Welcome to this special recap of Your Pharmacy Career podcast, proudly produced by Raven’s Recruitment - Australia’s experts in pharmacy career and locum services for over 30 years.
In this episode ofYour Pharmacy Career Podcast, host Kristi Lee Patterson chats with Nancy Rostom, an award-winning pharmacist based in Perth. Nancy is the founder of the Level Up Pharmacist Workbook, an advisory board member of Hey Sister, and a dedicated mentor to future pharmacists.
Episode Summary
Nancy shares her incredible journey, from choosing pharmacy as a career under her father’s influence to becoming a leader in mentorship, community engagement, and pharmacy innovation. She reflects on her early days of working in pharmacy, the importance of education in healthcare, and how she pioneered a mentoring program for high school students to inspire the next generation of pharmacists.
Nancy also delves into the challenges of launching a Greenfield pharmacy in a competitive market, how she built strong community relationships, and her passion for integrating business and healthcare to enhance patient outcomes.
If you're a pharmacist, student, or industry professional looking for inspiration and practical strategies to grow in your career, this episode is a must-listen!
Key Takeaways from the Episode
Mentorship is a powerful tool - Nancy started mentoring pharmacy students early in her career and later developed a structured three-day mentoring program for high school students to introduce them to pharmacy.
Education elevates pharmacy practice - Whether it's mentoring students, educating patients, or training pharmacy staff, Nancy believes in "rising by lifting others."
Building a successful pharmacy requires community engagement - Nancy shares how she networked with local schools, GPs, and businesses to establish a new pharmacy in a competitive area.
Adapting to change is key to career success - Nancy's journey has taken her across different roles and locations, reinforcing the importance of being open to new opportunities.
Passion fuels success - She emphasises giving 120% effort in everything you do, saying: "If you truly love it, go all in, and everything else will follow."
Marketing matters in pharmacy - Nancy discusses how she differentiated her pharmacy by identifying gaps in services, leveraging social media, and personally connecting with patients and prescribers.
Balancing passion and business - Pharmacy is both a profession and a business. Nancy highlights the importance of financial sustainability while remaining patient-focused.
Personal branding is essential - Patients no longer just "go to the pharmacy"; they say "I'm going to Nancy's."Creating an authentic and trust-based relationship with patients can transform your pharmacy career.
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Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
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Pharmacy Daily
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Full Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:00)
Welcome to Your Pharmacy Career Podcast, proudly produced by Raven’s Recruitment, the experts in pharmacy career and locum services for over 30 years. Every episode is your gateway to new opportunities in the pharmacy profession, from expert advice to inspiring success stories. We're here to spark ideas, guide your career and help you achieve your goals. Stay tuned. The next step in your pharmacy journey starts here.
Hi everyone and welcome to your pharmacy career podcast. I am your host, Kristi Lee Patterson, and I'm so excited to have you with us today. We are continuing with the theme of women in pharmacy and we have Nancy Rostom from on the show. Nancy is a Perth based award winning pharmacist, the founder of the level up pharmacist workbook.
and an advisory board member of Hey Sister. Her journey in pharmacy is filled with incredible milestones from mentoring future pharmacists to launching innovative educational initiatives. In today's episode, we'll explore Nancy's career journey, her dedication to mentorship and the defining moments that shaped her leadership style. So let's dive in and welcome Nancy to the podcast. Nancy, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (01:15)
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. And because it's 6 a.m. in Perth, I am an early riser, so I couldn't sleep. I was so excited. I was thinking of all the things that we want to talk about. So such an awesome moment for me. Friday.
Speaker 1 (01:30)
Thank
you so much for waking up so early so we can do this. really appreciate it. So I mean, for those that are listening, I'm in Sydney. So it is only 9.20 AM. A little bit nicer. now Nancy, let's start right at the beginning. And I ask this question to everyone. Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?
