Ep 71 Importance of Ensuring the Mental Well-being of Health Professionals

In this episode of Pharmacy View Podcast’s Pharmacy Career, Resource & Training stream, host Kavita Nadan, Pharmacist and Founder at Locumate, is joined by Kay Dunkley, Executive Officer (Part-time), Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS) and Doctor Wellbeing Consultant (Part-time), AMA Victoria. Kay, also an accredited Pharmacist, received the PSA Symbion Pharmacist of the Year 2020 and PSA Victorian Pharmacist Excellence Award 2019 and is passionate about the health and well-being of healthcare professionals. Listen to this podcast episode as Kavita and Kay take you through Kay’s fantastic career in the industry, the changes that have come about in the years since their early days, and how they keep their passion alive while keeping up with demanding work. It was the final year of college, and Kay wasn’t sure of the career they wanted to pursue. A career in Pharmacy was their last-minute choice, they say. And aren’t we all glad that the choice was made? In Pharmacy, they saw a perfect blend of science and health, and after having worked with inspiring people through their initial days in Hospital Pharmacy, Kay came to realize the immense love they had for the profession. Kay loved being a part of the healthcare team and enjoyed interacting with patients, doctors, nurses, and other allied health professionals. Over the decades, Kay moved up the ladder in the industry and worked with various hospitals and healthcare professionals. Now, Kay works with the Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS) and AMA Victoria. When asked what prompted them to work in the mental health and well-being space for health professionals, Kay says the impetus comes through their own experiences and exposure in the industry. They emphasize that there is a real need for support for health professionals. Pharmacy is a busy space where professionals are often required to do multiple things simultaneously while ensuring everything is done right. Many professionals, especially those new to the profession, struggle to keep up with the demands and under