Via Queensland Health
Hi, I’m Chastina! I’m a Clinical Pharmacist at Logan Hospital.
My journey began when I moved to Brisbane to study a Bachelor of Pharmacy. After graduating, I completed my internship at the Mater Hospital.
When I started my family, my life priorities changed and spending more time at home was important. That’s when I saw a permanent part-time position become available at Logan Hospital. I’d heard amazing things about working at Logan Hospital from colleagues at a conference the year before, so it felt like the perfect fit.
As a clinical pharmacist, my work goes far beyond dispensing medications. I help patients manage their medications, ensuring they know how to take them properly, checking for interactions, and making sure the doses meet the needs of the person, not just their condition.
There’s so much more to this role than many people realise, and I love that variety in my day-to-day work. Pharmacists do more than put labels on bottles - we save lives through medication safety projects and our therapeutic knowledge.
As an Aboriginal woman, I feel I have cultural obligations to fulfil. Both in advocating for systems change and supporting my fellow pharmacy colleagues in demonstrating what culturally safe care might look like.
I have a ‘Deadly Pharmacists’ shirt that I wear to work, and it helps other hospital workers know my role. I value the opportunity in making patients feel safe and answering questions they might have which they haven’t felt confident to ask of other people. Even if it’s nothing to do with medicines.
One of the things I value most about Logan Hospital is my team. We’re like a big family, genuinely caring about each other both at work and in our personal lives. And, of course, we never miss an opportunity for a morning tea! Being part of such a multicultural team means we always have something new and delicious to share.
I love the challenge of working through complex and rare cases that bring patients to the hospital. Pharmacists hold unique expertise in recognising when medications aren’t the best fit for a patient and knowing what steps to take next.
Those moments of making a real difference are what I call ‘yay-pharmacy’ moments. They are what keep me coming back day after day.