Speaker 2 (01:50)
My journey in pharmacy first started with my wonderful dad, very ethnic parent that immigrated to Australia. And his dream is for both his daughters to be in healthcare. And he lived across the road from a pharmacy and he always used to look at this pharmacy and say, one day I'm going to open a pharmacy, but he got into IT. So it was totally different. And he encouraged my sister and I to both get into pharmacy. And I thought to myself, it's a
interesting career to get into, but I also wanted to do cardiology. I wanted to be a heart specialist and I also love social media and marketing. So I thought I put marketing on my list of interests to get into to uni and the set. And I also put in social science and I put in psychology and sound engineering because I played music at the time and I was really interested in.
working on concerts and I wanted to be on stage and tour with people and just be the sound engineer for all the audios. So I you know what, why not put that on the list as well too? And when I was at school, I had a really good best friend that worked in a pharmacy and I thought, okay, let me go visit her at the pharmacy. And then I went, was visited her in the pharmacy for the first time. I admired what the managers did, what the other pharmacists were doing, talking to people and how important
important they were in the link between making people feel better. Like there is a connecting link between the doctor and the patient and they're the continuous reason why people are still on the same track. Like we keep them on track. They're their PT as in the health world, which is fantastic. And then I thought to myself, you know what? Pharmacy is awesome. Let's, let's do it. And I put my application in first was pharmacist. And when I got pharmacy, was stoked. was over the moon. And then
Part of the condition that got me accepted to get into my first preference, which is being pharmaceutical science, was to work as a mentor for high school students. Because I got in based on a mentoring program that I undertook at school. And in return, I had to be a mentor for year 11 and year 12 students that want to get into uni to encourage them to go into uni and be a mentor then for year one pharmacy students and show them the ropes around.
uni and how to take down notes and how to remember everyone's names and their learning style. So it got even more interesting for me as well too. So it's such a big, big reason behind so many cool filters.
Speaker 1 (04:25)
Yeah, that sounds so interesting. And I think we'll probably have to chat about some of those tips about how to remember people's names because I am one of those people that I can remember faces. If I've met you once 10 years later, I will recognize you, but your name, I'm so sorry, but I will not remember.
Speaker 2 (04:43)
They actually trained us how to remember all your students' names and you have to say their name in a conversation three times and remember something about either what they're wearing on the day or where they're from or something that they're actively doing in that conversation and say their name three times in a conversation and that's it. It's that.
Speaker 1 (05:05)
Okay. Well, there you go. You heard it here first with Nancy, all of those people that struggle with names, use it in a conversation three times. I'm definitely going to start practicing that. So Nancy, you mentioned that you wanted to do all these different things before you wanting to be a pharmacist, like a sound engineer. Like, wow, that I didn't even know that was something that would exist. So it sounds like you also got a bit of a, I guess, a
inside around business from your family as well. And has that kind of shaped your approach to how you have kind of navigated the industry, like from all over your passions with like marketing, sound engineering, business, has that shaped how you approach being a pharmacist?
Speaker 2 (05:51)
Absolutely, definitely, because I feel like it's very safe to say that we all have bills to pay and we all have mouths to feed and we all have financial responsibilities. And if your passion is something that's very authentic and very real and very driven, it has to still have a minor financial contribution aspect to it because you are helping someone. But at the end of the day.
If you don't get a reward for that help, being extremely authentic, you won't pay your own bills. So it's balance is trying to make sure that you are selling the customer the right products, but not just doing a large chips. These chips is going to be good for you because of one, two, three, and I'm going to educate you about it as opposed to push it down your throat because that creates a trusting bond. But at the same time, you are also going to still buy the product. And then I will still make a
a learning out of the benefits of that product before I started to use it. I'm personally growing in myself and my knowledge at that different things that are available, but I also had make money out of it as well. So it's this balance between authenticity and business and marketing and promoting health in general as well too. Cause now there's so many integrations with AI, especially with the AI mental health programs as well too, that could be taking a portion.
out of the financial cut, but it's extremely important to have someone to talk to and connect with and that someone is on top of the latest products that are out there. The latest finance is doing the training so that they know what's going to work with what best to feed that customer information. Firstly, secondly, give them the right products that they need because they, you need to pay the bills as well.
Speaker 1 (07:43)
Yeah, that's it. At the end of the day. Yeah, that's right. As you say, we all have mouths to feed. It's we have to be able to live in the world that we live in today. But I think we've only been chatting for such a short period of time, but I'm seeing a theme come through. And I think that's around education, right? I can see that that's your passion that started out when mentoring those students, but then now with educating patients and customers on the right product and on their health. So.
I guess that was probably a natural transition for you to head into some academia roles. But then also I can see from a community pharmacist perspective, you educating the patients on what is right for them and increasing that health literacy. So yeah, has that inspired you to do a lot more things in that education space?
