Consultant pharmacist of the year Brooke Shelly talks with AJP Podcast Carlene McMaugh about her “portfolio career” – what it’s like wearing many hats, from working in a GP surgery, to performing HMRs and RMMRs, and moving into the research arena.

She says that the new agreements offer a lot of hope for innovation in rural health, with the new PSA strategic agreement becoming a new home for professional pharmacist services.

“For so long it has been a challenge to have remuneration structures within a Community Pharmacy Agreement that directly affect pharmacists that don’t work within or have a connection to community, it has actually never made sense.

“It’s also really impacted with conversation with government,” she says.

The new agreements will also help pharmacists have their voices heard by other health professionals, she says – and it’s “beyond exciting”.

The pair also talk about what it’s like living in a small town, building rapport with patients – “I see them at the footy and I see them at the supermarket” – as well as other health colleagues, and how taking on many roles can result in a varied and professionally satisfying career.

“Soft skills are really essential in being able to be adaptable, in terms of how to have tricky conversations, how to maintain rapport with another health professional whilst disagreeing, how to build relationships quickly all, that sort of thing will allow you to be able to step into different roles with relative ease,” she says, offering advice for pharmacists keen to take on a portfolio career.

This means putting yourself into situations and conversations which may not come naturally, she says.

“It’s also about saying yes to any opportunity that comes your way, or better yet, creating those opportunities yourself.”

“It is a really exciting time to be a pharmacist and if you have capacity to contribute to the change and the transformation that needs to happen in our profession, then put your hand up and be part of it.”

4.32 – What is a portfolio pharmacist – how did these opportunities come about and how do you balance them all?

8.54 – On winning the Consultant of the Year Award and “standing on the shoulders of giants”

10.40 – Advice on a portfolio career

15.30 – Inequities in rural health and how the new pharmacy agreements could make a change

22.45 – What would you like to see from the strategic agreements?

24.53 – How do pharmacists get on board with the new areas of practice?

28.35 – On pharmacist prescribing – and is there really a turf war between professions?

31.02 – Better utilisation of telehealth for credentialled pharmacists

Go here for the full list of active AJP podcasts. These can also be accessed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify