Young Leader in Pharmacy Bing Wang: "I am motivated by the energy and passion of the pharmacy profession."

Snapshot:

Education – B.Pharm., University of British Columbia, Doctor of Law, University of British Columbia

Current roles – legal counsel at PocketPills; pharmacist & owner, Pharmasave Drugs (Pacific) Ltd.; Lecturer, PHAR 351 (Pharmacy Practice Management), The University of British Columbia

What excites you about being a pharmacy owner and lawyer?

I’ve always enjoyed the business and management aspects of pharmacy; thus, opening a pharmacy in my childhood neighbourhood and serving the community has been rewarding. Practising law excites me because I get to be part of disrupting pharmacy and offering pharmacy services at scale and excellence to Canadians. I also provide legal services from my law firm and help pharmacists and owners navigate their legal matters.

When you graduated, what did you envision for your future? 

When I finished pharmacy school at 22 years old, I could not have imagined that I would go from pharmacist to pharmacy owner to lawyer and onwards. There wasn't a set plan. A desire to continuously learn and grow led me here.  

How important is mentoring in your career?

Considerable time and energy could have been saved if I had mentors. Having had to self-learn much of the business of pharmacy and how to buy/sell/build pharmacies, I appreciate the challenges young pharmacists face. The least I could do is help future pharmacists and share the lessons I've learned. I’m always happy to chat with pharmacists and share my learnings. 

If you can accomplish just one thing in your career, what would it be?

Unite pharmacists from all backgrounds to advocate with a unified voice for our profession and the future of pharmacy.

As a dynamic leader in the profession, what continues to drive you?

I wouldn’t consider myself a leader in pharmacy, but I am motivated by the energy and passion of the pharmacy profession. It's clear that the profession wants to evolve and embrace clinical services. I'm excited for pharmacy because we have a chance to embrace technology and begin to offer pharmacy services in a way that better meets the needs of our patients and on their terms. 

What advice would you give to new pharmacy graduates?

 Pharmacy in 10 years will be quite different than it is now. More than ever, it's important to accept change and continually learn and innovate such that when disruption happens you are ready to embrace it. It starts with curiosity and a desire to continuously grow.