Sam Miklos (07:29):
yeah, I call it getting those glasses at the
counter as well, which I feellike looking for.
Kate Coomber (07:34):
They've got the little things, of different
things, the KPIs and servicelevels.
Shaylee Mills (07:39):
Depends on the pharmacy that you work for, and
I guess there's differentfranchises as well.
They all have different waysthat they like to go about it.
Each pharmacy is still thenindividually owned by a
pharmacist, who then might gointo a particular franchise.
So again that is also up to themlike how that sort of goes.
But yeah, it's sort of you'vegot one end where, yeah, maybe
(08:03):
it's like particularly retail,and then you've got the other
end, which is quiteservice-based.
So the main thing that they'resort of providing is maybe like
more health checks or medicinereviews or something like that.
That's their like primary focus.
But yeah, it's all interlinkedand intertwined.
Sam Miklos (08:21):
And what about?
You mentioned earlier about thenegativity in your industry.
Just want you to talk aboutthat.
What is the negativity?
Shaylee Mills (08:29):
Yes, again, another very good question.
Thank you, I've clearly donequite a bit of research.
You've done excellent research.
Kate Coomber (08:37):
Today, I'd actually know, not even written
down, none of these, none ofthese.
Sam Miklos (08:40):
I was just like what's the negativity, what's
happening out there?
Shaylee Mills (08:43):
But you know these are really good questions
because, like it's so naturalfor me when I say it and I think
about it and it's like I've gotthat pharmacist brain Like.
I know what every otherpharmacist is thinking of, but
for you guys, yeah, it's acontext that you probably don't
understand, and I think, if youjust talk to the general public,
if you think pharmacy, youthink I go in there.
Kate Coomber (09:00):
The doctor sent me there.
Yeah, I just go to wherever'sclosest or to wherever I know,
but there's a lot ofcomplexities.
Yeah, to the role, so I'd loveto you know, when we ask obvious
questions, it's sort ofthinking with people with very
yeah, yeah, no that's excellent.
Shaylee Mills (09:16):
that's great.
Um yeah, in terms of thenegativity, um, it's
particularly in communitypharmacy.
It is a job that there is highdemand, it's very high pressure,
there can be big working hours.
Sam Miklos (09:31):
That's because you're working shifts as well.
Yeah, working big shifts.
Shaylee Mills (09:35):
Yep, weekends, and then workforce shortages
again perpetuate that,perpetuate that.
So, depending on, I guess,where it is, where the location
or the workplace culture andthings like that, that can
definitely weigh you down.
It happens across the board.
As I said, in healthcaresectors, like just the burnout
rates are quite significant withwhat we're sort of having to
(09:58):
deal with day to day, I guess,in terms of, yeah, what the
pressure that's placed on us, interms of, yeah, what the
pressure that's placed on us,what's expected of us versus
what we can actually do.
Like we can do so much, but thensometimes the expectation of
what we can do is what weactually can't do, and this is
what we can offer and it doesn'talways align between different
health services, and that can bereally tricky to navigate when
(10:21):
you've got people with a certainexpectation of what they want
and it can't go that way fordifferent reasons, like legal
reasons or ethical reasons orwhatever.
What, if what's even available?
How?
Sam Miklos (10:32):
many staff you've got on, I was going to say,
because it's a retail store too.
So if there's not enough staffbut someone needs to work,
that's where that burnout wouldcome in, particularly in remote
communities where you'd feelthat need to have to keep
turning up and yeah, and theservice levels are.
Kate Coomber (10:47):
You know, that's something that's really
important to you yeah, yes, forsure, how do you look after you?
Shaylee Mills (10:52):
how do we look after you?
Yes, um, I've, in my case, Idefinitely just try to find
areas throughout the day orareas throughout the week where
I'm like that's going to be justmy time to switch off, or you
know.
Yeah, I guess have my ownlittle bubble.
Pharmacy is a very social job,especially in community pharmacy
(11:15):
.
Sam Miklos (11:15):
You're talking to people all day.
That can be quite draining andyou'd get repeat clients too as
well, which would be nice butthen it could be draining as
well.
Yeah, repeat clients.
Or?
Shaylee Mills (11:22):
just new clients or you know sometimes where
maybe the situation is quitehefty, high pressure situation
um, you're making some prettybig decisions that can impact
people's health verysignificantly, um, and very
quickly if it goes wrong.
Kate Coomber (11:36):
So that's hard to handle as well, can you maybe
give some examples of that?
Sam Miklos (11:41):
so yeah, you know, talk us through scenarios where
scenarios where it could gowrong you're saying, and the
challenges.
Shaylee Mills (11:48):
Yeah, well, it can be anything from as little
as like something that's beenprescribed, or even a better
situation is like something thata patient might want because
they've seen it or they'velooked up their symptoms, or
they're thinking that that'swhat they need Dr Google, dr
Google.
Sam Miklos (12:04):
We love a good Dr Google.
You thought that I thought aZen pic.
What do you mean?
Shaylee Mills (12:08):
a Zen pic, yeah, and then again, like that's sort
of what they're wanting orhoping or expecting and yeah,
you can't, Like you're sort ofsussing it out, but you have to
ask a lot of questions to getthere and get that information.
Like how is it that they've gotto this conclusion?
Is this what we actually needto be?
Treating Like you're constantlysort of creeping in information
(12:28):
?
Sam Miklos (12:28):
And this is just for that over-the-counter.
Shaylee Mills (12:33):
Over-the-counter.
It can also be like, if they'vecome in asking if there's a
particular medicine that theycan have, that if they need to
see the doctor for they'll gosee it Right yeah, but you know
you're trying to suss out thatinformation and then you're sort
of assessing that.
Well, with everything elsethat's going on for them, is
this actually appropriate?
Is this safe?
Um, things like uh, what ifthey don't have a script, um,
(12:54):
because it's run out, it'sexpired?
Whatever situation that theyfind themselves in, if I like,
legally I'm not supposed to giveanything out without a
prescription um, there'sobviously a few ways around it.
But if you're in a real Isthere?
There is, I'll see for a friend.
Yeah, there is.
It depends on the medicine.
It depends on what it's for andthe situation.
There are a few medicines thatcan go under what we call
(13:17):
continued supply Right.
So if you're on it long term,it's for a chronic condition
Right, and it needs to be takencontinually, then you can get a
supply without a script, as longas you have a history with that
pharmacy and they can see thatthat's exactly what's been.
Sam Miklos (13:33):
So me just being the mum that loses the scripts is
not good enough.
Yeah, you wouldn't just be ableto rock up to any random.
Just clarifying, justclarifying, yeah, yeah.
Shaylee Mills (13:44):
But yeah, like if you have to decide if a patient
goes with or without thatmedicine, that's a really tricky
situation to be in.
Kate Coomber (13:52):
That's interesting , because people might think
that the onus lies with thedoctor or the prescribing
practitioner yeah, as opposed tothe and maybe just assume that
you can't do any of those things.
But it's actually a large youknow hugely weighted position
that you're in.
Shaylee Mills (14:09):
Yeah, yeah, and that's where it gets really
tricky.
So, yeah, it's thinking aboutthe consequences of what will
happen if you do or if you don't.
What are the reasons why I canand I can't, I can and I can't?
Maybe you're just looking atsomething where you don't have a
full medication history andthey've been prescribed
something that's like has knownto have really big, large side
(14:32):
effects and you're sort oflooking at it as always the red
flags and you're trying to sussout like something's not quite
right here.
I even had an instance theother day where it was insulin
for a dog and we don't know muchabout veterinary medicine.
Sam Miklos (14:47):
Um, fair enough.
It was just yeah, yeah, it'sdefinitely out of.
My first question was about togo, do you?
Shaylee Mills (14:53):
guys do that.
Yeah, yeah, yes, yeah.
Sam Miklos (14:56):
So even like you know, just because you're in a
smaller location, or is thatlike no matter?
It's not just a just a Carathathing that's across the board in
pharmacy.
Shaylee Mills (15:04):
Yeah, we can receive scripts like veterinary
scripts, so scripts for animals.
We can supply it.
We don't get any informationreally about what it does or how
it works or whether it's safeor not and what the doses are
for animals.
So that's pretty much all onthe vet.
But yeah, it was a situationwhere they're getting an insulin
.
They'd received one previouslyand sort of talking with them I
(15:29):
was figuring out like the one,the insulin that they've been
using is not the same strengthbut they've been told to
administer the same.
I think they might beadministering the same volume,
which means that they're nowgetting three times the dose.
Oh wow, giving it to this dog.
You know stuff like that, whereyou're like something's not
quite right here, but I don'tknow if I am right, I don't know
(15:49):
if I'm overthinking it and it'sagain like poking and prodding.
It's just those situationswhere you go whew.
Kate Coomber (15:54):
So there must be times when a patient brings in a
script and it's been prescribedby the health practitioner.
But yeah, you question whetherit's correct.
Yeah, and everybody makeserrors.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What do you do?
Shaylee Mills (16:07):
Yeah, yeah, look, I am so very fortunate that and
I think this is the case inrural healthcare in general you
have really good relationshipswith all of the other health
practitioners around, becauseyou're constantly leaning on
each other, you know you'reasking for favours, you're
getting to know them, you'rehaving to call them all the time
(16:29):
so you get to know their voice,and then again you see them
around town as well, so you seethem in a social setting.
So for the most part, I canpretty much call anybody that I
need to call and say like, hey,what do you think of this?
Kate Coomber (16:37):
or like just confirming this, you know it's
never because it's never likeaccusatory or anything like that
.
Shaylee Mills (16:41):
No, you know, I never think of it as, like you
know, they've messed up orwhatever, like there's so much
that could be happening in aconsult at once and you're
thinking of so many things in asa health professional in
general.
Um, so one tiny thing that hasbeen missed, or maybe the
patient didn't even tell, andthen they've come in and told me
changes the situation entirely.
Um, so, yeah, very lucky thatyou can pretty much just call up
(17:04):
being changes the situationentirely.
Um, so, yeah, very lucky thatyou can pretty much just call it
being like, do like.
This is what I found out.
Um, these are the options thatwe have.
What would you like to do, orwhat do you recommend, or what's
your opinion on this?
Sam Miklos (17:14):
um, worst case you can always just say I couldn't
read your handwriting.
Yeah, you know, I just couldn'tread it.
What do you, um, what do youlove then about being a rural
pharmacist, like, like, whatdoes a typical day look?
Kate Coomber (17:24):
like, yeah, I'd love to know a typical day,
because I imagine you're not inthe clinic all day long.
Yep, and what else is involved?
Shaylee Mills (17:34):
Yeah, so I guess that's what I love about rural
pharmacy is that my typical daylooks different every day.
You get to have multiple jobroles because there's less
people, so instead of having oneperson for each individual role
, you kind of have to fill allof them.
So for the most part, my basisis in the community pharmacy, so
(17:56):
where any patient can walk inwith their prescription, and I
just love the fact that.
Yeah, it's a local town,there's lots of local people.
Karratha is quite large, it'slike 21,000 people so I get to
see my patients over and overand over and over again.
So now that I've been there fortwo and a half years, like most
(18:18):
of the patients that come in,I'll have seen before or I know
them by name and I know exactlywhat's happening, and that's
really nice to have that.
You don't get that a lot inpharmacy in metro, particularly
just because it is so transientand people can go anywhere they
want, whereas in the countrythey can't.
There's only one place.
I was going to say how manyplaces could they go?
Kate Coomber (18:37):
Are there quite a few pharmacists in Karratha, or
are you the one?
Shaylee Mills (18:42):
There's a few, there's three, but it's actually
all the same team across thethree.
So it's under the 777 group,which is like a pharmacy
franchise based out of WA, andso across those three stores,
we're actually all one, so it'sone big happy pharmacy family,
which is really nice.
Kate Coomber (19:01):
A lot better pharmacy family.
Yeah, yeah, a bit more coverage.
A bit more coverage, a bit morecoverage.
Shaylee Mills (19:05):
And then it's so funny because you'll go to work
like you go to work one day inone pharmacy.
