Women in Pharmacy: Q&A with Dr. Sabrina Lorico
Dr. Sabrina Lorico (BSc, PharmD 2019, ACPR) is one of two recipients of the 2020 Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists’ (CSHP) Resident of the Year award. The award is based on several factors, including performance in direct patient care rotations, presentation skills, and research project management.
Since completing the AHS Central Zone residency and graduating from the Doctor of Pharmacy program in 2019, Lorico has been working on Unit 32/32P at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. The focus of her practice is palliative care and general internal medicine. “I work alongside a caring, collaborative, and passionate multidisciplinary team.” says Lorico.
What was the most important thing you learned during your residency?
Throughout my residency, I was exposed to unique practice areas such as acute psychiatry at Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, critical care in the ICU, and caring for patients with substance use disorders as part of the Addiction Recovery and Community Health (ARCH) team. While these practice areas are quite different, there was a clear resounding similarity between all of them – the value placed on delivering patient-centered care using a collaborative team-based approach was unparalleled. During these rotations, I enjoyed learning how to quickly integrate into a multidisciplinary team, adapting to new practice environments, solving complex problems, and connecting with my patients.
Over the year, I experienced a considerable amount of growth both personally and professionally. Early on, I received some advice from a preceptor that can be summarized as “Be prepared. Be confident. And try your best to hit the ground running.” Every few weeks I would enter a new clinical area and I often felt nervous on my first day, no matter how much I prepared. Not only did this advice help me get the most out of the learning opportunities, but it also helped me to become a meaningful member of the team, and most importantly, to be an effective advocate for my patients.
What does it mean to you to be a woman in pharmacy and in health care?
Being a woman in pharmacy and more broadly, in health care, can be challenging. Despite having the same degrees and expertise as my colleagues who identify as male, I have to work harder to be respected and taken seriously. Although I may exhibit similar personality traits and characteristics as my male counterparts, those traits are often interpreted differently. For instance, advocating for a patient may be misinterpreted as being “bossy” rather than being assertive. I have also experienced instances of conscious and unconscious sexism from both colleagues and patients, as these gender biases are ingrained in the culture of health care. For example, I am more likely to be asked about my relationships, fertility, and plans for parental leave. Despite these challenges, I recognize that I, along with other women, am integral to our health care system. Optimal patient care is complex and multi-faceted; women provide unique perspectives and skills, which often result in positive impacts to patient care. In essence, the ideal health care team should reflect the diverse population it cares for. While there have been advancements for gender equality in our health care system, there is still much to be done. I am hopeful that by working together, we will face these challenges and that our combined leadership, perspectives, and innovations will reduce the barriers to achieving this goal.
Monday, March 8th is International Women’s Day.