Speaking up for unity: Aska Patel on the power of stepping up—and stepping back

When Aska Patel isn’t doing medication management home visits, or consulting with healthcare stakeholders on new business ventures, you will find her hosting her own podcast on the “Future of Pharmacy.” This pharmacist/entrepreneur is on a mission to unify the profession so it can be a stronger collective force in Canada’s healthcare system, all while raising the profile of pharmacists among numerous patient groups. A tall order indeed, but if anyone can do it, this innovator stands a pretty good chance. Since graduating from the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy in 2012, Patel has proven that she is not one to sit on the sidelines. When she realized community pharmacy wasn’t providing enough professional satisfaction, for example, she went back to do her PharmD so she could focus more on the clinical aspects of the profession. While working in hospital, she realized she enjoyed the fast pace and clinical aspects but missed the patient interaction. In 2017, the perfect opportunity to combine her skills arose with an opening for a consultant pharmacist at a homecare organization doing home visits to provide medication management in the community. It’s a position she still holds part-time to this day, while pursuing other pharmacy-related ventures. “I’m truly enjoying this role as it allows me the opportunity to put my thinking cap on as a medication expert to identify problems and then work with patients’ physicians and care teams to implement our recommendations,” says Patel, who is based in Brampton, Ontario. PANDEMIC SILVER LININGS COVID-19, while stressful and challenging, prompted Patel to seek answers that might help the profession going forward. In 2020, she initiated a research survey to help understand the perceptions of pharmacists towards implementing symptomatic COVID-19 testing in community pharmacies. Acknowledging that it was a contentious topic at the time, she says her intention was to bring together the “polarizing dialogues,” highlight the opportunities and barriers for pharmacists, and figure out how to address the gaps when it comes to alleviating patients’ concerns around vaccinations. This exercise prompted such a positive response that it became a catalyst for a new venture on Patel’s part: the launch of her Diverse Conversations Podcast. “I realized we didn’t have a clear strategy about what we wanted to achieve as a profession and we needed to start talking,” says Patel, who hosted her first episode in August 2021 with the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s Lars-Åke Söderlund on the “Future of Pharmacy.” Since then, she’s been aiming to produce at least two podcasts a month and has had no shortage of pharmacy leaders willing to share their insights. (Subsequent guests have included American Pharmacists Association President Dr. Sandra Leal, Vice-President, Pharmacists Manitoba and Co-Founder Simplicity Wellness’ Tim Smith and Ontario Pharmacists Association CEO Justin Bates.) Walking the talk of diversified conversations, at the height of the pandemic, Patel volunteered to be a nurse’s aide at a hospital in Barrie, Ontario, where she witnessed many people die without their loved ones beside them. The experience, she says, reinforced the importance of appreciating every day. It also gave her more insight into what nurses do each and every day for their patients, as well as the strong sense of community within that profession that isn’t always as prevalent in pharmacy sectors. Patel notes that she was able to demonstrate, in a lowkey manner, that pharmacists have knowledge that ranges well beyond that of filling scripts appropriately. During this time, Patel also ventured into entrepreneurship, launching Acuvise Consultancy Inc. (her “pandemic baby”) to help organizations providing healthcare services get a clearer picture of where they can have the biggest impact. “I have focused on helping start-ups and other companies find a niche in their innovations and create a business plan and go-to-market strategy to help bring their products to market,” she says, citing digital pharmacy startups along with several national advocacy organizations among her client base so far. “The pandemic gave me plenty of time to reflect on my own endeavours and past experiences to understand how I can align my goals to my strengths.” While it’s still early days, she has already hired a PhD with a fellowship in sustainability to help clients interested in improving their carbon footprint. Patel says wearing her “pharmacist hat” comes in very handy in being able to critically analyze and create evidence-based strategies. “I am currently helping a client bring a European product to the North American markets [and] the learning curve is significant as we navigate the Canadian and the United States healthcare regulatory framework,” she says. “I will be sharing insights on this experience in my podcast once we have completed the project.” Yet another of Patel’s current goals is to better understand the impact of the healthcare and pharmacy industry on climate change. She’ll be sharing what she’s learned via a blog series on CanadianHealthcareNetwork starting in the summer of 2022. FINDING TIME TO PAUSE IS ESSENTIAL With so much on her plate, Patel is also a firm believer in knowing when it’s time to detach from work altogether to reassess your purpose and determine where one’s greatest value can be. “When you’re constantly doing the same thing, even if you’re passionate about it, you need to step away sometimes to see it in a new light,” she says. True to her word, Patel took a two-month sabbatical earlier this year and went to India to spend time with family and friends. “The sabbatical helped me understand my priorities in my personal and professional life, along with taking a step back from the podcast to see it with a fresh perspective,” she says. In doing so, she recognized that while she enjoys the business and operational side of things, she truly is a big-picture thinker with a vision and by taking on too much she was compromising the quality of her podcasts. “As such, I am in the process of growing my team to help bring the vision to reality rather than me spending time and efforts in activities where I am not the best candidate,” she says. “In today’s world where we have become so inter-connected, we need to tap into each other’s strengths and help bring our ideas to life.” Patel urges those interested in making a greater impact in the profession to speak up and not be too concerned about what others may think. “Don’t be afraid to share your opinions (in a respectful way), as they are based on the experiences and perspectives only you have,” she says, noting that the pandemic has certainly prompted her to be more vocal in sharing her insights about pharmacy. “I was too concerned about what others thought of me and that prevented me from taking steps earlier in my career.” Work aside, Patel has developed a new love of horseback riding, which she started in 2021. “I also enjoy cooking and find it therapeutic, especially when I find it difficult to come out of my work mode,” she says. “Oftentimes you will find me dancing while cooking, as it combines two of my favourite ways to unwind and relax.

Speaking up for unity: Aska Patel on the power of stepping up—and stepping back

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