You might have to quickly coversomebody's shift or lunch break
or something in anotherpharmacy, so you hop over there
and then the next minute thepatient that you talked to 15
minutes ago is coming over hereand they're like what?
there's my pharmacist again, andthey love it because they're
like I've just seen you what'shappening.
So yeah, there's that component.
(19:25):
And then I work in anAboriginal health service as
well.
So there is a health servicelocated 30 minutes out of
Karratha in a local communitycalled Roburn.
Sam Miklos (19:38):
Is that role a separate role, a separate role
To the role that you've got with?
Shaylee Mills (19:42):
But it's through that same pharmacy team again,
right, okay, so we sort of havea partnership with them.
Kate Coomber (19:46):
So they have a partnership yeah correct.
Shaylee Mills (19:47):
So we go out there.
We provide pharmacy servicesfrom there because essentially,
if you think about it, patientsthey can go see any health
professional that they want inthat multidisciplinary clinic.
But if there's no pharmacist orpharmacy there then they would
have to travel 30 minutes toKarratha just to get meds.
Or they might go.
There are a few neighbouringtowns about 15 minutes, but
still that's quite a big drive.
(20:09):
So when I say 15 minutes, we'retalking 15 minutes at 110
kilometres an hour.
So it's not From Karratha.
Yeah, yeah or from Roburn.
So it's.
Kate Coomber (20:18):
And not everybody would be driving.
No, correct.
Not everybody has access.
Not everybody has access tothat.
Sam Miklos (20:23):
How often do you go?
Shaylee Mills (20:24):
out there.
At this stage I've just reduceddown to once a week, but before
that I was twice a week.
So, yeah, and I've been doingthat role for, yeah, about three
, nearly four years now, becauseI also did that in my
internship and it's a verydifferent type of pharmacy.
So you're working on the groundas a pharmacist and you're
helping with the provision ofmedicines for patients, but
(20:47):
they've literally just come outof a GP consult and they'll walk
straight to your window.
You can see everything that'shappening.
So that's another thing is, incommunity pharmacy, the only
information that you have iseither what the patient tells
you, what's on the script, whatthey've had previously and maybe
their my Health record, if thatis connected.
But in this clinic, because itis all one, we have access to
(21:08):
every other healthprofessional's notes.
We have access to all the bloodresults, absolutely everything
that happens with that patientin that clinic.
We can also see and that makesyour job so much easier when it
comes to like we might actuallythis might be a better
medication that we could putthem on, or like what do you
think about maybe continuingthis course or reducing the
length of this course?
(21:28):
Or, you know, should we look ata Webster pack, now that we've
got so many different medicines,all those sorts of things.
Or if they come up asking beinglike when was the last time
this patient had this medicine?
Can I start them on this dosenow, or do we need to start?
Kate Coomber (21:46):
low and go back up again.
Um, yeah, it makes it so yourjob just so much easier.
Shaylee Mills (21:48):
Um, because you have that visibility and the
collaboration with the healthprofessionals right there and
there yeah, yeah, that it can bea little bit more instant, I
imagine.
Kate Coomber (21:53):
Yeah, correct, problem solving rather than
having to.
I'll get back to you.
Shaylee Mills (21:56):
Yes, yeah, and then means that patients can get
their medicine straight awaybecause you don't have to wait
for, you know, a phone call tobe brought back.
Um, so, yeah, absolutely,that's what definitely one of my
favorite parts about my job, um, and again, very unique role.
Um, you've got lots of otherhealth professionals there.
It's not just nurses and gps,it's physios, chronic disease
(22:16):
team, pediatrics, and thenyou'll have visiting specialists
.
So you, you know, it's reallytypically pharmacists work with
specialists in a hospital wardif you get to go up onto the
wards.
But here, you know, you're acommunity pharmacist but, yeah,
I get to work with them, whichis pretty cool.
Sam Miklos (22:31):
That's an incredible experience, hey, and what a
nice like combination as well todo with the community work as
well.
Yes, did you always want to bea pharmacist?
No, where did you grow up?
I?
Kate Coomber (22:41):
was going to say.
You mentioned boarding school.
Are you a rural?
Sam Miklos (22:43):
girl at heart.
I am a rural girl yes.
Shaylee Mills (22:46):
Where was home?
So home for me is in a littlecountry town called Queriting,
so it's in the Wheatbelt region.
So for anybody that's not sureif they've heard of Narrogin or
York, keller, bear and Brookden,we're sort of centred around in
there.
How big is that town?
And that has don't quote me onit because it could have changed
(23:07):
, but when I was living there itwas about 1,000 people, so very
small.
So you know, going to schoolthere was 100 kids in the school
.
I graduated year seven with 14kids in my class.
But yeah, I grew up there, didyou love that, I did love that
yeah, I wouldn't change it forthe world.
I would do it again exactly asit happened.
I think that I don't knowthat's probably also the sense
(23:32):
of community and also yourability to socialise, because
that's what everybody does, youknow you're out in the middle of
nowhere.
So what do you do?
Well, you all catch up withyour friends and you know all
the parents get together, sothen all the kids get together.
So yeah, it was really cool.
Sam Miklos (23:45):
It's a genuine community.
Shaylee Mills (23:46):
Yeah, yeah yeah and um.
So yeah, it was really cool,it's a genuine community.
Kate Coomber (23:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, um, and I loved growing up on a
farm as well.
Shaylee Mills (23:51):
I was gonna say what did your family do?
Yeah, to have that lifestyle.
Yeah, so my dad's a fourthgeneration farmer, so it's been
running in the family for a longtime.
Um, but pharmacy is the closestto farming that I will get.
Sam Miklos (24:02):
I didn't want to make the connection just because
everybody does, so I gotta doit for you.
Oh, I know You're not the onlyone.
Kate Coomber (24:10):
Totally worth it.
Yeah, yeah, no pressure tocontinue the farming.
Shaylee Mills (24:15):
No, not at all.
Like my family were supportivein whatever I decided to do.
I think, like my dad,absolutely loves being a farmer.
Sam Miklos (24:25):
I think he was partly relieved that I chose not
to be a farmer because it wasalso very hard work.
It's pretty tough.
Shaylee Mills (24:30):
What farming is it?
Traditional wheat and sheep,right?
So yeah, basically, if itdoesn't rain that year, that can
be pretty scary.
If it doesn't rain for multipleyears, it's very scary.
So I think maybe underlyinglyhe was relieved that I chose not
to do that.
But I know he would haveabsolutely loved it as well if I
chose farming.
But it's all right, because Ihave a younger sister and she,
(24:54):
like her and her partner, areprobably going to take over the
farm.
Sam Miklos (24:56):
So it was pharmacy always.
Because you're so passionateabout it, did you do other
things first?
Shaylee Mills (25:03):
Yeah, so I actually spent 10 years of
pretty much my entire childhoodwanting to be a ballet dancer,
so I trained pretty intensely todo ballet dancing like
classical ballet with a companyat some point In.
Kate Coomber (25:17):
Perth.
Shaylee Mills (25:18):
Yes, well, I actually started out in the
country.
So there was like a dance classin a neighbouring town and it
was like I think it was.
My mum and a couple of herfriends were like, oh, this is
starting, like should we just gothere and we'll drop our kids
there and see if they like it?
And we went and, yeah, Iremember watching the dance
teacher being like that's whatI'm gonna do, like that's what I
want to be.
I don't know why.
I just like loved.
(25:39):
I was mesmerized by what shecould do.
So I was like that's what I'mgonna do.
And so, yeah, spent quite a fewyears all the way through
primary school, dancing around.
It was different country towns,so I danced, not just quereting
, but I also went to classes inCunderdon, beverley and 2J, so
there was a lot of driving atone point.
Kate Coomber (25:59):
Thank you, mum yeah, thank you, mum yeah and
Angel and yeah.
Shaylee Mills (26:04):
Then I had to.
Like yeah, decided to go toboarding school.
That was what most kids didonce you graduated primary
school.
The high school in my town onlygoes to year 10, so pretty much
everybody goes.
And I went to John Curtin,which is an art school based in
Fremantle, so I went there forthe ballet program as well.
So pretty much yeah, kept goingright through high school.
(26:27):
And then didn't study, thoughprofessionally no so I did a lot
with it, like I got to travelAustralia with it.
Um, at one point I went over toAustria and I got a chance to
dance with a company when I was15, which is amazing, um.
But yeah, as I got older, uh,it got to the point where it's
like you either choose to stayin school or you leave school
and you pursue this.
It's just one of those thingswhere you can't do both You're
(26:51):
in or you're out.
Yeah, in or out.
Sam Miklos (26:53):
And then straight into pharmacy.
Do you think that was itstraight in then?
Shaylee Mills (26:56):
Well, yeah Well, once I decided to stay in school
, I had no idea what I wanted todo, Just like no clue.
I was like we're just going toroll with it, but I really liked
science and I liked chemistryin particular.
So yeah, I was.
I was that kid flicking throughthose university books like a
week before the you had to enterwhat you wanted to go into
(27:18):
university being like I justneed to find something and put
something down, and I'm good atchemistry and I'm good at
chemistry pharmacy has chemistry.
I'm gonna do that, and here I amtoday.
Sam Miklos (27:29):
It makes you feel better.
I was flicking through thatbook for years.
Kate Coomber (27:33):
So you didn't have any inspiration or anyone that
you knew to look to, to be likeI've seen the role of a
pharmacist that looks great.
It was more just thescience-based subjects.
Yeah, Thought you'd have a lookand see what it is, and then
just grew into it and realisedyou loved it Pretty much.
Shaylee Mills (27:47):
pretty much, yeah .
So once I started studyingbecause also it again might have
changed the degrees changedquite a bit since I went, which
was only four years ago, butit's still making me feel very.
Sam Miklos (28:00):
I was just thinking that I'm like I can't wait to
get you to go.
Shaylee Mills (28:03):
But the first year is like a more general
health science year, so youdon't really get a good taste of
what pharmacy is.
So I did do first year and Iwas like I might actually quit.
I don't know if I'm enjoyingthis, because it's not.
Sam Miklos (28:14):
That's so good, though for a first year to hear,
because there'd be a lot thatwould probably feel like that.
Shaylee Mills (28:19):
Well, that's the thing we had, like there was a
lot of people that left in thatyear, Like our class pretty much
halved in that first semester,which some people probably
definitely figured out like no,this is not for me, but also I
think it's just you're notreally seeing what pharmacy is,
but that's your impression ofwhat it is and it's a little bit
vague.
It's a little bit boring, to behonest.
Kate Coomber (28:41):
Do you think something could be done there to
really inspire those first-yearstudents?
Well, yeah.
Shaylee Mills (28:44):
I think they Like think what do you?
Kate Coomber (28:46):
think would have really gone.
Oh yeah, this is it.
Shaylee Mills (28:49):
They need to bring in some more pharmacy
specific content into that firstyear so that they actually
understand.
Because the other thing that Ithink made a huge difference was
I got a job in a pharmacy assoon as I started studying
university, um, and it's notcompulsory for us to work in
pharmacy while you're studying.
Sam Miklos (29:11):
But yeah, that definitely helps so much, Just
to connect you back to whyyou're doing it.
Shaylee Mills (29:13):
Correct.
You also learn much easier andyou probably learn a lot quicker
because you're exposed to somuch and so you've seen a lot by
the time you're actuallylearning it.
You're like, yep, I understandthat process Because it's also a
very process-based profession,because you've got laws to abide
to.
You've also got clinicalthinking and that sort of
(29:35):
ethical-legal balance as wellbetween keeping patients safe.
But then also, what am Iactually allowed to do?
It's a very regulatedenvironment.
What?
Sam Miklos (29:46):
do you think about?
Do you see the role of thepharmacist evolving,
particularly with theintroduction of tech?
Like I think about our localpharmacy where there's a vending
machine basically, yes, it'slike a competition to name it.
Yeah, like what I know, right Ihave seen these yeah, like
they're awesome, it's and it'slike what is the impact that
(30:09):
things like tech, like that isgoing to have on the actual role
of a pharmacist?
Will it shift?
Have you seen a shift in thefour years you're out?
