Sarah Wilkinson
Sarah is a travelling aged care pharmacist and a part-time teacher at the University of Auckland. Her collaboration with artist Marcus Watson shows the many roles she fulfils in her work day.
About Sarah
My role as a Residential Aged Care Pharmacist at North Shore Hospital means I specialise in the care of older adults providing in-depth medication management reviews for residents living in the Waitemata region. I’m also a Teacher Practitioner at the University of Auckland. I find the split in my role between clinical practice and teaching very rewarding.
I found my University of Auckland degree to be varied, interesting and challenging. It gave me hands on experience and exposed me to different types of pharmacy practice I was unaware of before entering the degree.
During pharmacy school, I liked the challenge of caring for a specialised population and my interest in older adults developed. After completing my BPharm, I had the opportunity to get my first taste of caring for older adults during my internship in a community pharmacy where I provided services to residents at a rest home. I found this really rewarding and went on to complete a Postgraduate diploma in clinical Pharmacy, specialising in older adults.
The pharmacist's role today has shifted from being focused on the supply of medicines to becoming an integral part of the healthcare team.
My typical day at the hospital is hugely varied, from completing medication management reviews for residents, to prep for meetings, or giving education sessions to staff. The highlight is getting to be an integral part of a multidisciplinary team looking after patients with complex care needs. It’s so rewarding when you identify a medication that is causing an adverse effect, and see the difference it makes to the patient when the medication is changed. I also love getting out across the city and visiting my residents in their homes. This allows me to get to know them in person, which gives me a more holistic view of their needs.
The pharmacist's' role today has shifted from being focused on the supply of medicines to becoming an integral part of the healthcare team. With an aging society, there is an ever-increasing demand for healthcare, and pharmacists can help provide that.
Marcus's approach
Sarah’s coat design brings together a range symbols and icons to represent the many unique facets of her work day. The red cross and Bowl of Hygieia symbolises
medicine and protection. The laptop and book represents her research and teaching.
The hospital, capsules, charts and mouth symbolise administering and managing
medication. Lastly the eyeglasses and hand shows her work with the elderly and care
and empathy for all patients.