Pharmpreneur of the week Munir Dharamshi: ‘Being an entrepreneur is in my DNA.’

Snapshot Education:B.Pharm Hons., University of Wales, Cardiff, Wales UK, 1990. Licensed in Ontario with OCP in 1991. Obtained my CTH (Certificate in Travel Health) from International Society of Travel Medicine in 2015. Associate of the Faculty of Travel Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, UK. (AFTM RCPSG). Role/Title:Pharmacy Manager/Owner of Remedy’s Lawrence Pharmacy since 1997. What excites you about being an entrepreneur? Being an entrepreneur is in my DNA. From the time I began to consider a career choice, I was struggling to find the career that would provide me with the excitement and independence of entrepreneurship while satisfying my family’s desire for me to pursue a career in healthcare. Pharmacy seemed the most obvious and perfect choice. Being a pharmacist would allow me to engage with the public and serve their healthcare needs while allowing me to be innovative and be the entrepreneur I knew I was meant to be. How has your entrepreneurial career evolved since your graduation? It has been challenging as one realizes very early on that the skills to be an effective and successful entrepreneur are not provided to you in high school or in university. It has to come from within and you pick up tips and learnings along the way and from the people you work with and who ultimately mentor you. That’s the beauty of pharmacy – there are many pharmacists who are willing to mentor you and help you become the best pharmacist and entrepreneur you can be. What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur? The desire for financial independence and flexibility to be innovative. Entrepreneurship is so much more than being a glorified shopkeeper. It’s all about going above and beyond to stand out from the rest of the pack, showing what you can do to help people in ways others haven’t thought of or are scared to think of. Innovation and forward thinking can be lonely paths but can be so rewarding both personally and financially. Aligning oneself with forward-thinking colleagues and staff can make for a very exciting journey. How do you define success? Success to me is going into my pharmacy each and every day feeling as excited and as challenged over 25 years later – and still feeling the same way as I did on my first day. That is success. To be able to do what I love to do after all these years is success and is priceless. As a successful entrepreneur, what continues to drive you? My drive comes from my desire to continually show my staff and patients/customers that their loyalty is not misplaced and not unappreciated. My job is to steer this ship forward and keep them feeling safe and protected and cared for in the best way possible. I bear that responsibility and it drives me to be innovative, continually educated, and at the top of my game. What are the biggest challenges to being an entrepreneur? The biggest challenge is government and the challenges an owner/operator continues to face in light of government and private payor pressures and lack of understanding as to what we go through on a daily basis. That can get very frustrating and disheartening. It can leave you feeling unappreciated and that can be challenging. It’s the customers/patients and staff that keep me motivated to overcome these challenges and fight for the profession and our business model. How do you manage work/life balance? I have from the very beginning kept work life and home life separate. I have tried to keep my management duties and administrative work restricted to my practice – which means I may go in on weekends or stay later but I do not bring my work home. I find that as an owner it’s not easy to separate but it’s important to do if you are to continue to want to come in each and every day. What books/resources do you recommend for every entrepreneur to check out? I find books like “The Wealthy Barber” and other books that force you to look inwards at how and why you do things and force you to consider other perspectives helpful. I also feel it’s important to find a hobby and for me it’s travel – even if I am not travelling, I’m talking to patients about their travels and how best to prepare and turn that hobby into an area of expertise. What advice would you give to colleagues who want to become entrepreneurs? Find what you love and do it. Also do what you know and do it well. Then expand on it using hobbies/interests. But at the core make sure you focus on what you know and be the best. There is nothing more satisfying than to be good at what you do. Your patients will appreciate it. Your staff will respect it. You will love yourself more for it. And at the end of the day, it’s all about what’s in your heart and the hearts of those you work with and serve. It makes it all worthwhile and most rewarding.

Pharmpreneur of the week Munir Dharamshi: ‘Being an entrepreneur is in my DNA.’

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