Shaylee Mills (30:17):
In terms of how it impacts the role of the
pharmacist.
I think at the end of the day,it's always there to supplement
or help us do our job better.
Supplement or help us do ourjob better.
It will never replace us,because there are so many
individual factors into why youmake a decision for one specific
patient that a robot is nevergoing to come to the critical
(30:37):
thing.
Yeah, because you can't it can'thave that like personal
conversation, um, and it can'tconnect with people, and that
it's that barrier that you needto break.
Um, quite often that impactswhat you actually decide to do,
but it definitely makes your jobeasier.
So I've seen these vendingmachines.
I actually it's interestingagain like a highly regulated
environment, so you guys havegot them, but I actually don't
(30:58):
think they're allowed in WAbased off WA laws on certain
supply.
Don't quote me on that, but I'mpretty sure I have heard
somebody say that, because I was, yeah, interested in like why
can't we like why does nobodyhave one here?
yeah, um, but even in thepharmacy I'm working in, we've
got these massive robots andwe'll do like all our dispensing
.
We've got um dispense techsthat are brilliant and do that
(31:22):
work for us, and it literallyjust shoots out all the
medicines that you need.
So you put the information inand it will give you the exact
right drug that you need so thatyou don't have to spend time
getting it, so there's still aplace for it.
Sam Miklos (31:32):
Yeah, 100%.
So, it's similar to theautomation pieces and it's
finding those efficiencies andfilling some of those roles.
Yeah, it's just making the jobefficient and also reducing risk
.
Shaylee Mills (31:43):
So robots are proven to basically be more
accurate in picking medicinesthan a human because, yeah,
obviously it doesn't get.
Yeah, human error doesn't gettired.
Kate Coomber (31:54):
Tired was actually something I wanted to ask you
because it sounds like the roleof a pharmacist is really you've
got to be on all the time.
You do about even a healthcareprofessional who is having
breaks between consults or noteven breaks.
But you know, it kind of comesup and down whereas, yeah, you
know, we've gone to the pharmacy, everyone's waiting, no one's
(32:15):
got time.
Sam Miklos (32:16):
It's like how long is that gonna be?
How long should?
Kate Coomber (32:18):
I come back tomorrow.
What's going on?
Yeah, and it's just go, go, go,script, script, script, script.
And if you've got all of thatcritical thinking behind every
decision that you have to make,with every script that you're
dispensing, I haven't reallythought about it in that way of
just the being on is it quitetiring.
It is tiring um for a full shift, yeah do you have to take
(32:39):
breaks and is there certainperiods where you, you know, can
be hyper focused for thatperiod and then you need to step
away and come back, or it'ssomething that's not like.
Shaylee Mills (32:48):
That's probably what should happen.
That's yeah but um, it's healthcare and it doesn't stop so
there's always people, yeah, andyou know you do just get days
where it's one thing after theother, where it's just tricky,
and you know we do try like atleast where I'm working.
(33:09):
You know we do try to have theregular breaks.
I think a lot of places arepretty good at making sure that
pharmacists do have rest times,but there's also plenty of
situations where that pharmacistwill be the only pharmacist on
so they actually can't haveright there that it's not
allowed to be open unlessthey're there as a health care
professional.
You want to help, right, yeah,exactly yeah, and there's times
where it's like, if it is, youknow, a dire situation like I'm
(33:32):
just gonna go all hands in likefocus all in on that um, and
then sometimes you know you dealwith that situation.
Then you just have to turnaround and be like okay.
Sam Miklos (33:39):
Next we've got to go to the next one.
Is there a um, a story or amoment um, particularly in the
rural settings where you've beenable to like?
Shaylee Mills (33:49):
it just sums up that impact that you can have I
feel like that in relation tothat go, go, go go.
But then getting the rewardafterwards was definitely um, in
my intern year when I wasworking up in the kimberley, we
uh, the wa opened their bordersfor the first time in two years,
so it was very much a bigawareness of COVID-19 might be
(34:13):
coming back.
Everybody needs to bevaccinated.
There was mandatoryvaccinations in WA to enter
certain places and, yeah, peoplecouldn't go to work if they
weren't vaccinated.
In those rural areas, rural WA.
They were affected, but theydefinitely didn't get the impact
of COVID-19.
They went into a lockdown, noteven a proper lockdown, it was
(34:34):
like they were cut out from thecity for six weeks and then that
was it.
And then, two years later, itwas like you must be vaccinated.
You have to wear masks becausewe're opening up, because they
never had cases.
They didn't well, not that theynever had cases, they didn't
well, not that never had cases,but they didn't have many cases
out there.
It was always in Perth city, um, so it was very high pressure.
(34:57):
There were a lot of people whowere understandably, quite upset
.
That's a pretty big lifestyleadjustment or something to be
told that you have to do whenyou don't know much about it.
Um, and obviously you know,with everything that goes on in
the media and stuff, it can bepretty scary.
So yeah, it was definitely likeone thing after the other, in
the sense that you've got a lotof.
(35:17):
It was pretty much just upsetpeople coming through like I
have to get my vaccine, but thisis what I'm feeling, like I
need my vaccine.
I'm actually really stressedthat it's coming back, but this
is what I'm feeling like I needmy vaccine, I'm actually really
stressed that it's coming back.
It was a lot of conversationsabout wellbeing and mental
health which I was so happy tohave those conversations with,
and I think a lot of patientsfound them really beneficial.
(35:38):
But obviously you do that oneafter the other and then you
know that you've got a millionthings going on in the
background, in the actualpharmacy, like obviously
vaccinating is just one part ofthe job, but you know, it was
really rewarding in the sensethat a lot of them turned around
or came back if they needed,and especially if they need
another vaccine.
Being like I've just felt somuch better after being able to
(35:59):
talk to you Like thank you somuch.
Yeah, yeah, you just got to letpeople say their piece.
You know, like sometimes weknow what we know as health
professionals, but what we knowis not always information that's
helpful for them in thatsituation.
So really just letting them saywhat they feel and being like,
yeah, okay, fair enough that youfeel like that, like I can't
(36:21):
argue with that um and thenbeing like these are your
options today, like what wouldyou like to do?
Um but yeah, it was prettyintense.
Kate Coomber (36:30):
I can imagine.
Do you feel that?
Um, like hearing some of thestories you've spoken about
today and going into thosecommunities as an early career
pharmacist?
It sounds like you're in areally nice collaborative team.
I imagine some of the ruralplacements might not have the
level of support that you do.
Yeah, do you feel that as anyou know quite early in your
career, you've been able toupskill more than you would if
(36:52):
you'd taken a more metro 100?
percent role yeah, and I guessdo people need to be a bit
mindful of where they go to makesure that they have that
support.
Shaylee Mills (37:03):
Yeah, I definitely always recommend
doing as much research as youcan, and that can be a little
bit hard, because I do find thatrural pharmacy jobs, even
though there's a lot of them,they're not necessarily
advertised like they would be inthe city, because they just
again don't have this capacityor they might not have the time
to actually make an advert.
Um.
So, to be honest, all of thejobs that I've gotten rurally,
(37:27):
I've actually just called up thepharmacy owner, being like are
you looking for anybody?
Because I'm interested.
Kate Coomber (37:32):
Um you have to know where the locations are,
because some people don't knowwere you were you heading to
Karratha Like was that a plan?
Shaylee Mills (37:40):
Oh yeah, no, that wasn't a plan.
That was actually my lastplacement.
So I'd already taken the job inBroome for the following year
and then I decided to do my verylast placement in Karratha
because I knew that I wanted todo a rural placement because I'd
done all the other like I'ddone hospital, I'd done
community.
There were rural placementbecause I'd done all the other
like I'd done hospital, I'd donecommunity um.
(38:01):
There were a few otheropportunities like you could go
into um, like mental healthfacilities, um, or pharmacists
that worked with aged carefacilities and stuff.
But I was more interested inlike honestly, I was like I'm
happy to go anywhere and alsolike Karratha's got Karragini,
you know, which is a beautifulgorge where you can go out there
.
Karratha's also close to Exmouth and coral bay yeah, it's
excellent snorkeling, snorkelinglike why wouldn't I do that if
(38:22):
you know my university is goingto send me there?
Yeah, um, and then, yeah,obviously got there and I was
like this is amazing.
Um, I'm so sorry, I've losttrack you loved it?
Sam Miklos (38:31):
no, I was.
Yeah.
You were saying you got thebest opportunities by going out
to these remote areas and morerural.
You should get more experience.
Shaylee Mills (38:38):
Yes, I think that's what you're saying, like
the support, um, of being indifferent areas, um an ability
to upskill, ability, upskill.
So yeah, in terms of support,the easiest way to do that is
obviously going out soonerrather than later.
Your student, like being astudent, is the perfect time.
Um, there is a big conversationaround um poverty placement,
the placement poverty, sorry,which I totally understand, and
(39:00):
that's very difficult.
Sam Miklos (39:01):
What does that mean for someone listening?
They're like what so studentshave?
Shaylee Mills (39:05):
Yeah.
So a lot of healthcare studentswhen they go on prac they'll go
on prac for quite extendedperiods of time.
So the longest prac that I wenton was five weeks.
That's actually consideredquite short in the healthcare
sector.
There's lots of other healthprofessions They'll go for 10
weeks.
Sam Miklos (39:19):
Yeah, I was an official therapist.
We went for that long.
Shaylee Mills (39:21):
Yeah, like four weeks, yeah, we'll go for months
.
And then there's some likemedicine.
They'll go for a whole year andthat's totally unpaid.
Obviously, with the rising costof living, that's extremely
difficult.
How are people doing it?
That's a good question becauseit wasn't you know, the
inflation that we have nowwasn't as extreme I used to work
(39:45):
on weekends, I remember.
Sam Miklos (39:46):
but I was thinking like if you went out remote,
like I'd work so many othershifts around it, but then if
you were in a remote, Well,that's the thing.
Shaylee Mills (39:52):
If you're in a remote area, you can't just go
and get a job, because you don'tlive there, just go and get a
job, because you don't livethere and yeah.
So I think there's a lot ofhopefully a lot of change and
there's a lot of advocacy aroundthat space because it also
depends, like, when theuniversity I went to, they fund
you to go to rural areas.
Not all universities do that.
It has to be self-funded, whichis a real shame, because it's
(40:12):
like, why would we not utiliseeverything that we can to try
and get young people into ruralareas?
Because we know that if you gothere as a student, they're more
likely to return and ashealthcare?
Sam Miklos (40:23):
And most people at least, with placements.
You get there on a placementand they fall in love with the
area, the locals.
They'll go back there.
Shaylee Mills (40:29):
Yeah, and it's like you know, the universities
are essentially the leaders inshaping our profession and the
health sector.
We have that responsibility ofmaking sure that people in rural
areas get the same level ofcare, so that's a real shame
that that happens as well.
So, yeah, it can be reallytricky for people to go on rural
pracs.
So even though I say you shouldgo sooner rather than later at
(40:55):
this stage, it's also if youhave the capability to do so.
Kate Coomber (40:58):
Yeah, I find it a shocker for us the capability to
do so yeah, yeah, which is areal shame talk to me about um.
Sam Miklos (41:03):
Like your your social media work, like your
tiktok account, your instagramaccount, like it's so beautiful
the content you're creating.
Thanks, what impact has thathad?
You know what?
Shaylee Mills (41:12):
I mean, it's been pretty incredible really.
Um, it gives me a lot offulfilment, which is why I
continue doing it.
Sam Miklos (41:20):
What is it that's fulfilling for you?
Shaylee Mills (41:22):
It's the people that get in contact with me and
everybody that's like it's justhad a lot of positive.
It's been received reallypositively From pharmacists,
from pharmacists, just frompeople in the general public,
people in other healthprofessions, public people in
other health professions.
Yeah, and I think it's becauseit's really highlighting, you
know we talk about, you know,going into rural healthcare, but
(41:44):
again, if you don't see what itactually looks, like you know
saying something at a universitylecture on a piece of paper is
very different to actuallyseeing what it looks like.
