IB Woman
Issue No. 62 - December/January 2011
Vivienne’s healthy attitude
Named the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Young Pharmacist of the Year in 2010, Vivienne Mak is a leader in her profession, helping to bring her fellow practitioners out of isolation to engage with health care system reform.
Showing a strong inclination to ‘give’, Vivienne also has the superior people skills needed to manage change in a professional community.
“I was attracted to study pharmacy because it gave me the ability to practice patient-centred care in relation to improving medication use with patients,” Vivienne says.
“The diversity and variability with a degree in pharmacy was also a reason why I decided to study pharmacy. It gave me the ability to pursue other pathways and not just the traditional community or hospital pharmacist work.
“During my time as a community pharmacist, I found that there was room for improvement in the practice of pharmacy. Especially with the changes occurring within the profession and also with the current health system, pharmacists play an important role as health professionals. That sparked my interest in improving practice through research.
“In addition to the practice-based research, I found the best way to be involved and influence change was through professional pharmacy organizations, hence my involvement with the PSA and through the Early Career Pharmacist Working Group. It has given me the opportunity to be involved in shaping the profession and influencing change within the profession.”
Vivienne graduated in 2006 and worked as a fulltime community pharmacist before returning to the University of South Australia in 2009 to complete her PhD, focusing on pharmacy practice.
She notes the pharmacy profession is increasingly female-dominant with about 56% of practitioners are female.
“I do not think gender is a factor in my profession. Everyone receives equal opportunities for a career,” Vivienne says.
“I know of many female pha...
