Divya Lal - From courage, curiosity and connection; Redefining what it means to be a pharmacist

Divya Lal is a pharmacist, mentor, and business leader who proudly calls herself “not your typical pharmacist.” With a career spanning community pharmacy ownership, business development, and professional services leadership, Divya has built a reputation for blending clinical insight with entrepreneurial flair.

From her early days establishing pharmacies from the ground up to guiding the next generation through the Priceline Pharmacy Intern Program, Divya’s career reflects a deep curiosity and passion for growth—both personal and professional. After taking a detour into property development, she returned to pharmacy with renewed purpose, focusing on empowering teams, improving patient care, and redefining what success looks like in the profession.

Today, Divya plays a key role in advancing innovative health services across the Priceline network, including the rollout of the groundbreaking Menopause Program. Known for her warmth, candour, and business acumen, she continues to inspire pharmacists to think differently about leadership, resilience, and the future of the profession.

You can find Divya Lal on LinkedIn.

Do you have questions about your pharmacy career? Then contact us or meet our team.

Transcript

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Hi everyone and welcome back to Your Pharmacy Career podcast.

I'm your host as usual, Krysti-Lee Patterson, and today's guest is someone who's redefining what it means to be a pharmacist.

Divya Lal describes herself as not your typical pharmacist.

She's an innovator, mentor, and business leader.

But what really stands out about Divya is her courage to take risks, lead with empathy, and keep learning no matter where her path takes her on her pharmacy journey.

Divya, thank you so much for joining me today.

Thank you for having me, Krysti.

Thank you.

Now, Divya, let's start at the very beginning.

I ask this of everyone.

And that question is, what made you want to become a pharmacist?

So what made me become a pharmacist?

I really, also, I come from a family, we had business conversations around the dining room, as we were growing up.

So in a fun way as odd as that may sound.

Um, and my grandfather, uh, was a GP.

So, For me, pharmacy seemed to combine the perfect, was the perfect combination of health where you could help people and no matter where you go in the world, that health knowledge stays with you and you can help people, no matter of what their age or background.

And it also combined my passion for business.

So I always saw pharmacy as this perfect combination of health and business, and at the time when I saw the pharmacy brochure in year 12, um, in the careers office, I thought to myself, oh, if anything were to happen in the world, one always needs health and medications, and this is pre-COVID, so I think it worked out well for me.

Yes, absolutely.

I think it definitely worked out very well for you.

Um, I really like the fact that early on you had that, I guess, insights of business.

So you had lots of family members that were in healthcare, but also were business, quite business savvy as well.

And so you had that understanding going into it early on, which I think, when you think about the stereotypical pharmacist, they don't really get that until they're thrown into their deep end after they've been to university.

Um, so for you, that was you already had that.

So when you decided to do your internship.

What were you, were you thinking?

Were you thinking, yes, community pharmacy is definitely where I want to be?

Um, because it combines that business or were you thinking or maybe you want to go out and do something different?

What sort of, yeah, where did you do your internship and what was that experience like for you?

So I knew pretty early on.

I wanted to do community pharmacy.

Um, and again, it goes back to that merging business with uh, the clinical aspect of pharmacy.

So I actually did my intern year at chemist warehouse in, I think it was 2010 or 2011.

And at that time, chemist warehouse is not, you know, the giant it is today.

It was very much just starting out and there were a lot of different models of pharmacy and chains of pharmacy that actually don't exist today.

Um, so Harrison's was around.

Um, I'm not sure if you remember Harrison.

It was, you know, it was the place to do your intern year.

Um, there was also pells pharmacy.

So there were a few other different chains around and, you know, as a student, it was ideal to be going to one of these to do your um, to do your internship.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, for me, and I say, unfortunately, at the time, because like every other student, it was my goal to get into one of these um, pharmacies to do my internship.

Uh, but I got, ultimately, I ended up finding a position at chemist warehouse, and I stayed there for 5 years, and it was those 5 years really, uh, made the foundation for my career.

So I think as an intern, it doesn't matter where you're placed, it's up to you to make the best of the opportunity given to you and I was very lucky.

I had an amazing preceptor.

And I had an amazing uh, boss in um, Pierre Buantoon, who I, Still, I'm in touch with today as in fact, I was just uh, messaging him last week.

So, it's really, um, I had an amazing time.

I learned not only clinical, but I also learned the business aspect.

So I think for me, and my career path, this, my internship served me, you know, really well.

So what I really loved about your reflection there, Dibia, was, even though you said, at the time, it was unfortunate because he didn't get the exact intern position that you would have hoped for.

But the position that you did end up getting ended up being really valuable and has been quite a pivotal moment in your career and sent you on the path of where you are today.

After being at Chemist Warehouse for, I think he said, 5 years.

What was the next step that that debut took?

So what did your career look like at post-chemist warehouse?

Yeah, so after chemist warehouse, look, I'm one that's always wanting to learn and challenge myself and push the envelope.