Speaker 2 (08:32)
Extremely, extremely. I feel like the more we know about something, the better decision we'll be able to make about it and the better guidance we'll have through it as well too. So I'm a huge believer by you rise by lifting others and in my career or in our pharmacy career, you rise by lifting other people's knowledge and awareness about healthcare.
And if you've got a team, you rise by increasing their awareness about their self-confidence, their ability to connect to people and educating them on what's new as well. And in your community in general, your duty towards them is to make them aware or educate them about the new viruses that are around, how to prevent them, avoid them, what are the latest government regulations, and then your duty to you as a
person to elevate and be different from everybody else around you, you want to have an edge as well. And that's how I started the mentoring program. Cause I thought what's going to make people come to the pharmacy that are don't normally come to the pharmacy. And firstly, secondly, how am I going to make a better next generation of pharmacists as well to kids where there there's been a phase of
pharmacy shortage or pharmacist shortage because everybody's falling out of pharmacy. There's not enough money into it and everyone's doing other things, real estate or other career paths that they choose. Although they graduated as pharmacists, but they're like not work hours are too long, standing on my feet, not enough financial come back from it. And the handful that were there, they were literally 50, 50, 50 were there just because it's a job and 50 there because they're extremely passionate about what they do.
And out of these 50 that are extremely passionate about what they do, how am I going to stand out from the crowd and create something so that the remainder 75 % is on top of it, inspired firstly, educated secondly, and the next batch of people that come out and take my place one day are extremely onto it, switched on and actually love what they do as supposed to stand there and sell, sell.
Speaker 1 (10:44)
Yeah, no, it totally makes sense. And I think when you're talking about this mentoring program that you started, maybe if you could give the listeners just a little bit of an understanding of what's involved. So you actually created this, is that correct?
Speaker 2 (10:59)
Correct. So I've created a mentoring program as a three days in-house visit for year 11 and year 12 pharmacy students first. And when they come in, they spend three days with me and I give them a nice big workbook. And in the workbook is a mixture of business. Why is the shop laid out the way it's laid out? Why do you think this is in this spot as opposed to that spot labeling, understanding the products and how the products work altogether as well too.
And then there's a little bit of legality. So what is PBS? What's Medicare? What's an, what is S1, S2, S3, S4? What's what a product's fallen into it. And then we talk about prescriptions, the legalities of prescriptions as well too. And then at the end of the three day, we talk, get them to do a presentation about a healthcare topic, about a health promotion of their interests. Do a full gondola end, put the products they want to put on it, and then tell me.
and five minutes or under three minutes, however long they want to present for, how are they going to promote that particular health topic in a pharmacy community setting as well? So that went viral. went so well. I've done that in Cotter Slough and then I've done that at Mount Pleasant. I had about 12 students in Mount Pleasant and it was phenomenal. And we got such great feedback for it. And then I thought, okay, Virgin 2.0, we're going to create a stronger one, but we're going to do that for my pharmacists.
that not just my pharmacy students, they've been there done that it's not an internship program either, because it's very that's extensive. And I'd probably recommend going to a bigger body for your full internship, PSA or the fabulous bodies that are out. This one is post you've done your internship, you graduated. What now what now what, how are you going to do a step by step health promotion? How are you going to create healthy boundaries between your transition as a pharmacist and the person in charge?
How are you going to create a better communication? How are you going to lead your team and what sort of training should you do? So for example, if you have juniors, you're not going to train them on topics that are you going to train your seniors on. You're going to lose their interest. How to do better. And then in the second chapter, we speak about leadership and my whiteboard and the whiteboard communication and what goes on the whiteboard and training topics. And then we speak about KPIs and
how to tackle the shortage of medication that's going on at the moment, how to create separate KPIs, your short-term goals, your long-term goals, how to do simple calculations, how many staff members are needed in a space, what's that calculation, what does it look like? So you go into a space, you need to know what's the floor space like, how much stock you've got, and do a quick calculation to see how many staff members you need to have that floor space covered, for example. So it goes into three chapters, like a little interactive workbook as well too.
but that's the latest project that I've done.
Speaker 1 (13:55)
So it sounds like that you've got more projects you want to bring on board as well.
Speaker 2 (14:01)
100 %
Speaker 1 (14:03)
But I love the fact that, it started out targeting high school students. think that's really important. And for me with my pharmacy journey, I didn't want to be a pharmacist when I first, I knew I wanted to do something in health. And I think that's one of those things I, I actually really loved, like mixing up potions as a kid. And also I loved, this sounds a bit weird, but cutting things up. So I wanted to be a surgeon.