The other aspect is you can gobe a rural health care
professional, but the other sideof that is you need to know
what it's like living there likeyou have to be able to live
there you can't google these,you can't google those things no
(42:05):
, no, especially in ruralaustralia, like obviously it's,
the tourism is not as huge assomewhere like europe um so it
can be tricky for them to findout that information and a lot
of it's on google is outdated.
So you look at it and you go.
That just looks like yeah, reddirt, when there's actually now
big buildings and houses there.
Kate Coomber (42:24):
Yeah, I think a lot of the rural community roles
or clinics um are as beautifulas the one that you're working
with.
Like it, like it is stunning itbeautiful, I think you posted.
Something about, you know, themost beautiful pharmacy out
there.
Shaylee Mills (42:40):
Oh, yes, yeah, yeah, like is that rare.
I mean the one that I'm in atthe moment.
That definitely has to be oneof like the best that I've seen.
It looks brand new.
Kate Coomber (42:49):
Yes, but you know we have had guests haven't we
from hospitals in our back towns, and people assume that it
might be outdated and dusty andall these things, and they've
got brand-new facilities.
Yes, and it's actuallyincredible.
Shaylee Mills (43:00):
Well, that's the same actually in Karratha
They've got a pretty brand-newhospital and same in South
Headland.
Their hospital is a little bitolder, but I think it's only 10
years old or 15 years old, sothe facility is actually really,
really good.
It's definitely your smalltowns, so like where I grew up
1,000 people it's the samehospital that's been there for a
(43:23):
long time.
So they are, and they're tiny,nothing's changed.
But then you do get theopposite, where you've got these
big major centres in these veryremote places and they have
really good facilities.
And we do get a lot of commentsfrom people who travel through
Karratha.
We get a lot of tourists comingthrough because they pass
through up to Broome or theywant to check out Carnarvon,
(43:43):
exmouth, all of that, and theycome in saying that the pharmacy
that they've just come into inKarratha is the prettiest that
they've ever seen, yeah, yeah,so, yeah, which is pretty
incredible.
But that also goes to show likeit's not just you know, it's not
that stereotype of it is like alittle tin shed that you're
working out of.
Um, yeah, did I say they're upfor an award?
(44:06):
Yes, yes.
So, um, the team that I workwith so it's pharmacy help,
karatha, which is under thetriple seven group they are up
for pharmacy of the year, whichis pretty much, yeah, like the
biggest awards that pharmacyteam.
Sam Miklos (44:20):
I'm very proud because you're here for the
pharmacy conference.
Shaylee Mills (44:24):
Yes, so is the awards part of this conference
correct, so we find out tomorrowhow we go but, to be honest,
like, we're just so excited thatwe've made it this far, um, I
think it's great to get thatrural representation out there
that, yeah, like they'reassessing you know, the caliber
that you work to, what youprovide to the community, um,
and also, like you know the teamitself.
(44:45):
Well, you can get those awardwinning teams in rural places.
Actually, I will plug thisbecause, again, very proud of it
, I'm very proud of all thepeople that I work with.
So, justin caratha alone, we'reup for pharmacy of the, but we
also have so one of our bosses.
She's just won a federal awardfor, like, as a Medicare
(45:06):
champion.
So, celebrating 40 years ofMedicare, we have 2023 Intern
Pharmacist of the Year, 2022Intern Pharmacist of the Year.
We've got WA Pharmacy Assistantof the Year a finalist for
Pharmacy Assistant of the year.
We've got um wa pharmacyassistant of the year a finalist
for pharmacy assistant of theyear we've got a lot of years
and there's more, there's morehonestly early career.
(45:28):
Uh, yes.
So yeah, I've got um internpharmacist of the year 2022
which is I was going to say.
Kate Coomber (45:35):
I'm sure that you did that.
Sam Miklos (45:36):
You mentioned yourself, you mentioned we won.
I was like that's not you.
Shaylee Mills (45:42):
But also, very excitingly, on Saturday I'm a
finalist in the Young HealthProfessional of the Year for WA.
Sam Miklos (45:50):
So on Saturday I'll find out how we go in that, but
again, just very happy to bethere.
Just being a finalist, it'sjust fabulous.
Shaylee Mills (45:56):
Yeah, yeah and again, just there for the
pharmacists.
Kate Coomber (45:58):
You know like we've got a pharmacist in there,
so that's the main thing,that's amazing and do you think
that your social media is reallyhelping build the profile of
pharmacy, and is that theintention?
Like, what do you hope toachieve and what's the impact
you'd like to leave?
Shaylee Mills (46:11):
The main thing that I'm trying to get out of it
is to just get more youngpharmacists interested and have
the knowledge about ruralpharmacy and having it in the
back of their mind.
Once we get their interest theymight be a little bit more
inclined to give it a go.
Once we give it a go, we oftenfind that a lot of them will end
up staying.
But even just if you're onlythere for a week, a couple of
(46:33):
weeks a month, whatever,anything that you can, any time
that you can spend, is acontribution to that community
and to the people that you workwith.
So it's about buildingworkforce, getting people out
there, because they won't go outthere if they don't know what
to expect.
Sam Miklos (46:50):
How would you sum up ?
You know, if you could give onebit of advice to a graduate
about why they need to go out tothese rural roles, like what
would you say to them?
Shaylee Mills (47:01):
you can do anything in pharmacy, but it's
much easier to do absolutelyanything in rural pharmacy.
You can go anywhere yeah, lovethat.
Kate Coomber (47:11):
Yeah, love that.
So, with this episode, cmr aregoing to be donating to a
charity of your choice.
Yes, who.
Shaylee Mills (47:18):
Who can we talk about today?
I think it would be wonderfulif the donation went to the
pharmacist support service.
So that is a non-for-profitvolunteer service run by
pharmacists and it's essentiallya phone call line that
pharmacists can call if they areneeding support or just needing
(47:38):
somebody to talk to.
Whatever that may beparticularly after high pressure
situations is probably a verygood example.
Somebody that's removed fromthe immediate situation but
they're a pharmacist themselvesso they can understand exactly
what's happening, and they dothat service 365 days a year, so
that pharmacists have somebodyto talk to if they need to talk
(47:59):
to somebody.
Um, I have called that linemyself and I think what they do
is wonderful, so I would lovefor that to go to them what a
great, fantastic, great to raiseawareness.
Sam Miklos (48:08):
Yeah, I'm just going to say that, like how could you
want to raise awareness fororganizations like that?
And obviously a need, andparticularly for your remote
pharmacist as well ruralpharmacists.
You want to have that number.
Shaylee Mills (48:19):
Yeah, exactly Because they might not have
anybody there immediately,particularly in a small town, to
turn to.
Sam Miklos (48:24):
Yeah, oh my goodness , shay, thank you, no, thank you
.
This has been wonderful, it'sbeen lovely.
Like I think there is so muchto learn about pharmacy, like it
is so interesting.
There's a lot to it, there's somuch intricacy, but I think
just the way that you speakabout working rurally and just
your passion for what you'redoing and for anyone listening,
(48:45):
please follow Shay, the ruralpharmacist, on her social media,
on Instagram and TikTok.
The stories, the tidbits, thelittle info, it's just beautiful
.
It's a walking advertisementfor the profession and you just
bring so much light to that andI think the future ahead of you
is incredible.
I can't wait to see where yougo.
I'm looking forward to thefuture.
Shaylee Mills (49:05):
And I think that's the exciting thing is
like the future.
There's never really been abetter time to be a pharmacist,
because there's so much changing.
That's the best time to get inthere, and you know build a
career for yourself and dowhatever you want to do.
And yeah, I am excited aboutthe future of pharmacy, so yeah,
watch this space when theepisode drops.
Hopefully you've won an awardas well.
Hopefully we'll see thanks,shay.
Sam Miklos (49:26):
Thank you so much.
Thanks for tuning into it TakesHeart.
Kate Coomber (49:29):
If you love this episode, subscribe leave a
review or share it with a friend, and if you know someone with a
great story in healthcare, getin touch.
Follow us on socials for allthe behind the scenes fun, and
we'll see you next time.
Welcome to it Takes Heart.
I'm Kate and I'm Sam, and wecan't wait to share more
incredible stories of healthcareprofessionals making an impact
across Australia.
Shaylee Mills (00:08):
We talk about, you know, going into rural
healthcare, but again, if youdon't see what it actually looks
like, you know saying somethingat a university lecture on a
piece of paper is very differentto actually seeing what it
looks like.
There's never really been abetter time to be a pharmacist,
because there's so much changing.
That's the best time to get inthere and, you know, build a
career for yourself and dowhatever you want to do.
(00:29):
And yeah, I am excited aboutthe future of pharmacies.
Kate Coomber (00:38):
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the
land of which we meet who, forcenturies, have shared ancient
methods of healing and cared fortheir communities.
We pay our respects to elders,past and present.
Sam Miklos (00:53):
Today we are chatting with Shaylee Mills,
better known on social media asthe Rural Pharmacist.
Shay is a passionate advocatefor rural life and the
incredible role that pharmacistsplay in these communities is a
passionate advocate for rurallife and the incredible role
that pharmacists play in thesecommunities.
On her Instagram and TikTokaccounts you will find so many
great stories, insights and tipsabout life and work as a rural
pharmacist.
I can't wait to hear more aboutthat.
Even just the quality of whatyou put together is incredible.
(01:15):
Thank you.
Shea is the ultimate advocatefor rural pharmacists and has no
doubt inspired thousands toconsider these unique
opportunities.
Today she has travelled acrossthe country, from Karratha in
the Pilbara region to Brisbanein Queensland, to be with us
today.
Thank you so much, Shay, forjoining us.
No, thank you so much forhaving me here.
Shaylee Mills (01:35):
I am super excited, and it is nice to get
out of Karratha every now andagain, so this is awesome.
Sam Miklos (01:40):
Every now and then at the big swing, we've got you
in this tiny room.
Out of Karratha, big whitespaces is awesome.
Every now and then at the bigswing, we've got you in this
tiny room out of carava bigwhite space.
Shaylee Mills (01:48):
As long as it's not the red dirt, I'm fine.
Kate Coomber (01:50):
Oh, fair, fair yeah, would you know what?
We connected a little while agoand I came across your profile
account what do you call it?
Sam Miklos (01:57):
is it an?
Shaylee Mills (01:57):
account.
Is it an account?
The rural pharmacist um like myinstagram page or account?
Sam Miklos (02:02):
Yeah, we had this conversation.
It's like a profile account.
Kate Coomber (02:06):
So we connected and I was just really taken by
what you were doing.
Thank you, I thought it really.
I really loved the content.
You were really showing varietyof work and real joy in what
you do.
Like there's a real sense ofpositivity and a real passion
for the industry, but also thatrural community work, so really
(02:27):
inspired today, and beauty ofthe rural areas too.
Sam Miklos (02:29):
Definitely, definitely.
Kate Coomber (02:32):
And I haven't seen Hy-Vee's.
You know, people might think of.
Karratha and.
Mining Town and things likethat, but it was really
beautiful.
So, true, Really beautiful yourposts.
I guess what inspired you tostart on socials and sharing
this pharmacy related content.
Yeah, great question.
Shaylee Mills (02:48):
It sort of happened in a very roundabout
way, took me a little whilereally to get there, like I
think it was an idea that sortof been building up over time
and I just didn't really realisethat it was an idea in itself.
But, like you said, I'mparticularly passionate about
being a pharmacist.
I really enjoy my job and Ilove working in rural pharmacy,
(03:09):
and I think that's quite specialbecause there's plenty of
people in the pharmacy industrythat don't particularly like
working or they're not asexcited about it anymore, or
there's a bit of negativity inour industry, which is
understandable, and I think thatgoes across the board for the
healthcare sector.
But I think it's really specialthat at least that right now
I've got a lot of energy aboutit.
And so, yeah, I honestlyremember my first day working in
(03:34):
my first rural job.
I was an intern pharmacist, soI wasn't fully qualified.
Kate Coomber (03:38):
And where was that ?
Shaylee Mills (03:39):
I just moved to Broome.
So, it was a rotation across theKimberley but the main was in
Broome and, yeah, I'd moved awayfrom home.
