From being an intern in regional Western Australia to mentoring the next generation, Curtin Pharmacy graduate Shaylee Mills is breaking barriers in rural pharmacy.
Known as The Rural Pharmacist, Shaylee uses her platform to share the unfiltered reality of working in rural pharmacy to her community of more than 500,000 followers, challenging stereotypes and empowering the next generation to make a real difference.
As a fourth-generation farm girl from WA’s wheatbelt, Shaylee never planned to return to the country, but six months before graduating from university she made the last-minute decision to return to the red dirt.
What started as a three-week student placement at Pharmacy 777 in Broome during her final year at Curtin led to a life-changing moment.
Falling in love with the community, people and possibilities of rural pharmacy, Shaylee landed a job at Pharmacy 777 as a full-time registered pharmacist in Karratha.
As a rural pharmacist, Shaylee wears many hats, with most of her time being split between three community pharmacies and a weekly stint at the Aboriginal Health Service in Roebourne.
Her days aren’t just filling prescriptions behind a desk but mostly spent on the ground.
From building real connections with patients living in some of the most isolated parts of the country to bridging gaps when medical services are hours away or unavailable and advocating for care that meets the needs of people where they are.
Since beginning as an intern in Broome to becoming a registered pharmacist in Karratha, Shaylee has seen first-hand the value pharmacists have in the longevity of rural communities.
“In the country, people don’t have the luxury to just go anywhere because there is often only one pharmacy, so that means your often central to your patient’s world,” she said.
But the challenge of being a rural pharmacist is also very real.
Working rural often means support on the ground can be limited, especially when you’re the only pharmacist on shift.
“Staff shortages are a real challenge, I was working more hours than interns based in the city while studying part-time, which was very exhausting,” she said.
“Just being the new pharmacist in town was hard, I had to learn how to build trust with my patients from the ground up.
“But it does get easier, you just need to be willing to have a chat and listen carefully.”
When it comes to meeting the rising demands of future healthcare in Australia, particularly in the country, Shaylee believes it’s about lifting each other up.
“At the end of the day, we need to empower each other and promote good workplace culture to collectively upskill to hold the future demands of our ageing population and the rise of digitisation,” she said.
“Alongside this, it’s also ensuring that the government and organisations are doing it at a pace that accommodates how health professionals work, especially in rural healthcare.”
This Rural Women’s Day, Shaylee encourages aspiring pharmacists not to be afraid to embrace a rural career.
“If you’re really interested in a rural pharmacy career, you owe it to yourself to give it a try,” she said.
“Becoming a rural pharmacist has made me realise just how far a pharmacy degree can take you.
“This career has given me the flexibility and freedom to see some of the most beautiful parts of Australia while making a meaningful difference in the community.”
Shaylee Mills, Rural Pharmacist at Pharmacy 777 Karratha and Founder of The Rural Pharmacist
Graduating from Curtin with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (First Class Honours) 2021, Shaylee is a dedicated rural pharmacist on a mission to empower early-career pharmacists and show the potential of a path in rural pharmacy. Now, Shaylee is practising pharmacy in one of WA’s most remote towns delivering clinical care across community pharmacy and Aboriginal Health Services. As the Founder of The Rural Pharmacist, Shaylee is passionate about making rural pharmacy careers more visible and sharing the real stores of rural practice to more than 100,000 followers around the world.
