Pharmpreneur of the week Sivajanan (Siva) Sivapalan: ‘When you recognize mentors in your life, keep them close’

SnapshotEducation:Master of Pharmacy (University College London, United Kingdom, 2008)Human Resources Management Diploma (McMaster University 2016)Collaborative Health Governance Certificate (McMaster University 2022)Recognition/Awards:2022 Bowl of Hygeia Award (Ontario)2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Niagara This Week (Grimsby Lincoln News) Readers Choice PharmacistRole/Title:I work across two practice settings as a community pharmacist and primary care pharmacist, at Beamsville’s Community Pharmacy and the Hamilton Family Health Team.What excites you about being an entrepreneur?When I came to Canada in 2010 my associate-owner Mariana Vernescu mentored me and by extension trusted me with the intricate details of her Shoppers Drug Mart franchise. This really got my brain working and helped me understand my own vision of what a business should be, what place it has in the community it serves, and the relentless dynamism needed to be successful. Her influence continues to inspire and excite me in my entrepreneurial journey. How has your entrepreneurial career evolved since your graduation?I am an international pharmacy graduate and received my pharmacy licence in the United Kingdom in 2009. I worked in a university hospital and did locum work in community pharmacy until I came to Canada at the end of 2010.I feel I was fortunate to be in the Shoppers Drug Mart “associate-owner” system for 12 years. I learned more than I could have ever fathomed in pharmacy school about the “business” of community pharmacy during this time. I found the PEERS structure and body to be quite a special thing at Shoppers Drug Mart and I believe it to be a real gem in the organization. The PEERS forum and its ability to allow fellow pharmacists to share best practices in both business and clinical are something I found really unique, and our local district in Hamilton/Niagara was filled with some truly brilliant pharmacist peers. My franchise agreement came to an end in January of this year. When this happened, two close colleagues, Sean Simpson and Maninder Nagra, immediately started booking me in for locum shifts. I will never forget the phone call I received from Maninder where she said: “I know you were planning on taking some time off, but I am going to start booking you so you can learn Kroll right away.” My time with these two amazing entrepreneurs evolved and furthered my understanding of community pharmacy immensely. If you haven’t worked in independent pharmacy before, I strongly encourage you to pick up shifts and try practising in well-run independent practice settings. I have since moved on to a pharmacy manager role at an independent pharmacy. Although independent pharmacy has its challenges in terms of learning curves, the professional autonomy I feel means that I cannot see myself moving to a corporate setting. You may not think it but my job in primary care, which I started without an entrepreneurial thought in my mind, has evolved my understanding of the importance of multidisciplinary care models and how this is important in good entrepreneurship. Whether co-located with pharmacies or not, my close relationships with my physician and nurse colleagues have made me truly appreciate the “small-business” aspects of my primary care offices, and how many of the entrepreneurial considerations in pharmacy practice are equally important in family medicine. Although I did not actively pursue any, so many opportunities have arisen for me from these relationships. Time will tell if any of these will come to fruition, nevertheless this experience is something I am grateful to share with fellow pharmacists on this forum from Sherif. If you have a good working (clinical/multidisciplinary) relationship with your physician and nurse colleagues, start the conversation around evolving this into an entrepreneurial relationship. Successful multidisciplinary models are often the most positive for seamless and effective patient care.What advice would you give to colleagues who want to become entrepreneurs?When you recognize mentors in your life, keep them close and accessible to you. They can guide you through the most important entrepreneurial decisions of your life. Mine have that have provided mentorship so crucial to my development and realizing my potential, and I am forever grateful for their time and support. Bhupinder Nagra, Wassim Houneini, Carolyn Whiskin, Jeff Hanbali, Mike Boivin, Hitesh Pandya, Kristen Watt, Doug Brown, John Spina, Kalpesh Chauhan, Billy Cheung, James Morrison, Sony Poulose, Sherif Guorgui, Kyro Maseh. I could go on and on. The pharmacy profession across Canada is well placed to harness and develop the profession of the future because of these and many more peers like them. The Canadian pharmacy sector is ripe for innovation and entrepreneurship, and connecting with inspiring figures can catalyze your professional journey.LinkedIn: @SherifGuorguiInstagram: @SherifGuorguiFacebook: @Sherif Seif GuorguiTwitter: @Sherif_Guorgui

Pharmpreneur of the week Sivajanan (Siva) Sivapalan: ‘When you recognize mentors in your life, keep them close’

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