Your Pharmacy Career Podcast

Samantha (Sam) King is a current Intern Pharmacist with Queensland Health, Metro South; and, a graduate of Bachelor of Pharmacy, with First Class Honours, from the University of Queensland class of 2021.

Passionate about equity in quality use of medicines; cultural safety; advancement in pharmacists’ professional scope of practice; and, student engagement in clinical research - she has been fortunate to engage in a variety of unique and rewarding professional development opportunities. Samantha has accrued over four years of employment experience within the pharmaceutical industry and has practised within a wide scope for her age - including: community pharmacy, aged care, private hospital, public hospital - in both digital (ieMR-based) and non-digital hospital delivery formats.

Samantha demonstrates continued passion and interest for the pharmacy profession through leadership in the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA), the Queensland Pharmacy Students’ Association (QPSA), The University of Queensland pharmacy student mentor and leadership program, and the Academic Advocacy Network.

Samantha King is nationally recognised for her outstanding contributions and professional achievements to pharmacy by professional organisations including the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the University of Queensland (UQ).
You can find Samantha King on LinkedIn.
Do you have questions about your pharmacy career? Then contact us or meet our team.

Debbie Rigby is an Advanced Practice Pharmacist with postgraduate qualifications in clinical pharmacy, geriatrics, and respiratory medicine. Debbie is a past Director of NPS MedicineWise, past National Vice-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and a member of Lung Foundation Australia COPD Advisory Committee. Debbie is a fellow of PSA, SHPA, ACP, Australia Institute of Company Directors AICD, Lifetime Fellow of American Society of Consultant Pharmacy, and the finalist for inaugural women in the spotlight award at the Texas ASCP conference.
Debbie currently conducts Home Medicine Reviews and provides medicines education to pharmacists, nurses, GPs, and other health professionals through her company Pharmeducation. For her passion and commitment to the pharmacy profession and quality use of medicines, Debbie has received numerous awards including PSA Pharmacist of the Year, the inaugural AACP Consultant Pharmacist of the Year, PSA Gold Medal award, SHPA Clinical Pharmacy Award, and the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award.
You can find Debbie Rigby on LinkedIn.
Do you have questions about your pharmacy career? Then contact us or meet our team.

A discussion about Australian Pharmacy Student Research is featured in this episode, in which the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Australian Pharmacy Students' Journal, Elissar Mansour, and the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Dr Fei Sim, share their research journey and encourage more pharmacy students to participate. Australian Pharmacy Students' Journal is the only peer-reviewed pharmacy student journal in the world, providing pharmacy students around the world with the opportunity to develop research skills and publish their work. In addition to publishing their own work, interns and students have the opportunity to review and edit others' work.
About Elissar Mansour
Elissar Mansour recently graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons I + University Medal) from the University of Sydney and she is now completing her internship at Blacktown Hospital in Western Sydney (NSW). Passionate about research from a very young age, she has been involved in diverse research projects ranging from Pharmacy Practice to Pharmaceutical Sciences, and has recently completed her honours project in the field of Drug Development.
Her passion for the Pharmacy profession also drove her to be a leader at her university where she was elected as President at the Sydney University Pharmacy Association (SUPA) in 2021, and Executive Director at the National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association (NAPSA). Her role within NAPSA expands to also being the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Pharmacy Students' Journal (APSJ), a journal that was created to provide students and interns with the opportunity to publish their work, become reviewers and be involved in editing roles.
Having had the privilege of experiencing research from her first year at university, Elissar hopes to utilise her role within NAPSA to increase the engagement of students in research and create more opportunities for young researchers.
You can find Elissar Mansour and Dr Fei Sim on LinkedIn.

Do you have questions about your pharmacy career? Then contact usor meet our team.

Jamil Karaki, a Locum Pharmacist deeply rooted in the world of retail pharmacy and education. Jamil wears multiple hats, not only as a dedicated educator in the pharmacy program at the University of New South Wales but also as a dynamic content creator on TikTok, where he imparts invaluable health tips and tricks to the public as @megamindpharmacist.
Jamil's pharmacy odyssey began during his student years when he ventured into retail pharmacy, swiftly climbing the ladder to manage large pharmacies and lead teams of up to 47 staff members by the young age of 27. Along this journey, he started sharing his wealth of knowledge through what he termed 'Megamind sessions' - educational forums where he enlightened fellow pharmacy professionals and students about common ailments and their treatments.
These sessions served as the foundation for Jamil's rapidly growing social media presence, amassing nearly 60,000 followers and counting. But Jamil's passion for teaching didn't stop there. Upon joining the pharmacy course at UNSW, he collaborated with Dr. Ramesh Walpola to teach the double-degree pharmacy course. This opportunity allowed Jamil to nurture his newfound passion for guiding the future generation of pharmacists, ensuring they grasp and excel in the intricacies of the profession.
Yet, Jamil's ambitions reach even further. He aspires to become a pharmacy owner, with a vision to revolutionise the pharmacy experience for the public in an unprecedented and innovative manner. Join us as we explore Jamil Karaki's incredible journey, filled with dedication, education, and the relentless pursuit of transforming the world of pharmacy.
You can find Jamil Karaki on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram.
Do you have questions about your pharmacy career? Then contact us or meet our team.

Dr Fei Sim is the first female National President to lead PSA since its Federation in 1977. Dr Sim is a Senior Lecturer and the Coordinator of International Engagement in the Curtin Medical School at Curtin University, Western Australia (WA).
In 2020 she was also made a Fellow of the Society before being appointed as a Director on the PSA National Board in 2021. Dr Sim has over 14 years of clinical practice experience and is currently a practising community pharmacist and a community pharmacy proprietor. Dr Sim also served as PSA’s WA President from 2017 to 2021.
Dr Sim holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree with First Class Honours and is a qualified pharmacist immuniser and an Accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She is a Fellow of the PSA and the Higher Education Academy, and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Dr Sim serves on a number of professional and academic committees.
Dr Sim was awarded the Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award in 2014, the PSA WA Early Career Pharmacist Award in 2018 and the National Early Career Pharmacist of The Year Award in 2019, all of which are testament to her commitment to patient care, learning and teaching, leadership in pharmacy, innovation and initiative in pharmacy service delivery, as well as peer and professional engagement.
Dr Sim is an active pharmacy practice researcher and is also the recipient of a number of research grants and projects focusing on advancing the practice of pharmacy and the implementation of professional pharmacy services in community pharmacy, including the noteworthy JM O’Hara Research Fund grant from the Pharmaceutical Society of West Australia (PSWA) in 2018. Through this grant, Dr Sim and her team conducted and published on a feasibility study on point-of-care C-reactive protein testing in community pharmacy. It is hoped this project will contribute towards facilitating antimicrobial stewardship and advancing evidence-based community pharmacy practice to improve recognition of pharmacists’ roles and remuneration.
You can find Dr Fei Sim on LinkedIn.
Do you have questions about your pharmacy career? Then contact us or meet our team.