Sandy Bhawan Interview
The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand is proud to showcase some of the diverse and inspiring stories of our members who work in different settings and roles within the pharmacy profession. One of them is Sandy Bhawan, a pharmacist who currently works at the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners heading up the Quality
Programmes for general practices. Sandy is also a member of PSNZ National Executive. Sandy shares her passion for pharmacy, her challenges and achievements, and her advice for aspiring pharmacists. Read Sandy's interview below and learn more about her journey as a pharmacist.
PSNZ: Tell us about yourself. How and why you became a pharmacist?
SB: I was born in Fiji and identify myself as Fijian Indian. We are a unique ethnic makeup known as the
Girmitiya descendants, our forefathers were brought from India as indentured labourers during the
British Raj to work on sugar cane farms in Fiji.
My interest in medicines and health started at an early age – as my Mama (Mum’s brother) Mr Pushp
Chand was a pharmacist in Ba – a town on the Western side of Viti Levu. I spent most of my holidays
in his pharmacy with my cousin pretending to dispense with chewable Vitamin C tablets which we later
consumed! We typed up labels, put our chewable tablets in clear resealable bags and pretended to
do what my Mama did! I was inspired by his ability to help people and care for them.
I emigrated to New Zealand in 1988 with my parents and siblings and knew that I would be studying
towards a health qualification with Pharmacy being in the mix. I did a Bachelor of Science degree
first at Victoria University, and then went to University of Otago to do my Bachelor of Pharmacy
graduating with first class honours, and was awarded the PSNZ Top Pharmacy Student Prize – yep I
am a nerd and I love it!
My career started as a hospital pharmacist at Dunedin hospital – and to this day I attribute my
success to the leadership of some amazing pharmacists whom I was fortunate enough to be
mentored by in those formative years – special mention here to Dave Woods, Dr Desiree Kunac,
Professor John Shaw and the Late Professor Peter Coville.
This year marks 26 years post registration for me as a Pharmacist and it’s hard to cover it all, but I
have been blessed enough to have worked in almost every practice setting available to pharmacists
in New Zealand! And I can say that in every role, I have worked to influence and ensure that our
skills and capabilities are respected and seen as a unique skillset. This was one of the reasons I was
designated a Fellow of PSNZ in 2018 by my peers.
I am currently working at the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners heading up the Quality
Programmes for general practices.
PSNZ: The World Pharmacists Day theme this year is “Pharmacy strengthening health systems”. How
can pharmacists collaborate with other healthcare professionals to strengthen the health system?
SB: I think that pharmacists are doing this already and have been for many years. If you look back in
history, apothecary is an archaic English term for a medical professional who formulates and
dispenses medicine to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern terms 'pharmacist' and
'chemist' (British English) have taken over this role. Apothecaries' investigation of herbal and
chemical ingredients was a precursor to the modern sciences of chemistry and pharmacology.
In addition to dispensing herbs and medicine, apothecaries offered general medical advice and a
range of services that are now performed by other specialist practitioners, such as surgeons and
obstetricians. Apothecary shops sold ingredients and the medicines they prepared wholesale to
other medical practitioners, as well as dispensing them to patients.
So, I think this year and beyond let’s take back as a profession what is our identity irrespective of
where we practice – we have always been strengthening the health system, now let’s own it and
make it more of our identity. We are the backbone of the health system!
PSNZ: In your opinion, what are some of the challenges facing pharmacists today?
SB: I think that the challenges faced by pharmacists today are:
1) Staffing shortages – of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians which is compounded by an
imbalance of ingoing and outgoing workforce, changing attitudes about work and lack of
clarity on the emerging trends for the role of pharmacists.
2) Work-related burnout and stress – related to increased demands and stressors on our
frontline pharmacists and taking on additional responsibilities in time of shortages of nurses,
doctors and other health professionals leading to an overwhelming workload.
3) Fragmented systems and processes – leading to inefficiencies, frustration and stress
compounded by increasing bureaucracy.
4) Inadequate funding – current salaries, and funding for services don’t match the value of
what we do for the patients, and the health system.
5) Having to always prove our worth – this is shifting but not fast enough if we are to utilise our
skills and expertise to its fullest potential to deliver on the health outcomes we want to see
in this country.
6) Lack of cohesion – we are fragmented as a professional group and consequently have lost
our ability to unite and speak with one powerful voice, this has led to confusion in the health
sector about who we are.
PSNZ: We have already seen some changes with the interim Health Plan. What would you like to see
implemented in New Zealand’s first-ever national Health Plan in 2024?
SB: I would like to see the Health Plan include the implementation of a strategy that prioritises the
access, experience, and outcomes from medicines as a valuable health intervention and then builds
around it the infrastructure, the funding, the services, and the workforce that are best equipped to
deliver on it – naturally it's pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
PSNZ: More recently, the removal of the co-payment $5 prescription fee was celebrated nationwide
by pharmacists and communities around the country. What are your aspirations to improve patient
and health system outcomes in New Zealand?
SB: I was so excited by this, and I know that many people will benefit from it, but it’s not the end.
When I worked at Pharmac, Te Pātaka Whaioranga I led the authorship of a publication called
Achieving Medicine Access Equity in Aotearoa – towards a theory of change. In this publication we
describe the key drivers that could facilitate medicine access equity – it shows the importance of
medicine availability (funded medicines), medicines utilisation (extent to which a population gains
access and what gets in the way) and medicines outcomes (how we ensure getting the best health
outcomes from what we invest in as a country).
My aspiration stems from social justice and I aspire to see the day that everyone has a fair
opportunity to experience their full health potential and live a thriving and meaningful life.
As pharmacists, we are a key part of enabling that health potential and I think it’s a tragedy that we
have New Zealanders miss out on getting the best outcomes from their medicines because we don’t
have a priority policy in place that drives that.
PSNZ: What is your ‘World Pharmacists Day’ message to your colleagues?
SB: Happy World Pharmacists Day!
To the new ones joining the profession – don’t be afraid to claim your space, you are the future!
To those who are still in this – kia kaha - you’re doing a fantastic job!
To those who are hanging up their coats – thank you for your amazing contribution and please keep
cheering us on!
To all my colleagues – irrespective of the practice setting you’re in, know that your work counts.
We are all part of one tribe and together we can be the change we want to see, as put by Gandhi
Ji.