American Pharmacists Month is almost over, but the celebration isn’t! At Hoover Pharmacy, we’re fortunate to work with pharmacists and staff who are dedicated to providing expert, compassionate patient care.

This week we sat down with our pharmacy manager, Christine Yu, to talk about her career, advice for new pharmacists and how the Hoover Pharmacy team works together to care for patients.

Why did you become a pharmacist?

Based on my volunteer and work experiences, I decided to apply to pharmacy school. During college, I volunteered at a community clinic in Austin, TX that provided free healthcare appointments and medications for low income residents. All the healthcare providers were volunteers and I was in awe of all the patients we were able to help. I also worked at CVS Pharmacy as a pharmacy technician, and I found that I really enjoyed working with a team to prepare medications for patients. I especially enjoyed being able to follow up with patients every month when they would come back for their refills!

Why do you work at Hoover Pharmacy?

When I was a UCSF pharmacy student, I rotated through the pharmacy with Mallory* as my preceptor (she’s now my manager!). I knew as a student that the pharmacy team at Hoover is special, and now I am so glad to officially work with everyone at Hoover Pharmacy!

*Mallory is the director of retail pharmacy operations for Hoover Pharmacy’s parent company, April Health.

What do you like most about your job?

Problem-solving to improve patient care. Whether it is helping a patient review their medications, troubleshooting with insurance for medication coverage or brainstorming how the pharmacy can run smoother, what I like most is every day presents different problems to solve.

I enjoy the teaching aspect of my job too. It’s kind of like that saying, give someone a fish to feed them for the day, or teach someone to fish to feed them for a lifetime. For my personal leadership style, I like to work through things with my team so that the next time something similar comes up, they know what to do.

We also host clinical rotations for University of California, San Francisco and University of the Pacific pharmacy students, so our pharmacists teach and help prepare pharmacy students for their future careers. Students have the opportunity to join our pharmacy workflow, counsel patients, learn more about HIV and transplant medications and become involved in how we provide patient care. Any pharmacy students interested in rotating at Hoover Pharmacy are welcome to reach out!

What advice would you give to new pharmacists?

Take advantage of opportunities to learn or do something different to set yourself apart. While I was in pharmacy school, I interned at pharmacy startups. What I learned at these startups was so valuable, and I would recommend taking opportunities that interest you, even if it is different than the normal path most graduates take.

What three words would you use to describe your role?

Never-ending. There’s always something more we can do for our patients and for our pharmacy team.

Flexible. Things don’t always work out as planned, but it’s important to be flexible to consistently deliver the best patient care.

Finally, collaborative. One of the great things I enjoy about working at Hoover Pharmacy is it doesn’t feel like there is a rigid hierarchy. Everyone works together to pitch in and provide patients with the medications needed to maintain their health.

What is your motto or personal mantra?

It’s never too late to start!

We wish you a happy American Pharmacists Month! Follow Hoover Pharmacy on LinkedIn for the latest updates.