Speaker 2 (14:33)
See, I think pharmacist has an inner surgeon inside them.
Speaker 1 (14:39)
But then now I actually love wound care, right? So my passion for healing, I ended up doing some wound care services when I was working in community pharmacy. But I think the important thing is getting that exposure to students and young people on what different roles are out there and what you actually do. Because even when I first started in pharmacy, so I started working in a community pharmacy.
on the weekend and I honestly thought it was just somewhere that you go when you're really sick and you get medicines and my eyes were completely opened. And I think yet being able to target those young kids and visit the thing that you can achieve, but getting them to do something really exciting in the beginning, you're not just making them clean shelves and put stock away. It's getting them involved. I think that's really powerful and the impact that you can have on that.
well, I'll say child, but young adult can completely change their life trajectory, really.
Speaker 2 (15:41)
To be honest, I feel like you want to set the bar high for them as well too. Like when my customers come in and see my students, they're like, free labor. And I'm like, no, no, no. They're here to learn and they're not doing anything but learn. exactly. And to be honest, I was that intern student. My first job in a pharmacy, I went to the same pharmacy to apply for the same job about four or five times until they're like, okay, fine. We'll have you fine.
Speaker 1 (16:11)
Why
does that not surprise me knowing your personality? I'm like, that definitely sounds like something you would have done.
Speaker 2 (16:16)
things just just get behind the counter. Let's go. And all we wanted me to do was clean. Literally, I just had to stack a labels in front of the products, pull forward and clean. And that's all I did. I'm like, really? But what does Panadol do? I don't know what Panadol does. So for every customer that came up to me and asked me a very simple question about where is your, I've got stomach ache. I had to go to the customer.
I would and be like, this person wants something. This person wants a Panadol. That person wants a cold and flu tablet. And I would just stand there and I would try and soak up that information. But my job was to go clean. So I thought, I'm going to flip this experience and every single person that I work with, I'm going to try and get them to leave the pharmacist learning something new.
And then that makes me, I put a responsibility on myself. Now I have to learn something new all the time and be onto it as well. So I'm going myself, but I'm also going to make sure that my assistants have got something new that is in the back of their head and they know that I'm onto it so that they're going to be down. have to elevate and be onto it.
Speaker 1 (17:20)
Exactly. Yep. I completely agree with you. And I think having that mindset of that pharmacy assistants or students or whatever is coming and working for you or volunteering, they're a health professional. And once we kind of see them in that light and give them the space to learn and grow, it can be really powerful. And I love seeing, yeah, even when I go and locum, I always.
try to teach people something and yeah, you can just see that once they start learning, they can be better at their jobs. And once they're better at their jobs, they're happier, they're more productive and it just goes on from there.
Speaker 2 (17:57)
They feel like, I've learned something new and I'm teaching you something new and I feel very important now because I've got health care in my hands and I've got the knowledge, which is super cool. It's very indirectly powerful. think the secret power that we have, I reckon, is pharmacists, our ability to pass on information and be so trusted with it.
Speaker 1 (18:17)
absolutely. And I guess speaking of passing on information and education, you've also contributed to a number of different publications. So for some young pharmacists that may be listening or students, you can even write articles and things like that as a pharmacist. So what has driven you to be passionate about writing and how did you get the opportunity to write these articles?
Speaker 2 (18:42)
At my first blog, it was a blog that I contributed to first, I was asked by a wonderful lady in LA. She reached out and she has a online blog about healthcare, wellness and beauty. And she asked me to write something about wellness as a general topic and women's health in wellness more particularly. And she was very passionate about skincare. So I started typing and I was like, oh, I really enjoy this.
I don't know how she found me. Maybe she followed me on Instagram or something. I truly don't know how she found me. And then when I did my mentoring, my first mentoring program for the year 11 and year 12 students, it was part of something I've learned at my university, Griffith University. So I reached out to them and I said, Hey, look, the job that I had as a mentor at Griffith, I recreated something from it and turned it into a whole mentoring program for year 11 and year 12 students in WA.
