Life as a Pharmacist (LP) Stories
By: Young Pharmacists Group, Lagos State
Tags: Embarrassing, Pharmacist, Funny, Happy, Tears

MU: Kindly introduce yourself

JA: My name is Jennifer Apeh, I graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos and currently, I am in the middle of my internship in a Pharmaceutical industry.

MU: What year did you finish pharmacy school?

JA: I inducted August 2020.

MU: What was that day like?

JA: Thank you. I woke up by 5am to meet the appointment with the make up artist I’d booked for a program that wasn’t going to start till like 11am.

For the main event, observing covid protocols meant half of us sat under a canopy outside. Most of us outside weren’t really paying attention to the program. There was one time the cloud cover drifted away and everyone ran out from under the canopy to take pictures — #sunfilter. One of the faculty staff came to chase us back sha.

Standing up to take the oath was moving though… And I’m not very easily moved but the culmination of 6 years of –suffering– academic pursuits really did touch me.

Afterwards, with all the pictures I’d been taking, my battery died before we even sat down so it was luck that made me run into my brother who was clueless walking around the campus, trying to find me. I took pictures with family and that was the day.

MU: Did you have any expectations going into pharmacy school?

JA: No, I wouldn’t say so. I didn’t like or even particularly know what Pharmacy entailed going in. I just knew that Medicine was a no and every other course was a heck no. After I understood what it was I had gotten myself into, I developed a respect for the profession.

Well, there is the fact that I thought I’d finish and be making quick cash. So there’s one expectation at least.

MU: loool!

MU: Do you have any funny/memorable pharmacy school experiences? Please share

JA: I have one, Pharmacology lab. After almost climbing over people’s heads to try to get a microscope, I still didn’t… And everybody was hustling for their scores and growling at anybody who wanted to share. In my frustration, I went to report to Dr Sowemimo and I hadn’t even made one complete sentence when tears started to fall.

In my head, I was asking myself what was going on because I had no intent to cry as I was marching to demand a microscope but look, tears everywhere. I was embarrassed. To my surprise, she didn’t add to my embarrassment by pointing out my tears. She just told one of the techs to get me one from whatever corner they used to hide some.

When I looked at my classmates in the lab, everyone seemed so focused on their work but I just knew they were intently watching the scene play out. This was confirmed when in a couple weeks, in another lab, someone said “Oh! You’re the girl that was crying in cognosy lab”.

Ugh!

I guess it’s just an example of how the pressures sneakily get to you and start stepping on your tear ducts. That was in 200 level.

MU: So sorry that happened, although the tears helped. Can you give a summary of your life after pharmacy school so far?

JA: It’s been a discovery. Finding out and rating my affinity for each part of pharmacy practice. I started in the industry intending to only do a few months and leave once I get a spot in a hospital but I did a couple of months in the Regulatory department and I enjoyed it. Now I’m at the factory proper and it’s stressful most of the time, boring some of the time but I like it.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that once that hospital spot comes to me, I won’t embrace it with all my limbs but I truly did not think I’d find any sort of fulfillment in the industry.

MU: Wow! Interesting! What state do you practice in? And what is it like practicing in your state?

JA: Lagos. In the small experience I’ve gathered in the industry, I’ve seen that many older pharmacists are very supportive of the younger ones but I’ve also noticed that unless there’s a post that only a pharmacist must fill, they’re not too keen to hire pharmacists even where a pharmacist would be better suited to the role. It’s a wage thing.

MU: Hmm! I’ve always suspected this, but glad you’re confirming it.

MU: What’s a typical workday as a pharmacist like for you?

JA: I get to work by 8am, sign in all the books required because God help you if it is this particular book you didn’t sign a couple of days in that whoever is arranging salary decides to use to pay you.

By 8:10am, I’m changing into factory approved wear and entering the plant proper. If I have to enter and leave the factory 5 times before noon, I have to put on and take off those things each time. It still irritates me.

Once in, I go round the various units checking what products are going to undergo processes that day. I report anything that pass my power to one of the Production Pharmacists.

My job is mostly supervisory and I’m posted to the Dispensary for now but material dispensing is not regular. Some days we dispense for two drug products, other days, no dispensing at all so it frees me up to explore other units as much as I want to.

Around 12:30pm is lunch. I make sure I take the full hour and after lunch I look through Standard Operating Procedure documents. They are so so many and for all sorts of things. I’m sure I’ll find an SOP for breathing in the factory if I look hard enough.

I do that till 5pm when I get to go home. Actually 4:45pm because after walking all the many corridors back to the changing room and then actually changing and then walking all the way back to the gate, I find that I’m holding the sign out by 5pm on the dot. 😂

MU: Any funny/memorable experiences in any of the jobs you’ve had?

JA: Not too long ago I got lost in the factory. There are many corridors and even more doors so I, fancying myself an explorer, started walking about. It was my second day.

It was getting to lunch time and I decided I’d better be going to look for food but it’s like that’s when doors and corridors started to move themselves about.

I was in a part of the plant that wasn’t even in use at that point so I didn’t see anybody. I was getting frantic but trying not to let it show. After maybe 10 minutes I was ready to start shouting, maybe someone would hear me and come to my rescue.

Just imagine brand new kitted up pharmacist shouting for help.

To God be my glory, one of the Dispensary operatives was passing and recognized me. He definitely also recognized the fact that I was hopelessly lost so he just motioned for me to follow him and I almost ran into his pocket. He deposited me safely on the corridor leading to the exit. God bless that man oh.

MU: Wow! We love a happy ending 🤣

JA: Especially when we did not have to embarrass ourselves before the story ended.

MU: Yes, especially that. What do you like and not like about practicing pharmacy?

JA: There’s pride in knowing that you’re making a difference.

As for what I don’t like, I don’t think it’s fair to say seeing as I’ve only practiced here and as with almost everything else, there is a lot to be desired.

MU: Fair enough tbh. If not pharmacy, what else?

JA: Art, Graphic design, Digital illustration and 2D animation.

MU: Any side hustles you’re interested in pursuing outside pharmacy?

JA: Art, once again. Lol! Getting a gig as the illustrator for a regular publication would be the absolute bomb.

MU: Love this. I’m wishing you serious luck and rooting for you 🙌🏾🙌🏾

JA: Thank you for making this fun.

MU: You’re welcome!

Connect with Jennifer on Twitter and Instagram: @lol_im_jae

Mobolaji Uthman (MU), a member of the Editorial Committee did this…

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