Working as a Pharmacy Assistant is just one of the many fulfilling positions offered at a locally owned and operated Shoppers Drug Mart store. It's a position Lisa Levy, Michelle Anyan, and Cheryl MacPherson know very well. While these three ladies don’t all work for the same local Pharmacist Owner, or in the same store, or even in the same city, they all share common traits. They understand the need to adapt to a fast-paced work environment, the importance of helping customers, and what it feels like to be part of a retail family.

Learning to adapt

Lisa Levy, a Pharmacy Assistant at a Shoppers store in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has been working at various Shoppers stores for almost 23 years. In that time, she has worked in nearly every department at a Shoppers store.  When asked how she has kept engaged in her job for so many years, Lisa’s answer was simple: “Everything changes.”

At her locally owned and operated Shoppers store, Lisa needs to keep on her toes with new medications. “It’s interesting to see what’s new on the market,” Lisa said, “it’s nice to see when new medications come out and to help customers."

Pharmacy Assistants at Shoppers stores understand the importance of staying current in the medical industry so that they can better help their patients. Helping those in need is the primary focus for all three of these ladies.

Helping others

Michelle Anyan, from a Shoppers store in Nanaimo, British Columbia, takes pride in her work and the service she provides to others in need. “I love my job. The best thing is being able to help people,” Michelle said.

While dealing with customers in pain or through wait times may be challenging, it’s also a very rewarding aspect of a Pharmacy Assistant’s job. As Lisa said, “You learn to be very patient with people. It’s good when you can help someone out from entry to filling, to leaving with a smile on their face.”

Being part of the retail family

Cheryl MacPherson, from a Shoppers store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, has been working in various locally owned and operated  Shoppers stores for 28 years and is currently at her fifth store. She comes from a military family, and her retail pharmacy and experience with the Shoppers brand has made it easy for her to find a new job with various Pharmacist Owners in different locations. When asked what she loves about her job, she answered very quickly, “the people.”

All three ladies boasted about the staff atmosphere at their Shoppers store. “Everyone gets along so well. Once you’ve been here for a while, it’s like everyone is family,” Lisa said. However, it’s not only the family-like staffing that her Shoppers store has to offer but also the skills you get to take home with you.

On-the-job training

Lisa, Michelle, and Cheryl all come from very different backgrounds but were all able to get  jobs at their Shoppers store through hard work and training. Their schooling was all very different, but Michelle said that her most valuable lessons have come from working at Shoppers. “Most of what I have learned has been on the job. I didn’t find that schooling taught me as much as on-the-job training. Everything I learned about the drugs and prescriptions was through on-the-job training.” Michelle continued by stating, “No day is exactly the same. You learn from each experience and you grow from there.”

Regardless of how many years these ladies have been working in the Shoppers Drug Mart network, they all agreed that they are still learning. Their Pharmacist Owner keeps each of them engaged and educated.

These three Pharmacy Assistants from different Shoppers stores have stayed dedicated to their jobs for years and proved that in the right environment, a person could stay interested, focused, and happy in their position. If these are qualities you’re looking for in your next job, stop by your local independently owned and operated Shoppers Drug Mart store today, talk to a Pharmacist Owner and see what they have to offer. You’ll be working with a team of professionals that care for one another and in an environment that allows you to grow and develop your skills.