The team in Griffith said, hold on, can you write this back? We need a whole article about this and we type it up and we want a photo of you and we want your bio and everything. Cause this is really cool. Cause this is the planting the seed and growing it and see it glow. And I got so excited. So I started doing that as well too. And then I've posted it. And then I worked on creating Instagram reels about healthcare. And then I practiced using my voice and learning how to say what.
went to say it, went to stop and be engaging. And then I got asked by a wonderful team from Wizard Pharmacy, where I work at at the moment, do a few articles for them. And the first one was a career path. And then I did something about wards, and then I did something about respiratory healthcare. And then I worked on a few other things that kept going in women's health. And we got visited.
by the wonderful healthcare ambassador. No, it wasn't an ambassador. Forgive me. I want to say this one more time. Her name is Averjit Sanderson. She is WA's health minister. She came into the pharmacy for a surprise visit and we didn't know she was coming in. And I believe she came in because we started promoting UTIs. And I think we were one of the first pharmacies to stock the UTI testing.
products to see if it was a positive or a negative. And we have the whole range. We have the iron, we have the UTIs. So we promoted that as part of then your topic of UTIs and women's healthcare. And then from there, I got asked to speak about how the 60 day regulation at the government bodies are shifting their mindsets of we're seeing a shift in enhancing women's health with the enhancement of the healthcare.
programs that are working, it's been worked on by the government at the moment. And then from there, I got asked to do an article for women's health at women's in WA as well to pioneering the people behind healthcare in WA, first hit. Secondly, how all the awesome changes are happening to enhance women's healthcare secretly, which is really cool.
Speaker 1 (22:01)
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That sounds so amazing. And for those that are listening, I...
Like hearing, it's almost like a domino effect that you're putting some content out there. You started doing a few things and then from that led to something else, to something else, to something else. It's yeah, really interesting. And I know that has kind of happened to me in my career as well, that you just kind of say yes to something. And then next thing, you know, I don't know, you 10 steps later, you're somewhere where you never thought you would be.
Speaker 2 (22:47)
Yeah, I have a question for you. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you said yes to something and then you thought to yourself, I should have not done that. And then next minute when you're like, my God, I'm so glad I did it. And this is going to create such a bigger network of people for me to connect with, which is so phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (23:07)
Yes, I can definitely say that has happened to me many a time. And I've always struggled when I hear like motivational speakers or people talking to either young students or early career pharmacists. And they say that line like say yes to everything because the other struggle that I have, I'm that type of person where I will literally say yes to everything and then I get burnt out. Then I've spread myself too thin. And so I think sometimes too.
Saying yes is a good thing, but making sure that it aligns with your values and what you really believe in, I think. so for you, you said yes to these things about like writing and education and teaching others. Like that's really important to you. So I do kind of struggle sometimes when people are like, oh, I say yes to everything. I'm oh my God, oh no, everyone's going to get burnt out.
Speaker 2 (24:01)
So true. it's so important to know when you can say no. Believe like I reckon at one stage your plate will be full and you can't add any more to it. You have to remove a few things off before you take something else on as well too. And recently I was listening to an awesome podcast as well too and then guest speaker said,
It's how important it is to sometimes not have goals when you're, when you're, when you're playing this full, like stop having goals, stop creating any goals. Cause you've got so many projects that you're working on at the moment. And then once these projects are done, trust the nature of things of how it's going to create a new opportunity to you that come your way with that. have to set a goal that you're working achieve towards.
Speaker 1 (24:45)
Yes, I like that and do not, I think I'm going to start that because I was chatting to my husband a little while ago and yeah, I'm always, well, we chat all the time, people listening to that, what I just said, they're like, I was chatting to him at one point in time in life. But we're talking about how I'm that type of person where I'm always looking for the next thing. And I said to him, why can't I just.
be that person that's just happy with where I am. Like I've always got to be like the next goal, the next thing. So that's really good advice to just kind of almost be in the moment as well, I think.
Speaker 2 (25:17)
So hard for people that are so driven like yourself or people that have big passions for creating something so new and seeing a gap in every section how you can naturally enhance them with your own skills to stop and be like, okay, hang on a minute. Let me finish what I've got first and the next thing that is such a challenge.
Speaker 1 (25:36)
Yes,
that's right. But then again, I've kind of just embraced who am now. like, you know what? Well, okay, I'll figure out a way of doing it. And, but yeah, also what you said about, yeah, finishing something or almost like, well, what can I actually drop? What can I pause and come back to? And I'll give one example. I've been doing my MBA for, I don't even know how many years now. I just need to get rid of it. I've got two subjects to go.
because I'm starting my own business and really focusing on building that. I decided, no, I need to just put that on pause for a moment and focus on, on building my business and that. And every now and then a little voice inside me says, like, only got two subjects to go, like just finish it. Like you're taking so long. And I'm like, at the end of the day, no one's like holding a to my head saying you must finish this.
it'll still be there when I'm ready and so yeah I think it's okay to kind of yeah balance those balls a little bit.
