In celebration of National Pharmacy Week and to honor the incredible achievements and impacts pharmacy professionals make in the field of healthcare, we are sharing personal stories from some of our own pharmacy team members.
In December 2020, the world was experiencing a global pandemic. Schools were closed, hospital beds were full, and Pharmacy Technician, Yahya Bello had just started working at South Shore Hospital in Chicago, IL. “I had a friend at South Shore and when he asked if I was interested in a pharmacy position, I said yes, absolutely!” Bello explains.
In addition to his work as a tech, Bello was attending the Pharmacy Doctorate Program at Chicago State University College of Pharma. “Yahya worked weekends and covered weekday shifts during his time in pharmacy school, “Director of Pharmacy for South Shore, Donna Scott explains. Bello completed his six-week APPE rotation at South Shore Hospital during the thick of the COVID-19 Pandemic. “I remember once on rotation, we had a system shut down, and we had to do everything completely manual, it was challenging,” Bello says.
Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Bello excelled at learning the necessary clinical skills to become a future pharmacist during his time in rotation. After the completion of his Pharmacy Doctorate Program, Yahya took time away from South Shore. He sought a full-time pharmacist position in retail but never lost the connections he’d made during his time at South Shore. “As a student, Donna had my back and offered me opportunities. She showed me dedication and loyalty,” Bello says.
Today, Bello is currently a registered pharmacist and is now a full-time staff member at South Shore Hospital. “A short while after I became a Pharmacist, Donna called and offered me a full-time position,” Bello explains. And with him, Bello brought the unique experience of having transitioned from pharmacy technician to pharmacist. “Having the tech experience humbles you because you see it from both sides. I have a different type of understanding for our techs because I have been there,” Bello says.
For Bello, the decision to pursue a hospital pharmacist position was based on the experiences he was fortunate to have accumulated while completing his APPE rotations as a student pharmacist. “I had already familiarized myself with South Shore Hospital and the daily pharmacy operations. Adapting to the roles and responsibilities of pharmacist while completing APPE rotations and the experiences I gained while working as a pharmacy technician really enhanced the transition experience, making it a smooth process,” Bello explains.
At CompleteRx, we work to forge lasting relationships with student technicians as they transition from technician to licensed pharmacists.
Happy National Pharmacy Week to Yahya Bello and the entire team at South Shore. Your journey is one that will inspire younger generations as they seek a path in pharmacy.
by Rachel Rahm, Marketing Manager, CompleteRx
