Pharmacy Leader profile: Lindsay Dixon

"Our healthcare system needs pharmacists now more than ever.”

Education: 

• Bachelor of Science Degree,  Universidade do Sagrado Coracao, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Post-graduate Certificate: Specialization in Pharmacotherapy and Medication Dispensing, Sao Paulo State University, Brazil.
• University of Victoria – Palliative Care in Pharmacy

What excites you about being a pharmacist? 

I have been a pharmacist for over 10 years now, and without a doubt, right now is the most excited I have ever been about our profession. The opportunities for pharmacists to fill critical roles in our healthcare system are only increasing and the way people want to receive healthcare is also changing. I believe that pharmacists will be a crucial part of this evolution of healthcare in Canada.

As a leader in pharmacy, what continues to drive you?

Our healthcare system needs pharmacists now more than ever. There are so many gaps in healthcare right now, and so many ways that pharmacists could help to fill these gaps.

With the advent of the internet, we now have a generation that has the ability to research their own health conditions and treatment options, and because of this, many people do not seem to understand the value pharmacists have to offer. Anything that I can do to put pharmacists in the spotlight and educate people on who we are as a profession is worth doing, and well worth my time. This is what drives me – the need to re-educate the public on who we are, and why we are an essential part of their healthcare team. Everyone needs a pharmacist!

Was there an aha moment for you when you realize the impact of the difference you’re making?

My current project is creating multimedia video content for the Friendly Pharmacy 5 Youtube channel. This channel was started only as an initiative to try to combat misinformation on social media about the COVID-19 pandemic. A few months in, I started to realize that the project was really having an impact, and people were actually listening to what I had to say.  The “aha” moment came when a friend of mine thanked me for a video, encouraged me to continue, and said to me: “I had no idea that pharmacists knew so much; next time I fill a prescription I will spend more time at the pharmacy to ask the pharmacist some of my health questions.”

That was a very eye-opening conversation because this was a fairly close friend of mine who was just beginning to understand what a pharmacist actually knows and does. How could such a close friend of mine never have had a basic understanding of what I do as a pharmacist? At that point I realized my friend was just one of many Canadians who didn’t understand the role of pharmacists and I started to seriously consider continuing the project beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, and now I’m committed to doing just that.

What have been some of the highlights of your career?

The highlights are always the people I work with and the customers I serve. I have worked with incredible people, and the relationships that have been fostered through these years are ones I cherish, long after our paths may no longer cross. Being in leadership is never something that one can do perfectly, but it has definitely given me the opportunity to foster a positive work environment, discover the unique skills and talents that each person brings to a team, and then see those same people flourish in an environment that they enjoy and feel they are an important part of. Seeing employees who enjoy coming to work has been the most rewarding.

Presently, with the Friendly Pharmacy 5 channel, just being able to hear through viewer feedback that this project is empowering people to become more educated and empowered about important health issues is very motivating. At the same time, knowing that this initiative is in some way changing what the public knows and understands about the pharmacy profession is definitely a highlight.

What advice would you give to new female graduates?

I would tell them that there is no limit to what you can do as a pharmacist – only the limits that you put on yourself. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, or to be more practical, outside the dispensary! Find a pharmacist who inspires you, and challenges you, and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask them for mentorship. Pharmacy is ready for change and innovation and your dreams and ideas are an essential contribution to the profession.