Speaker 2 (26:39)
100%. It's a blessing when we come to that mindset, we're like, okay, I'll do that later. And that decision, it's like off your shoulders, or at make it off your shoulder, you're breathing a little bit easier.
Speaker 1 (26:54)
Exactly.
I think now this might be a good time to maybe, we're starting to talk about maybe some of the challenges and things like that. So I think for you, we haven't talked about this in it, but I know that you actually established it a new pharmacy. So for those that are listening, one of the terms for like a new pharmacy is a Greenfield site. So that means that it doesn't exist. literally creating it from nothing.
And so you've been a part of this. So yeah, walk us through how that journey went for you.
Speaker 2 (27:27)
It was a phenomenal journey full of continuously being driven. So how it started was I got head haunted by this wonderful lady named Sally Parker. And she found me and said, can we catch up for a coffee? And then we caught up for a coffee and there was an opportunity to take a look and said, look, you're the right person for this. I think we need you to jump in and we're opening a new pharmacy in Mount Pleasant.
There's a medical center across the road, but here's your challenge. There are six pharmacies in the area.
Speaker 1 (28:03)
wow.
Speaker 2 (28:05)
And
I'm like, holy smokes, how am I gonna steal people from seven pharmacies that have been well-established pharmacies for years to come to this pharmacy? And how am I gonna market for it? Like, what's my plan here? What's the community? Who am I gonna talk to? What am I gonna do? And the store was set up and I worked in another sister store for that same owner before we jumped into the Mount Pleasant.
store and I was there literally unpacking about 50 API containers, like all the medicines. And I'm like, my God, how am I going to lay this? How am I going to? We were there till like 9 PM because literally unpacking boxes, it was greenfield from scratch. And then I started setting the plan of if you're got seven people doing wonderfully, how are you going to stand out from the crowd? How are you going to connect to people differently? How are you going to.
make sure they come to you for a first visit, but then a continuous visit as well. And we set a goal that we're going to have 1000 scripts on file when we turn two, before the pharmacy turned you were two years old. And it was a team challenge and I had about, we were a small team of five.
There was three pharmacists and two assistants and we lost a few assistants along the way and added a few assistants along the way as well too, as you do. And we got to 1000 scripts on file and truly it was community networking, going to the GPs myself and going for visits and actually saying, Hey, I'm the new girl on the blog. I can do this, this, this, this, and that for you. I can do specialized compounding and I made a workbook.
for the doctors. I've given them script paths that are ready to go. You just need to tick what you want and then sign it off. So I've created new initiatives for them and new things that nobody else has. I did a lot of homework to see what services are out there and not compete with them. Like there was a fabulous pharmacy that does compounding. So I don't do compounding, I'll outsource. There's an also brilliant pharmacy that did sleep apnea. So I'm like,
Nope, not going to touch sleep apnea. There, this is their area. I'm not going to take that away. I'm going to take away skincare. I'm going to take away heart care and halter. I'm going to take away all the students in the area because there's four high schools around. There's a primary school as well too. So I worked with all the primary schools and said, look, I'm going to do your vaccinations at no charge. And this is how we started our relationship. then anybody who's got an asthma attack quick.
come in, anybody that's got anaphylactic reaction to a knot allergy, quick, go home and come and see Nancy, come and see Nancy. And then I became the face of the pharmacy. And then coincidentally, as well too, in February 23, I believe, was when our borders were finally open and were allowed to travel. So we created a COVID home kit and we put inside a set of all the products that you need. And by extreme coincidence,
Channel 7 filmed us. Who do that? And then we went viral again as well too, because the pharmacy was a franchise. So they did do a lot of marketing, but they did for the entire franchise group as opposed to a single pharmacy. So I thought it was up to me to make this place shine. And we worked with the church.
close by as well too. And then we started working with the cafe and then we started creating an affiliation program. So if you work in the area, you get a 5 % off. Come and see Nancy. And then I worked with the GPs that are passionate about skincare and I created a really cool anti-aging formula for them. And then we did a lot of few skincare things for them. So trial for their patients as well to them.
suffering with acne. And then we did that as well. Then we adopted halter monitoring as well. And then we all went out gradually over the years. And then of course we had all the events. held them for the biggest morning tea, cancer awareness, the 50K wall. We did a lot of community events to engage our customers, to engage the students in the area, to the mentoring program, to engage the other
bodies in the community from churches to primary schools to medical centers as well. So it wasn't a multi-layer personalized plan so that you'll each group of people separately to let them know a that you're here, you're exist. You're the new kid on the block and B come and I'll look after you, but you can truly trust me because once I look after you, I will look after you forever. That's my name. So that was my, my trick.