I have moved away from home acouple of times, um doing
boarding school and stuff.
But once I'd got there I was alittle bit homesick and I was
like, oh, is this the rightdecision?
Like, what have I done?
I'm feeling a bit nervous, likeI'm a little bit unsure.
Went to my first day.
(04:00):
Um took me an hour and I waslike this, is it like I've made
the right decision?
I'm totally fine.
This is exactly what I neededto do and it just took off from
there.
Kate Coomber (04:09):
What was it that really made you realize that?
Shaylee Mills (04:12):
I think it was just the people that you work
with, like they're so welcoming,they're very calm, it's all
casual, like we're just there tohelp people and the people
coming in.
It's the same thing, like theywant to have a chat with you,
they want to get to know you,they want to know who the new
person is.
Um, yeah, I think it's thatwelcoming part of the community
that, uh, really makes you feellike I basically, like this is
(04:37):
your new home, um, and Iabsolutely love that.
Like I love talking to patients, I could, honestly are you?
Sam Miklos (04:42):
in.
Were you in the Broome Hospitalat that point?
Shaylee Mills (04:45):
No, it was actually in a community pharmacy
.
Sam Miklos (04:47):
Yes right.
Shaylee Mills (04:48):
So it's a community-based job.
It was very aligned withworking together with the
Aboriginal Health Services there.
So, as I said, the main basewas Broome, but I also got a
chance to go out to FitzroyCrossing.
There was a site out in Derbywhich I didn't get to go to, but
, yeah, it was very rotationaland very exciting, very
(05:08):
different, something that neverreally was mentioned at
university.
So when I got there it was veryeye-opening.
I was like this is actuallygreat, like I get to travel
around.
Kate Coomber (05:17):
And how did you get to that point?
Because you're leavinguniversity, and was it a lot of
hospital-based discussions orwhat?
Sam Miklos (05:22):
was the placement.
Kate Coomber (05:23):
Yeah, what was the mainstream that you expected?
Shaylee Mills (05:26):
Yeah, so when you start pharmacy, pretty much you
always start in communitypharmacy.
That's the easiest sort ofentry gateway to get into.
And community pharmacy I guess,like there's so many of them
around, we always need access tomedicines, so there's always
there, there's always work, andthen, as you sort of go through
(05:46):
the different years, it'll behospital sort of like a next
step up.
Like once you get a good basisof what you do in community
pharmacy, then you go intohospital, because that can just
be a little bit more complex interms of maybe the patients that
you see or the medicines or thewards that they specialise in.
So so you do get a varietythroughout university.
(06:06):
But basically, yeah, most peoplewould do placements in
community.
You'd work in communitypharmacy and then, like myself,
I then got a job in hospitalpharmacy afterwards, based off
the fact that I had experiencein community pharmacy and did
hospital placements as well.
I also took rural placementstoo, because I was like you,
like you know the universitythat I went to funds rural
(06:27):
placements.
So I took that opportunity togo somewhere and that's actually
where I found Karratha and mylove for Karratha there.
Sam Miklos (06:35):
Can I just ask so, when you're talking about
community pharmacy, is thatworking in the Priceline
pharmacy or is that working fora community service?
Or pharmacy yeah, or is thatworking for a community service?
Shaylee Mills (06:48):
Yeah, good question actually.
So for the most part it's sortof the pharmacies that you would
walk into.
Sam Miklos (06:54):
In retail.
Kate Coomber (06:55):
Wherever you go, yeah, so also known as retail
pharmacy.
Shaylee Mills (06:58):
Right, I do try to like keep it towards
community pharmacy because allthe pharmacies that I've worked
in it's definitely been and Ipharmacies that I've worked in
has definitely been and I thinkthere's a big shift in pharmacy
where it's more about theservice that you can provide and
the information that you cangive, rather than just selling
the medicines with a label onthe box.
Sam Miklos (07:15):
Is that too, because ultimately you're in a retail
space.
So if I can choose to go tothis pharmacy or that pharmacy.
I'm going to want to go to onewith a customer service lens.
Shaylee Mills (07:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's very wishy-washy, and is there
that?
Kate Coomber (07:26):
retail component.
Shaylee Mills (07:28):
There can be.
Sam Miklos (07:29):
yeah, I call it getting those glasses at the
counter as well, which I feellike looking for.
Kate Coomber (07:34):
They've got the little things, of different
things, the KPIs and servicelevels.
Shaylee Mills (07:39):
Depends on the pharmacy that you work for, and
I guess there's differentfranchises as well.
They all have different waysthat they like to go about it.
Each pharmacy is still thenindividually owned by a
pharmacist, who then might gointo a particular franchise.
So again that is also up to themlike how that sort of goes.
But yeah, it's sort of you'vegot one end where, yeah, maybe
(08:03):
it's like particularly retail,and then you've got the other
end, which is quiteservice-based.
So the main thing that they'resort of providing is maybe like
more health checks or medicinereviews or something like that.
That's their like primary focus.
But yeah, it's all interlinkedand intertwined.
Sam Miklos (08:21):
And what about?
You mentioned earlier about thenegativity in your industry.
Just want you to talk aboutthat.
What is the negativity?
Shaylee Mills (08:29):
Yes, again, another very good question.
Thank you, I've clearly donequite a bit of research.
You've done excellent research.
Kate Coomber (08:37):
Today, I'd actually know, not even written
down, none of these, none ofthese.
Sam Miklos (08:40):
I was just like what's the negativity, what's
happening out there?
Shaylee Mills (08:43):
But you know these are really good questions
because, like it's so naturalfor me when I say it and I think
about it and it's like I've gotthat pharmacist brain Like.
I know what every otherpharmacist is thinking of, but
for you guys, yeah, it's acontext that you probably don't
understand, and I think, if youjust talk to the general public,
if you think pharmacy, youthink I go in there.
Kate Coomber (09:00):
The doctor sent me there.
Yeah, I just go to wherever'sclosest or to wherever I know,
but there's a lot ofcomplexities.
Yeah, to the role, so I'd loveto you know, when we ask obvious
questions, it's sort ofthinking with people with very
yeah, yeah, no that's excellent.
Shaylee Mills (09:16):
that's great.
Um yeah, in terms of thenegativity, um, it's
particularly in communitypharmacy.
It is a job that there is highdemand, it's very high pressure,
there can be big working hours.
Sam Miklos (09:31):
That's because you're working shifts as well.
Yeah, working big shifts.
Shaylee Mills (09:35):
Yep, weekends, and then workforce shortages
again perpetuate that,perpetuate that.
So, depending on, I guess,where it is, where the location
or the workplace culture andthings like that, that can
definitely weigh you down.
It happens across the board.
As I said, in healthcaresectors, like just the burnout
rates are quite significant withwhat we're sort of having to
(09:58):
deal with day to day, I guess,in terms of, yeah, what the
pressure that's placed on us, interms of, yeah, what the
pressure that's placed on us,what's expected of us versus
what we can actually do.
Like we can do so much, but thensometimes the expectation of
what we can do is what weactually can't do, and this is
what we can offer and it doesn'talways align between different
health services, and that can bereally tricky to navigate when
(10:21):
you've got people with a certainexpectation of what they want
and it can't go that way fordifferent reasons, like legal
reasons or ethical reasons orwhatever.
What, if what's even available?
How?
Sam Miklos (10:32):
many staff you've got on, I was going to say,
because it's a retail store too.
So if there's not enough staffbut someone needs to work,
that's where that burnout wouldcome in, particularly in remote
communities where you'd feelthat need to have to keep
turning up and yeah, and theservice levels are.
Kate Coomber (10:47):
You know, that's something that's really
important to you yeah, yes, forsure, how do you look after you?
Shaylee Mills (10:52):
how do we look after you?
Yes, um, I've, in my case, Idefinitely just try to find
areas throughout the day orareas throughout the week where
I'm like that's going to be justmy time to switch off, or you
know.
Yeah, I guess have my ownlittle bubble.
Pharmacy is a very social job,especially in community pharmacy
(11:15):
.
Sam Miklos (11:15):
You're talking to people all day.
That can be quite draining andyou'd get repeat clients too as
well, which would be nice butthen it could be draining as
well.
Yeah, repeat clients.
Or?
Shaylee Mills (11:22):
just new clients or you know sometimes where
maybe the situation is quitehefty, high pressure situation
um, you're making some prettybig decisions that can impact
people's health verysignificantly, um, and very
quickly if it goes wrong.
Kate Coomber (11:36):
So that's hard to handle as well, can you maybe
give some examples of that?
Sam Miklos (11:41):
so yeah, you know, talk us through scenarios where
scenarios where it could gowrong you're saying, and the
challenges.
Shaylee Mills (11:48):
Yeah, well, it can be anything from as little
as like something that's beenprescribed, or even a better
situation is like something thata patient might want because
they've seen it or they'velooked up their symptoms, or
they're thinking that that'swhat they need Dr Google, dr
Google.
Sam Miklos (12:04):
We love a good Dr Google.
You thought that I thought aZen pic.
What do you mean?
Shaylee Mills (12:08):
a Zen pic, yeah, and then again, like that's sort
of what they're wanting orhoping or expecting and yeah,
you can't, Like you're sort ofsussing it out, but you have to
ask a lot of questions to getthere and get that information.
Like how is it that they've gotto this conclusion?
Is this what we actually needto be?
Treating Like you're constantlysort of creeping in information
(12:28):
?
Sam Miklos (12:28):
And this is just for that over-the-counter.
Shaylee Mills (12:33):
Over-the-counter.
It can also be like, if they'vecome in asking if there's a
particular medicine that theycan have, that if they need to
see the doctor for they'll gosee it Right yeah, but you know
you're trying to suss out thatinformation and then you're sort
of assessing that.
Well, with everything elsethat's going on for them, is
this actually appropriate?
Is this safe?
Um, things like uh, what ifthey don't have a script, um,
(12:54):
because it's run out, it'sexpired?
Whatever situation that theyfind themselves in, if I like,
legally I'm not supposed to giveanything out without a
prescription um, there'sobviously a few ways around it.
But if you're in a real Isthere?
There is, I'll see for a friend.
Yeah, there is.
It depends on the medicine.
It depends on what it's for andthe situation.
There are a few medicines thatcan go under what we call
(13:17):
continued supply Right.
So if you're on it long term,it's for a chronic condition
Right, and it needs to be takencontinually, then you can get a
supply without a script, as longas you have a history with that
pharmacy and they can see thatthat's exactly what's been.
Sam Miklos (13:33):
So me just being the mum that loses the scripts is
not good enough.
Yeah, you wouldn't just be ableto rock up to any random.
Just clarifying, justclarifying, yeah, yeah.
Shaylee Mills (13:44):
But yeah, like if you have to decide if a patient
goes with or without thatmedicine, that's a really tricky
situation to be in.
Kate Coomber (13:52):
That's interesting , because people might think
that the onus lies with thedoctor or the prescribing
practitioner yeah, as opposed tothe and maybe just assume that
you can't do any of those things.
But it's actually a large youknow hugely weighted position
that you're in.
Shaylee Mills (14:09):
Yeah, yeah, and that's where it gets really
tricky.
So, yeah, it's thinking aboutthe consequences of what will
happen if you do or if you don't.
What are the reasons why I canand I can't, I can and I can't?
Maybe you're just looking atsomething where you don't have a
full medication history andthey've been prescribed
something that's like has knownto have really big, large side
(14:32):
effects and you're sort oflooking at it as always the red
flags and you're trying to sussout like something's not quite
right here.
I even had an instance theother day where it was insulin
for a dog and we don't know muchabout veterinary medicine.
Sam Miklos (14:47):
Um, fair enough.
It was just yeah, yeah, it'sdefinitely out of.
My first question was about togo, do you?
Shaylee Mills (14:53):
guys do that.
Yeah, yeah, yes, yeah.
Sam Miklos (14:56):
So even like you know, just because you're in a
smaller location, or is thatlike no matter?
It's not just a just a Carathathing that's across the board in
pharmacy.
Shaylee Mills (15:04):
Yeah, we can receive scripts like veterinary
scripts, so scripts for animals.
