LloydsPharmacy Colleague Catch Up with Rebecca Barry

We talk to Rebecca Barry, Supervising Pharmacist and Dispensary Manager at LloydsPharmacy to learn more about her job and experience in working as part of the team for the last 12 years.

How long have you worked in LloydsPharmacy?

I've worked in our store in Castletroy for 12 years, LloydsPharmacy took over six years ago.

What’s your role?

I'm the supervising pharmacist, dispensary manager.

What do you like about working in LloydsPharmacy?

I LOVE my job. We have a big vibrant team, not only in the store itself, but in the wider community of LloydsPharmacy Ireland. It's a very supportive environment, we help each other out between stores, and I have peers to lean on and get their take on things as they arise. My workday flies by and I learn so many new things every single day.

Why did you choose LloydsPharmacy?

I really liked science, and I love helping people and talking to and getting to know them. It was a difficult choice between medicine and pharmacy.

Why choose LloydsPharmacy over other pharmacies?

We're one of the largest pharmacy chains in Ireland and yet we have a big emphasis on being very much rooted in the community. We passionately believe in putting the customer first and in engaging and getting to know our patients. There are great opportunities within LloydsPharmacy to be involved in work outside of the core pharmacist role, as well as career growth.

What areas of Pharmacy interest you?

I love the clinical side and advising customers.  I've also really enjoyed being a tutor pharmacist.

If you could do something different what would it be?

I'd either be a doctor or something totally different, I'd have loved to be a professional dancer, I used to be a dance teacher.

What do you love about being a Pharmacist in LloydsPharmacy?

LloydsPharmacy have been very supportive in enabling me to do work with pharmacy organisations outside of LloydsPharmacy such as with the IPU and the IIOP. I've also been encouraged to be involved in pilots both nationally and within LloydsPharmacy.

There's a big, diverse team of pharmacists working in LloydsPharmacy from lots of different backgrounds. Meeting up for training days etc are always great and we help each other out a lot, there's always someone to help if you're stuck for a day off for example.

Tell us one thing about yourself that we may not already know?

I'm a farmer's daughter and a farmer's wife and I love that part of my life!

What has LloydsPharmacy changed about you as an employee?

LloydsPharmacy has exposed me to wider roles such as my involvement in marketing and media campaigns with them.

What excites you about your role?

I am absolutely NEVER bored in work!

I'm involved in the best and worst parts of people's lives, from being the first person to be told about a pregnancy (on occasion even before the prospective Daddy!), to a cancer diagnosis, palliative care and the loss of a loved one.