Cause I've got an awesome memory and I know everybody's name. So when everybody comes in, I know them by name and they felt that connectivity as well too. And now they're, they're, they're not saying we're going to go to the farm. we're to go to Nancy's and get a few things and we'll be home soon. So I created just a big bond between healthcare and being a presentative of reliable, trusted healthcare and connecting to.
the customers and then their gang kids and then their children and everybody.
Speaker 1 (33:29)
that though, it's putting that authentic connection with your customers and creating that sense of community. And for those of you that don't know anything about Mount Pleasant in WA, which I didn't, I just Googled it, the population is only around 8,000 people. So to already have six pharmacies with that little amount of people, that's not an easy feat. So yeah, well done to you and the team. But I think what you said that you did first, and if you want to use a
correct term, can say that you basically did a competitor analysis and understood what was already in the market and how you can differentiate yourself. So yeah, that's really interesting. And the other thing that I wanted to pick up on part of our franchise, then you talked about how they did the national marketing. And for those that don't understand.
stand, maybe marketing. When you're part of a large franchise, the marketing, the purpose of that is really around brand awareness of the brand and the franchise, not necessarily about the individual services or the people in that pharmacy. So when you said that's really up to you, that's so correct. So you lean on the national marketing of the franchise to really differentiate you and people to connect.
with your pharmacy, you then went and focused on the things that your pharmacy does differently.
Speaker 2 (34:51)
Correct. And that's, I think the beauty of franchise as well too, you've got this wonderful umbrella that you're under with a lot of benefits, but at the same time, as you said, it's entirely up to you to market for you and your clientele. Cause my clientele will probably be different to the pharmacy down the road clientele. We're probably going to be into another suburb clientele as well too. And what sort of health conditions you see in that area. So for nicotine replacement therapy, for instance, my clientele is 90%.
Elderly and the 10 % is newborn moms. Won't have teenagers and young adults so much in my community that I'm targeting. So it's not going to be beneficial for them, for instance. And like if you work in a mall, for example, where you get all the teenagers that are coming in, then that could be your target for instance. So that's the beauty of personalized marketing for your own community and for your own and what you're interested in as well too, as a pharmacist, like if you love.
cardiac health, then what are you going to do that's going to differentiate you from the other pharmacy down the road, but also marketed for your own farms, your own space, regardless of what umbrella you're under.
Speaker 1 (36:00)
Yeah, absolutely. Exactly. I think I want to ask you one last sort of major question before we wrap up. And I think I definitely will have to have you back on the show because there's so many things that we could talk about and drill into. So don't worry, those that are listening, we will have her back. But the main thing I wanted to, I guess, pick your brain on last is about
You've had to adapt to many different roles and environments. So throughout your career and your life, you moved from Queensland to Perth, you worked in a number of different environments. For you, how do you think being able to adapt to the environment that you're in plays a role in being successful in your pharmacy career?
Speaker 2 (36:47)
would probably say, I probably cut this into two sections. I was working with a lovely lady. She told me so much. She was in her fifties when I first took on my first managing role when I was 32 or 30. And she said to me, you're a brilliant pharmacist, but you will always be successful if you continue to remember that everyone in this world is replaceable.
So don't put yourself on a pedestal. You're brilliant. People come to see you to find you, but as long as you keep remembering that everybody is replaceable and then there is always better. You will always be successful. So I'll probably put that that way.
section that you got to keep that mindset that regardless of how passionate you are and how adaptable you are as well too, you're not the only person that can do this and everybody around you can be inspired by you to do something similar. That's one aspect of it. The other aspect of it, I believe is to be passionate first and then the finances will follow as well, regardless of whatever stage you are in your life. If you truly love it and if you truly
want to see something succeed, go all in. Don't go half in. Don't go half in, half out. Go all in. Everything. Be passionate. Give it your 120%. Your 100 % is not enough. Give it 120%. Be passionate about it. Give it your all. Go on fourth gear. And then from then, everything else will follow through naturally. For example, my boss, when we first opened the farm, he goes like, so how much have we done today?