We can supply it.
We don't get any informationreally about what it does or how
it works or whether it's safeor not and what the doses are
for animals.
So that's pretty much all onthe vet.
But yeah, it was a situationwhere they're getting an insulin
.
They'd received one previouslyand sort of talking with them I
(15:29):
was figuring out like the one,the insulin that they've been
using is not the same strengthbut they've been told to
administer the same.
I think they might beadministering the same volume,
which means that they're nowgetting three times the dose.
Oh wow, giving it to this dog.
You know stuff like that, whereyou're like something's not
quite right here, but I don'tknow if I am right, I don't know
(15:49):
if I'm overthinking it and it'sagain like poking and prodding.
It's just those situationswhere you go whew.
Kate Coomber (15:54):
So there must be times when a patient brings in a
script and it's been prescribedby the health practitioner.
But yeah, you question whetherit's correct.
Yeah, and everybody makeserrors.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What do you do?
Shaylee Mills (16:07):
Yeah, yeah, look, I am so very fortunate that and
I think this is the case inrural healthcare in general you
have really good relationshipswith all of the other health
practitioners around, becauseyou're constantly leaning on
each other, you know you'reasking for favours, you're
getting to know them, you'rehaving to call them all the time
(16:29):
so you get to know their voice,and then again you see them
around town as well, so you seethem in a social setting.
So for the most part, I canpretty much call anybody that I
need to call and say like, hey,what do you think of this?
Kate Coomber (16:37):
or like just confirming this, you know it's
never because it's never likeaccusatory or anything like that
.
Shaylee Mills (16:41):
No, you know, I never think of it as, like you
know, they've messed up orwhatever, like there's so much
that could be happening in aconsult at once and you're
thinking of so many things in asa health professional in
general.
Um, so one tiny thing that hasbeen missed, or maybe the
patient didn't even tell, andthen they've come in and told me
changes the situation entirely.
Um, so, yeah, very lucky thatyou can pretty much just call up
(17:04):
being changes the situationentirely.
Um, so, yeah, very lucky thatyou can pretty much just call it
being like, do like.
This is what I found out.
Um, these are the options thatwe have.
What would you like to do, orwhat do you recommend, or what's
your opinion on this?
Sam Miklos (17:14):
um, worst case you can always just say I couldn't
read your handwriting.
Yeah, you know, I just couldn'tread it.
What do you, um, what do youlove then about being a rural
pharmacist, like, like, whatdoes a typical day look?
Kate Coomber (17:24):
like, yeah, I'd love to know a typical day,
because I imagine you're not inthe clinic all day long.
Yep, and what else is involved?
Shaylee Mills (17:34):
Yeah, so I guess that's what I love about rural
pharmacy is that my typical daylooks different every day.
You get to have multiple jobroles because there's less
people, so instead of having oneperson for each individual role
, you kind of have to fill allof them.
So for the most part, my basisis in the community pharmacy, so
(17:56):
where any patient can walk inwith their prescription, and I
just love the fact that.
Yeah, it's a local town,there's lots of local people.
Karratha is quite large, it'slike 21,000 people so I get to
see my patients over and overand over and over again.
So now that I've been there fortwo and a half years, like most
(18:18):
of the patients that come in,I'll have seen before or I know
them by name and I know exactlywhat's happening, and that's
really nice to have that.
You don't get that a lot inpharmacy in metro, particularly
just because it is so transientand people can go anywhere they
want, whereas in the countrythey can't.
There's only one place.
I was going to say how manyplaces could they go?
Kate Coomber (18:37):
Are there quite a few pharmacists in Karratha, or
are you the one?
Shaylee Mills (18:42):
There's a few, there's three, but it's actually
all the same team across thethree.
So it's under the 777 group,which is like a pharmacy
franchise based out of WA, andso across those three stores,
we're actually all one, so it'sone big happy pharmacy family,
which is really nice.
Kate Coomber (19:01):
A lot better pharmacy family.
Yeah, yeah, a bit more coverage.
A bit more coverage, a bit morecoverage.
Shaylee Mills (19:05):
And then it's so funny because you'll go to work
like you go to work one day inone pharmacy.
You might have to quickly coversomebody's shift or lunch break
or something in anotherpharmacy, so you hop over there
and then the next minute thepatient that you talked to 15
minutes ago is coming over hereand they're like what?
there's my pharmacist again, andthey love it because they're
like I've just seen you what'shappening.
So yeah, there's that component.
(19:25):
And then I work in anAboriginal health service as
well.
So there is a health servicelocated 30 minutes out of
Karratha in a local communitycalled Roburn.
Sam Miklos (19:38):
Is that role a separate role, a separate role
To the role that you've got with?
Shaylee Mills (19:42):
But it's through that same pharmacy team again,
right, okay, so we sort of havea partnership with them.
Kate Coomber (19:46):
So they have a partnership yeah correct.
Shaylee Mills (19:47):
So we go out there.
We provide pharmacy servicesfrom there because essentially,
if you think about it, patientsthey can go see any health
professional that they want inthat multidisciplinary clinic.
But if there's no pharmacist orpharmacy there then they would
have to travel 30 minutes toKarratha just to get meds.
Or they might go.
There are a few neighbouringtowns about 15 minutes, but
still that's quite a big drive.
(20:09):
So when I say 15 minutes, we'retalking 15 minutes at 110
kilometres an hour.
So it's not From Karratha.
Yeah, yeah or from Roburn.
So it's.
Kate Coomber (20:18):
And not everybody would be driving.
No, correct.
Not everybody has access.
Not everybody has access tothat.
Sam Miklos (20:23):
How often do you go?
Shaylee Mills (20:24):
out there.
At this stage I've just reduceddown to once a week, but before
that I was twice a week.
So, yeah, and I've been doingthat role for, yeah, about three
, nearly four years now, becauseI also did that in my
internship and it's a verydifferent type of pharmacy.
So you're working on the groundas a pharmacist and you're
helping with the provision ofmedicines for patients, but
(20:47):
they've literally just come outof a GP consult and they'll walk
straight to your window.
You can see everything that'shappening.
So that's another thing is, incommunity pharmacy, the only
information that you have iseither what the patient tells
you, what's on the script, whatthey've had previously and maybe
their my Health record, if thatis connected.
But in this clinic, because itis all one, we have access to
(21:08):
every other healthprofessional's notes.
We have access to all the bloodresults, absolutely everything
that happens with that patientin that clinic.
We can also see and that makesyour job so much easier when it
comes to like we might actuallythis might be a better
medication that we could putthem on, or like what do you
think about maybe continuingthis course or reducing the
length of this course?
(21:28):
Or, you know, should we look ata Webster pack, now that we've
got so many different medicines,all those sorts of things.
Or if they come up asking beinglike when was the last time
this patient had this medicine?
Can I start them on this dosenow, or do we need to start?
Kate Coomber (21:46):
low and go back up again.
Um, yeah, it makes it so yourjob just so much easier.
Shaylee Mills (21:48):
Um, because you have that visibility and the
collaboration with the healthprofessionals right there and
there yeah, yeah, that it can bea little bit more instant, I
imagine.
Kate Coomber (21:53):
Yeah, correct, problem solving rather than
having to.
I'll get back to you.
Shaylee Mills (21:56):
Yes, yeah, and then means that patients can get
their medicine straight awaybecause you don't have to wait
for, you know, a phone call tobe brought back.
Um, so, yeah, absolutely,that's what definitely one of my
favorite parts about my job, um, and again, very unique role.
Um, you've got lots of otherhealth professionals there.
It's not just nurses and gps,it's physios, chronic disease
(22:16):
team, pediatrics, and thenyou'll have visiting specialists
.
So you, you know, it's reallytypically pharmacists work with
specialists in a hospital wardif you get to go up onto the
wards.
But here, you know, you're acommunity pharmacist but, yeah,
I get to work with them, whichis pretty cool.
Sam Miklos (22:31):
That's an incredible experience, hey, and what a
nice like combination as well todo with the community work as
well.
Yes, did you always want to bea pharmacist?
No, where did you grow up?
I?
Kate Coomber (22:41):
was going to say.
You mentioned boarding school.
Are you a rural?
Sam Miklos (22:43):
girl at heart.
I am a rural girl yes.
Shaylee Mills (22:46):
Where was home?
So home for me is in a littlecountry town called Queriting,
so it's in the Wheatbelt region.
So for anybody that's not sureif they've heard of Narrogin or
York, keller, bear and Brookden,we're sort of centred around in
there.
How big is that town?
And that has don't quote me onit because it could have changed
(23:07):
, but when I was living there itwas about 1,000 people, so very
small.
So you know, going to schoolthere was 100 kids in the school
.
I graduated year seven with 14kids in my class.
But yeah, I grew up there, didyou love that, I did love that
yeah, I wouldn't change it forthe world.
I would do it again exactly asit happened.
I think that I don't knowthat's probably also the sense
(23:32):
of community and also yourability to socialise, because
that's what everybody does, youknow you're out in the middle of
nowhere.
So what do you do?
Well, you all catch up withyour friends and you know all
the parents get together, sothen all the kids get together.
So yeah, it was really cool.
Sam Miklos (23:45):
It's a genuine community.
Shaylee Mills (23:46):
Yeah, yeah yeah and um.
So yeah, it was really cool,it's a genuine community.
Kate Coomber (23:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, um, and I loved growing up on a
farm as well.
Shaylee Mills (23:51):
I was gonna say what did your family do?
Yeah, to have that lifestyle.
Yeah, so my dad's a fourthgeneration farmer, so it's been
running in the family for a longtime.
Um, but pharmacy is the closestto farming that I will get.
Sam Miklos (24:02):
I didn't want to make the connection just because
everybody does, so I gotta doit for you.
Oh, I know You're not the onlyone.
Kate Coomber (24:10):
Totally worth it.
Yeah, yeah, no pressure tocontinue the farming.
Shaylee Mills (24:15):
No, not at all.
Like my family were supportivein whatever I decided to do.
I think, like my dad,absolutely loves being a farmer.
Sam Miklos (24:25):
I think he was partly relieved that I chose not
to be a farmer because it wasalso very hard work.
It's pretty tough.
Shaylee Mills (24:30):
What farming is it?
Traditional wheat and sheep,right?
So yeah, basically, if itdoesn't rain that year, that can
be pretty scary.
If it doesn't rain for multipleyears, it's very scary.
So I think maybe underlyinglyhe was relieved that I chose not
to do that.
But I know he would haveabsolutely loved it as well if I
chose farming.
But it's all right, because Ihave a younger sister and she,
(24:54):
like her and her partner, areprobably going to take over the
farm.
Sam Miklos (24:56):
So it was pharmacy always.
Because you're so passionateabout it, did you do other
things first?
Shaylee Mills (25:03):
Yeah, so I actually spent 10 years of
pretty much my entire childhoodwanting to be a ballet dancer,
so I trained pretty intensely todo ballet dancing like
classical ballet with a companyat some point In.
Kate Coomber (25:17):
Perth.
Shaylee Mills (25:18):
Yes, well, I actually started out in the
country.
So there was like a dance classin a neighbouring town and it
was like I think it was.
My mum and a couple of herfriends were like, oh, this is
starting, like should we just gothere and we'll drop our kids
there and see if they like it?
And we went and, yeah, Iremember watching the dance
teacher being like that's whatI'm gonna do, like that's what I
want to be.
I don't know why.
I just like loved.
(25:39):
I was mesmerized by what shecould do.
So I was like that's what I'mgonna do.
And so, yeah, spent quite a fewyears all the way through
primary school, dancing around.
It was different country towns,so I danced, not just quereting
, but I also went to classes inCunderdon, beverley and 2J, so
there was a lot of driving atone point.
Kate Coomber (25:59):
Thank you, mum yeah, thank you, mum yeah and
Angel and yeah.
Shaylee Mills (26:04):
Then I had to.
Like yeah, decided to go toboarding school.
That was what most kids didonce you graduated primary
school.
The high school in my town onlygoes to year 10, so pretty much
everybody goes.
And I went to John Curtin,which is an art school based in
Fremantle, so I went there forthe ballet program as well.
So pretty much yeah, kept goingright through high school.
(26:27):
And then didn't study, thoughprofessionally no so I did a lot
with it, like I got to travelAustralia with it.
Um, at one point I went over toAustria and I got a chance to
dance with a company when I was15, which is amazing, um.
But yeah, as I got older, uh,it got to the point where it's
like you either choose to stayin school or you leave school
and you pursue this.
It's just one of those thingswhere you can't do both You're
(26:51):
in or you're out.
Yeah, in or out.
Sam Miklos (26:53):
And then straight into pharmacy.
Do you think that was itstraight in then?
Shaylee Mills (26:56):
Well, yeah Well, once I decided to stay in school
, I had no idea what I wanted todo, Just like no clue.
I was like we're just going toroll with it, but I really liked
science and I liked chemistryin particular.
So yeah, I was.
I was that kid flicking throughthose university books like a
week before the you had to enterwhat you wanted to go into
(27:18):
university being like I justneed to find something and put
something down, and I'm good atchemistry and I'm good at
chemistry pharmacy has chemistry.
I'm gonna do that, and here I amtoday.
Sam Miklos (27:29):
It makes you feel better.
I was flicking through thatbook for years.
Kate Coomber (27:33):
So you didn't have any inspiration or anyone that
you knew to look to, to be likeI've seen the role of a
pharmacist that looks great.
It was more just thescience-based subjects.
Yeah, Thought you'd have a lookand see what it is, and then
just grew into it and realisedyou loved it Pretty much.
Shaylee Mills (27:47):
pretty much, yeah .
So once I started studyingbecause also it again might have
changed the degrees changedquite a bit since I went, which
was only four years ago, butit's still making me feel very.
Sam Miklos (28:00):
I was just thinking that I'm like I can't wait to
get you to go.
Shaylee Mills (28:03):
But the first year is like a more general
health science year, so youdon't really get a good taste of
what pharmacy is.
So I did do first year and Iwas like I might actually quit.
I don't know if I'm enjoyingthis, because it's not.
Sam Miklos (28:14):
That's so good, though for a first year to hear,
because there'd be a lot thatwould probably feel like that.
Shaylee Mills (28:19):
Well, that's the thing we had, like there was a
lot of people that left in thatyear, Like our class pretty much
halved in that first semester,which some people probably
definitely figured out like no,this is not for me, but also I
think it's just you're notreally seeing what pharmacy is,
but that's your impression ofwhat it is and it's a little bit
vague.
It's a little bit boring, to behonest.
Kate Coomber (28:41):
Do you think something could be done there to
really inspire those first-yearstudents?
Well, yeah.
Shaylee Mills (28:44):
I think they Like think what do you?
Kate Coomber (28:46):
think would have really gone.
Oh yeah, this is it.
Shaylee Mills (28:49):
They need to bring in some more pharmacy
specific content into that firstyear so that they actually
understand.
Because the other thing that Ithink made a huge difference was
I got a job in a pharmacy assoon as I started studying
university, um, and it's notcompulsory for us to work in
pharmacy while you're studying.
Sam Miklos (29:11):
But yeah, that definitely helps so much, Just
to connect you back to whyyou're doing it.
Shaylee Mills (29:13):
Correct.
You also learn much easier andyou probably learn a lot quicker
because you're exposed to somuch and so you've seen a lot by
the time you're actuallylearning it.
You're like, yep, I understandthat process Because it's also a
very process-based profession,because you've got laws to abide
to.
You've also got clinicalthinking and that sort of
(29:35):
ethical-legal balance as wellbetween keeping patients safe.
But then also, what am Iactually allowed to do?
It's a very regulatedenvironment.
What?
Sam Miklos (29:46):
do you think about?
Do you see the role of thepharmacist evolving,
particularly with theintroduction of tech?
Like I think about our localpharmacy where there's a vending
machine basically, yes, it'slike a competition to name it.
Yeah, like what I know, right Ihave seen these yeah, like
they're awesome, it's and it'slike what is the impact that
(30:09):
things like tech, like that isgoing to have on the actual role
of a pharmacist?
Will it shift?
Have you seen a shift in thefour years you're out?
Shaylee Mills (30:17):
In terms of how it impacts the role of the
pharmacist.
I think at the end of the day,it's always there to supplement
or help us do our job better.
Supplement or help us do ourjob better.
It will never replace us,because there are so many
individual factors into why youmake a decision for one specific
patient that a robot is nevergoing to come to the critical
(30:37):
thing.
Yeah, because you can't it can'thave that like personal
conversation, um, and it can'tconnect with people, and that
it's that barrier that you needto break.
Um, quite often that impactswhat you actually decide to do,
but it definitely makes your jobeasier.
So I've seen these vendingmachines.
I actually it's interestingagain like a highly regulated
environment, so you guys havegot them, but I actually don't
(30:58):
think they're allowed in WAbased off WA laws on certain
supply.
Don't quote me on that, but I'mpretty sure I have heard
somebody say that, because I was, yeah, interested in like why
can't we like why does nobodyhave one here?
yeah, um, but even in thepharmacy I'm working in, we've
got these massive robots andwe'll do like all our dispensing
.
We've got um dispense techsthat are brilliant and do that
(31:22):
work for us, and it literallyjust shoots out all the
medicines that you need.
So you put the information inand it will give you the exact
right drug that you need so thatyou don't have to spend time
getting it, so there's still aplace for it.
Sam Miklos (31:32):
Yeah, 100%.
So, it's similar to theautomation pieces and it's
finding those efficiencies andfilling some of those roles.
Yeah, it's just making the jobefficient and also reducing risk
.
Shaylee Mills (31:43):
So robots are proven to basically be more
accurate in picking medicinesthan a human because, yeah,
obviously it doesn't get.
Yeah, human error doesn't gettired.
Kate Coomber (31:54):
Tired was actually something I wanted to ask you
because it sounds like the roleof a pharmacist is really you've
got to be on all the time.
You do about even a healthcareprofessional who is having
breaks between consults or noteven breaks.
But you know, it kind of comesup and down whereas, yeah, you
know, we've gone to the pharmacy, everyone's waiting, no one's
(32:15):
got time.
Sam Miklos (32:16):
It's like how long is that gonna be?
How long should?
Kate Coomber (32:18):
I come back tomorrow.
What's going on?
Yeah, and it's just go, go, go,script, script, script, script.
And if you've got all of thatcritical thinking behind every
decision that you have to make,with every script that you're
dispensing, I haven't reallythought about it in that way of
just the being on is it quitetiring.
It is tiring um for a full shift, yeah do you have to take
(32:39):
breaks and is there certainperiods where you, you know, can
be hyper focused for thatperiod and then you need to step
away and come back, or it'ssomething that's not like.
Shaylee Mills (32:48):
That's probably what should happen.
That's yeah but um, it's healthcare and it doesn't stop so
there's always people, yeah, andyou know you do just get days
where it's one thing after theother, where it's just tricky,
and you know we do try like atleast where I'm working.
(33:09):
You know we do try to have theregular breaks.
I think a lot of places arepretty good at making sure that
pharmacists do have rest times,but there's also plenty of
situations where that pharmacistwill be the only pharmacist on
so they actually can't haveright there that it's not
allowed to be open unlessthey're there as a health care
professional.
You want to help, right, yeah,exactly yeah, and there's times
where it's like, if it is, youknow, a dire situation like I'm
(33:32):
just gonna go all hands in likefocus all in on that um, and
then sometimes you know you dealwith that situation.
Then you just have to turnaround and be like okay.
Sam Miklos (33:39):
Next we've got to go to the next one.
Is there a um, a story or amoment um, particularly in the
rural settings where you've beenable to like?
Shaylee Mills (33:49):
it just sums up that impact that you can have I
feel like that in relation tothat go, go, go go.
But then getting the rewardafterwards was definitely um, in
my intern year when I wasworking up in the kimberley, we
uh, the wa opened their bordersfor the first time in two years,
so it was very much a bigawareness of COVID-19 might be
(34:13):
coming back.
Everybody needs to bevaccinated.
There was mandatoryvaccinations in WA to enter
certain places and, yeah, peoplecouldn't go to work if they
weren't vaccinated.
In those rural areas, rural WA.
They were affected, but theydefinitely didn't get the impact
of COVID-19.
They went into a lockdown, noteven a proper lockdown, it was
(34:34):
like they were cut out from thecity for six weeks and then that
was it.
And then, two years later, itwas like you must be vaccinated.
You have to wear masks becausewe're opening up, because they
never had cases.
They didn't well, not that theynever had cases, they didn't
well, not that never had cases,but they didn't have many cases
out there.
It was always in Perth city, um, so it was very high pressure.
(34:57):
There were a lot of people whowere understandably, quite upset
.
That's a pretty big lifestyleadjustment or something to be
told that you have to do whenyou don't know much about it.
Um, and obviously you know,with everything that goes on in
the media and stuff, it can bepretty scary.
So yeah, it was definitely likeone thing after the other, in
the sense that you've got a lotof.
(35:17):
It was pretty much just upsetpeople coming through like I
have to get my vaccine, but thisis what I'm feeling, like I
need my vaccine.
I'm actually really stressedthat it's coming back, but this
is what I'm feeling like I needmy vaccine, I'm actually really
stressed that it's coming back.
It was a lot of conversationsabout wellbeing and mental
health which I was so happy tohave those conversations with,
and I think a lot of patientsfound them really beneficial.
(35:38):
But obviously you do that oneafter the other and then you
know that you've got a millionthings going on in the
background, in the actualpharmacy, like obviously
vaccinating is just one part ofthe job, but you know, it was
really rewarding in the sensethat a lot of them turned around
or came back if they needed,and especially if they need
another vaccine.
Being like I've just felt somuch better after being able to
(35:59):
talk to you Like thank you somuch.
Yeah, yeah, you just got to letpeople say their piece.
You know, like sometimes weknow what we know as health
professionals, but what we knowis not always information that's
helpful for them in thatsituation.
So really just letting them saywhat they feel and being like,
yeah, okay, fair enough that youfeel like that, like I can't
(36:21):
argue with that um and thenbeing like these are your
options today, like what wouldyou like to do?
Um but yeah, it was prettyintense.
Kate Coomber (36:30):
I can imagine.
Do you feel that?
Um, like hearing some of thestories you've spoken about
today and going into thosecommunities as an early career
pharmacist?
It sounds like you're in areally nice collaborative team.
I imagine some of the ruralplacements might not have the
level of support that you do.
Yeah, do you feel that as anyou know quite early in your
career, you've been able toupskill more than you would if
(36:52):
you'd taken a more metro 100?
percent role yeah, and I guessdo people need to be a bit
mindful of where they go to makesure that they have that
support.
Shaylee Mills (37:03):
Yeah, I definitely always recommend
doing as much research as youcan, and that can be a little
bit hard, because I do find thatrural pharmacy jobs, even
though there's a lot of them,they're not necessarily
advertised like they would be inthe city, because they just
again don't have this capacityor they might not have the time
to actually make an advert.
Um.
So, to be honest, all of thejobs that I've gotten rurally,
(37:27):
I've actually just called up thepharmacy owner, being like are
you looking for anybody?
Because I'm interested.
Kate Coomber (37:32):
Um you have to know where the locations are,
because some people don't knowwere you were you heading to
Karratha Like was that a plan?
Shaylee Mills (37:40):
Oh yeah, no, that wasn't a plan.
That was actually my lastplacement.
So I'd already taken the job inBroome for the following year
and then I decided to do my verylast placement in Karratha
because I knew that I wanted todo a rural placement because I'd
done all the other like I'ddone hospital, I'd done
community.
There were rural placementbecause I'd done all the other
like I'd done hospital, I'd donecommunity um.
(38:01):
There were a few otheropportunities like you could go
into um, like mental healthfacilities, um, or pharmacists
that worked with aged carefacilities and stuff.
But I was more interested inlike honestly, I was like I'm
happy to go anywhere and alsolike Karratha's got Karragini,
you know, which is a beautifulgorge where you can go out there
.