I say, I don't know, I don't look. And he was like, really, how come? said, because that will naturally come, it'll grow. I'm not gonna look at the numbers every single day and drive my head in with it. I'm gonna look at how many people I serve today and do I remember all of them and are they gonna remember me next time or not? Because that's the bigger outcome. Because if I'm planting the seed now, later on it's gonna come and keep growing as well too. And the more seeds you plant, the bigger perspective you have.
And the more you are more flexible and like you're like you're the river, you're the water in it as well. So you got to go up and down with it. You got to go right and left with it, but you got to go full flow. You got to go 120. You can't go 100. You got to go 120 and then everything else will follow, but you'll never go to like, you're not the only person that can do it. Everybody else can do it as well.
Speaker 1 (39:22)
Yeah,
I think that's so true. It's, it's that humility, right? So being passionate, but then also having that humility to, yeah, kind of keep you grounded, right?
Speaker 2 (39:32)
Correct. Keep it granted. You're phenomenal. You're great. You're doing an awesome job, but also just remember that you want someone else to do an even better job and that's the person you're training to take your place. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:43)
Exactly. think that that's right. Like it's that succession planning and putting, yeah, growing others to be even better than what you were.
Speaker 2 (39:53)
Correct,
exactly, exactly. yeah, yeah, girl, give it 120. Don't stop at 100. 100 is not good enough. 100 is what everyone's doing. You want to do 120. Go, go,
Speaker 1 (40:03)
Go, go, go. Absolutely. Now, Nancy, we have been chatting for a little while now and we do need to wrap up, but that's okay. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting to you and hearing about your journey or from your mentorship work, your educational contributions, challenges you've overcome in starting a new pharmacy with all the competition around you, but building like a supportive team around you and really focusing on, on the growth of them. Now.
You do have a special offer for some of our listeners, is really exciting. So tell me about.
Speaker 2 (40:38)
I do. So for all our wonderful listeners, I do have my workbook, which is Level Up Pharmacist Workbook. It's a three month interactive workbook. The first month I will give away for free at no charge for everyone listening today, and they will get their PDF copy. If they want to work on it by themselves, they're more than welcome to. If they want to interact with me, we have a WhatsApp group that we chat on and we ask questions and then
pick each other's brains on it as well. So the first month, which is pharmacist basics, which is covering things like how to overcome stock tech issues and how to set the ground rules for training other team members as well to that first month, four weeks, about 10 exercises at absolute no charge for everyone listening today.
Speaker 1 (41:29)
that's amazing. Thank you so much, Nancy, for giving that offer to our listeners. I think that will be really valuable to everyone. So if you do want to take up the offer, we'll put the information in the show notes. You can also connect with Nancy on LinkedIn and Instagram. We'll put the details in the show notes as well. Now to all our listeners, if you've enjoyed our conversation, make sure you subscribe to our podcast, share it with your family and.
you Nancy. Thank you so much for coming on to the show today.
Speaker 2 (41:59)
Thank you for having me. I had such a blast. You're such a wonderful person to talk to. Like, I'm sure we can do this every day all day. Like, if you and I work in the same office, my goodness, it's gonna be the best.
Speaker 1 (42:10)
would be so much fun and yeah, let's make that happen. Thank you, Nancy.
Speaker 2 (42:16)
Thank you, Kristi!
Speaker 1 (42:18)
Thanks for tuning in to Your Pharmacy Career Podcast, proudly sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. The PSA is committed to empowering pharmacists through advocacy, innovation and industry-leading professional development.
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Final Thoughts
Nancy Rostom’s story is a testament to the power of mentorship, community engagement, and innovation in pharmacy. From mentoring future pharmacists to launching educational initiatives, Nancy has demonstrated how passion and dedication can drive real change in the profession.
Her journey highlights an important lesson: pharmacy is more than dispensing medications - it’s about building relationships, educating communities, and continuously evolving to meet patient needs. Whether you’re a student, an early-career pharmacist, or a seasoned professional, there’s always an opportunity to grow, lead, and make a difference.
As Nancy puts it,"Give it 120%. 100% is what everyone else is doing—you want to go beyond that."
So, what’s the next step in your pharmacy career journey? 🚀