Karratha's also close to Exmouth and coral bay yeah, it's
excellent snorkeling, snorkelinglike why wouldn't I do that if
(38:22):
you know my university is goingto send me there?
Yeah, um, and then, yeah,obviously got there and I was
like this is amazing.
Um, I'm so sorry, I've losttrack you loved it?
Sam Miklos (38:31):
no, I was.
Yeah.
You were saying you got thebest opportunities by going out
to these remote areas and morerural.
You should get more experience.
Shaylee Mills (38:38):
Yes, I think that's what you're saying, like
the support, um, of being indifferent areas, um an ability
to upskill, ability, upskill.
So yeah, in terms of support,the easiest way to do that is
obviously going out soonerrather than later.
Your student, like being astudent, is the perfect time.
Um, there is a big conversationaround um poverty placement,
the placement poverty, sorry,which I totally understand, and
(39:00):
that's very difficult.
Sam Miklos (39:01):
What does that mean for someone listening?
They're like what so studentshave?
Shaylee Mills (39:05):
Yeah.
So a lot of healthcare studentswhen they go on prac they'll go
on prac for quite extendedperiods of time.
So the longest prac that I wenton was five weeks.
That's actually consideredquite short in the healthcare
sector.
There's lots of other healthprofessions They'll go for 10
weeks.
Sam Miklos (39:19):
Yeah, I was an official therapist.
We went for that long.
Shaylee Mills (39:21):
Yeah, like four weeks, yeah, we'll go for months
.
And then there's some likemedicine.
They'll go for a whole year andthat's totally unpaid.
Obviously, with the rising costof living, that's extremely
difficult.
How are people doing it?
That's a good question becauseit wasn't you know, the
inflation that we have nowwasn't as extreme I used to work
(39:45):
on weekends, I remember.
Sam Miklos (39:46):
but I was thinking like if you went out remote,
like I'd work so many othershifts around it, but then if
you were in a remote, Well,that's the thing.
Shaylee Mills (39:52):
If you're in a remote area, you can't just go
and get a job, because you don'tlive there, just go and get a
job, because you don't livethere and yeah.
So I think there's a lot ofhopefully a lot of change and
there's a lot of advocacy aroundthat space because it also
depends, like, when theuniversity I went to, they fund
you to go to rural areas.
Not all universities do that.
It has to be self-funded, whichis a real shame, because it's
(40:12):
like, why would we not utiliseeverything that we can to try
and get young people into ruralareas?
Because we know that if you gothere as a student, they're more
likely to return and ashealthcare?
Sam Miklos (40:23):
And most people at least, with placements.
You get there on a placementand they fall in love with the
area, the locals.
They'll go back there.
Shaylee Mills (40:29):
Yeah, and it's like you know, the universities
are essentially the leaders inshaping our profession and the
health sector.
We have that responsibility ofmaking sure that people in rural
areas get the same level ofcare, so that's a real shame
that that happens as well.
So, yeah, it can be reallytricky for people to go on rural
pracs.
So even though I say you shouldgo sooner rather than later at
(40:55):
this stage, it's also if youhave the capability to do so.
Kate Coomber (40:58):
Yeah, I find it a shocker for us the capability to
do so yeah, yeah, which is areal shame talk to me about um.
Sam Miklos (41:03):
Like your your social media work, like your
tiktok account, your instagramaccount, like it's so beautiful
the content you're creating.
Thanks, what impact has thathad?
You know what?
Shaylee Mills (41:12):
I mean, it's been pretty incredible really.
Um, it gives me a lot offulfilment, which is why I
continue doing it.
Sam Miklos (41:20):
What is it that's fulfilling for you?
Shaylee Mills (41:22):
It's the people that get in contact with me and
everybody that's like it's justhad a lot of positive.
It's been received reallypositively From pharmacists,
from pharmacists, just frompeople in the general public,
people in other healthprofessions, public people in
other health professions.
Yeah, and I think it's becauseit's really highlighting, you
know we talk about, you know,going into rural healthcare, but
(41:44):
again, if you don't see what itactually looks, like you know
saying something at a universitylecture on a piece of paper is
very different to actuallyseeing what it looks like.
The other aspect is you can gobe a rural health care
professional, but the other sideof that is you need to know
what it's like living there likeyou have to be able to live
there you can't google these,you can't google those things no
(42:05):
, no, especially in ruralaustralia, like obviously it's,
the tourism is not as huge assomewhere like europe um so it
can be tricky for them to findout that information and a lot
of it's on google is outdated.
So you look at it and you go.
That just looks like yeah, reddirt, when there's actually now
big buildings and houses there.
Kate Coomber (42:24):
Yeah, I think a lot of the rural community roles
or clinics um are as beautifulas the one that you're working
with.
Like it, like it is stunning itbeautiful, I think you posted.
Something about, you know, themost beautiful pharmacy out
there.
Shaylee Mills (42:40):
Oh, yes, yeah, yeah, like is that rare.
I mean the one that I'm in atthe moment.
That definitely has to be oneof like the best that I've seen.
It looks brand new.
Kate Coomber (42:49):
Yes, but you know we have had guests haven't we
from hospitals in our back towns, and people assume that it
might be outdated and dusty andall these things, and they've
got brand-new facilities.
Yes, and it's actuallyincredible.
Shaylee Mills (43:00):
Well, that's the same actually in Karratha
They've got a pretty brand-newhospital and same in South
Headland.
Their hospital is a little bitolder, but I think it's only 10
years old or 15 years old, sothe facility is actually really,
really good.
It's definitely your smalltowns, so like where I grew up
1,000 people it's the samehospital that's been there for a
(43:23):
long time.
So they are, and they're tiny,nothing's changed.
But then you do get theopposite, where you've got these
big major centres in these veryremote places and they have
really good facilities.
And we do get a lot of commentsfrom people who travel through
Karratha.
We get a lot of tourists comingthrough because they pass
through up to Broome or theywant to check out Carnarvon,
(43:43):
exmouth, all of that, and theycome in saying that the pharmacy
that they've just come into inKarratha is the prettiest that
they've ever seen, yeah, yeah,so, yeah, which is pretty
incredible.
But that also goes to show likeit's not just you know, it's not
that stereotype of it is like alittle tin shed that you're
working out of.
Um, yeah, did I say they're upfor an award?
(44:06):
Yes, yes.
So, um, the team that I workwith so it's pharmacy help,
karatha, which is under thetriple seven group they are up
for pharmacy of the year, whichis pretty much, yeah, like the
biggest awards that pharmacyteam.
Sam Miklos (44:20):
I'm very proud because you're here for the
pharmacy conference.
Shaylee Mills (44:24):
Yes, so is the awards part of this conference
correct, so we find out tomorrowhow we go but, to be honest,
like, we're just so excited thatwe've made it this far, um, I
think it's great to get thatrural representation out there
that, yeah, like they'reassessing you know, the caliber
that you work to, what youprovide to the community, um,
and also, like you know the teamitself.
(44:45):
Well, you can get those awardwinning teams in rural places.
Actually, I will plug thisbecause, again, very proud of it
, I'm very proud of all thepeople that I work with.
So, justin caratha alone, we'reup for pharmacy of the, but we
also have so one of our bosses.
She's just won a federal awardfor, like, as a Medicare
(45:06):
champion.
So, celebrating 40 years ofMedicare, we have 2023 Intern
Pharmacist of the Year, 2022Intern Pharmacist of the Year.
We've got WA Pharmacy Assistantof the Year a finalist for
Pharmacy Assistant of the year.
We've got um wa pharmacyassistant of the year a finalist
for pharmacy assistant of theyear we've got a lot of years
and there's more, there's morehonestly early career.
(45:28):
Uh, yes.
So yeah, I've got um internpharmacist of the year 2022
which is I was going to say.
Kate Coomber (45:35):
I'm sure that you did that.
Sam Miklos (45:36):
You mentioned yourself, you mentioned we won.
I was like that's not you.
Shaylee Mills (45:42):
But also, very excitingly, on Saturday I'm a
finalist in the Young HealthProfessional of the Year for WA.
Sam Miklos (45:50):
So on Saturday I'll find out how we go in that, but
again, just very happy to bethere.
Just being a finalist, it'sjust fabulous.
Shaylee Mills (45:56):
Yeah, yeah and again, just there for the
pharmacists.
Kate Coomber (45:58):
You know like we've got a pharmacist in there,
so that's the main thing,that's amazing and do you think
that your social media is reallyhelping build the profile of
pharmacy, and is that theintention?
Like, what do you hope toachieve and what's the impact
you'd like to leave?
Shaylee Mills (46:11):
The main thing that I'm trying to get out of it
is to just get more youngpharmacists interested and have
the knowledge about ruralpharmacy and having it in the
back of their mind.
Once we get their interest theymight be a little bit more
inclined to give it a go.
Once we give it a go, we oftenfind that a lot of them will end
up staying.
But even just if you're onlythere for a week, a couple of
(46:33):
weeks a month, whatever,anything that you can, any time
that you can spend, is acontribution to that community
and to the people that you workwith.
So it's about buildingworkforce, getting people out
there, because they won't go outthere if they don't know what
to expect.
Sam Miklos (46:50):
How would you sum up ?
You know, if you could give onebit of advice to a graduate
about why they need to go out tothese rural roles, like what
would you say to them?
Shaylee Mills (47:01):
you can do anything in pharmacy, but it's
much easier to do absolutelyanything in rural pharmacy.
You can go anywhere yeah, lovethat.
Kate Coomber (47:11):
Yeah, love that.
So, with this episode, cmr aregoing to be donating to a
charity of your choice.
Yes, who.
Shaylee Mills (47:18):
Who can we talk about today?
I think it would be wonderfulif the donation went to the
pharmacist support service.
So that is a non-for-profitvolunteer service run by
pharmacists and it's essentiallya phone call line that
pharmacists can call if they areneeding support or just needing
(47:38):
somebody to talk to.
Whatever that may beparticularly after high pressure
situations is probably a verygood example.
Somebody that's removed fromthe immediate situation but
they're a pharmacist themselvesso they can understand exactly
what's happening, and they dothat service 365 days a year, so
that pharmacists have somebodyto talk to if they need to talk
(47:59):
to somebody.
Um, I have called that linemyself and I think what they do
is wonderful, so I would lovefor that to go to them what a
great, fantastic, great to raiseawareness.
Sam Miklos (48:08):
Yeah, I'm just going to say that, like how could you
want to raise awareness fororganizations like that?
And obviously a need, andparticularly for your remote
pharmacist as well ruralpharmacists.
You want to have that number.
Shaylee Mills (48:19):
Yeah, exactly Because they might not have
anybody there immediately,particularly in a small town, to
turn to.
Sam Miklos (48:24):
Yeah, oh my goodness , shay, thank you, no, thank you
.
This has been wonderful, it'sbeen lovely.
Like I think there is so muchto learn about pharmacy, like it
is so interesting.
There's a lot to it, there's somuch intricacy, but I think
just the way that you speakabout working rurally and just
your passion for what you'redoing and for anyone listening,
(48:45):
please follow Shay, the ruralpharmacist, on her social media,
on Instagram and TikTok.
The stories, the tidbits, thelittle info, it's just beautiful
.
It's a walking advertisementfor the profession and you just
bring so much light to that andI think the future ahead of you
is incredible.
I can't wait to see where yougo.
I'm looking forward to thefuture.
Shaylee Mills (49:05):
And I think that's the exciting thing is
like the future.
There's never really been abetter time to be a pharmacist,
because there's so much changing.
That's the best time to get inthere, and you know build a
career for yourself and dowhatever you want to do.
And yeah, I am excited aboutthe future of pharmacy, so yeah,
watch this space when theepisode drops.
Hopefully you've won an awardas well.
Hopefully we'll see thanks,shay.
Sam Miklos (49:26):
Thank you so much.
Thanks for tuning into it TakesHeart.
Kate Coomber (49:29):
If you love this episode, subscribe leave a
review or share it with a friend, and if you know someone with a
great story in healthcare, getin touch.
Follow us on socials for allthe behind the scenes fun, and
we'll see you next time.
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