So, I found myself after 5 years, I had a very good understanding of, you know, how chemist warehouse operated and I wanted to experience something new.

So, my journey took me to Priceline Pharmacy and I worked for a company called RX Management and I was there for 5 years.

I started off as what they call a group pharmacist.

So I would go around a number of Priceline pharmacies that the company owned.

Uh, then I moved my way up to pharmacist in charge and then um, pharmacy manager and I experienced starting a pharmacy from scratch.

So that was a very unique experience.

So building a pharmacy from 0 scripts and that was, um, yeah, I really enjoyed that experience.

It was challenging but very fulfilling in the end.

Yeah, I couldn't mention, I've never been in that situation where I've had to start a pharmacy from scratch.

I've started a business from scratch, but I think, one tricky thing with studying a pharmacy from scratches that you have to have the, the retail society have to have the stock, and have everything there before your customers even come in, whereas, um, yeah, with my business, it's a, remote job, so everything is online, so I don't have to, um, worry about all getting everything prepared in the 1st place.

So that would have been really quite difficult, but also very rewarding.

During that time.

Um, what were some of the things that kept you, kept you going, um, especially leading the team because I think, Um, yeah, when you're starting something new, there probably would have been times where, Yeah, maybe you weren't hitting the targets that you wanted to.

So how did you lead your team through the change of setting up a new business?

Okay, so believe it or not, this is actually not the 1st time I've been involved in establishing a new pharmacy.

So when I was in 2nd year, working as a, just a pharmacy student casually, I was involved in establishing a new pharmacy, well, relocating a pharmacy and establishing that from scratch as well, essentially.

So I've, I took what I've learnt from that experience and also whilst I was in chemist warehouse, I also helped the team open up a couple of new pharmacies.

So it just seems like no matter where I'm going in my career, I've just fallen into this path of uh, starting pharmacies from scratch.

So definitely having previous experience helps.

And I also find change management is a huge peace and bringing the team along.

Throughout the journey in a positive manner.

Um, because this team was there, as a priceline, this team was there when it, it was just a priceline store and we put in the dispensary in there, so it was a big change for them too.

So it's about, you know, positively bringing them along, training them.

Um, but also having fun, uh, I think having fun is uh, key.

If you're passionate about what you do.

Uh, which I'm very passionate about pharmacy.

And I'm also passionate about training and educating not only pharmacy. Team members, but also interns and students.

Um, you know, if you're passionate about what you do, it, it shows in your results and it definitely makes the journey a lot easier and fun.

I completely agree with you and I think what you said there, with bringing that positive passion in what you do, it really is quite evident and that also results in better outcomes for not just the team, but then also the customers as well because if you've got a positive environment and people are having fun and they're enjoying their workplace that will be shown in the results of the pharmacy, the consumption. All been into that store before where you walk in and you can just get that vibe and you think, oh, what is happening here?

Um, whereas if you walk in, you can see that people are happy and they're enjoying themselves.

It just makes very much more positive experience as a customer.

No, absolutely.

It does come with challenges though.

So it was, it is hard work.

But yeah, definitely, you know, doing it together and seeing results, uh, that that makes it all the worthwhile.

Now, Divya, we've actually known each other for a little while now, and it was quite funny how our lives cross paths.

So for those that are listening, I 1st met DVR at a, I think it was a, Finance or maybe a Commonwealth Bench, um, event uh, in healthcare that we both went to and we happened to to meet.

And I think something that I've noticed with you and also myself is that we not only just go to, I guess, the most obvious pharmacy conferences or events, but we also put ourselves in, um, places where we can learn and grow from other people.

So by attending events like this one that we both went to.

Um, was all about finance and I think potentially maybe ownership I can't quite remember or so long ago before COVID.

Um, but when we 1st met, uh, was something that really uh, that really stuck with me that I found really interesting.

Uh, was that you had also gone and done some other things outside of pharmacy and I thought that was really interesting.

And so, um, you've been working, as you've just mentioned, um, across chemist warehouse and priceline pharmacies working, um, as pharmacist manager, supporting new pharmacies that were being opened.

Yeah, so you had said to me that you'd been working in, I think it was property development.

And so I wonder if you could maybe touch on some of those experiences that way outside of pharmacy, uh, because I think that's also really interesting and for some people that are listening.

I think being a pharmacist, you can apply those skills that you've learnt in other settings.

And so yeah, I'd just love to hear a little bit more about some of those exciting things that you've done outside of the pharmacy for walls.

Yeah, so not at all did I plan to leave pharmacy, not for 12nd.

But, you know, life throws things at you and you have to.

You know, you never know where you may end up.

So, um, after Priceline, I actually went to Blooms.

A chemist, uh, with the, with the intention of owning, buying purchasing a pharmacy.

However, this is when COVID hit and I particularly did not want to invest during COVID.

And also at the time my grandma was in palliative care at home.

So we were looking after her and I wanted to spend more time with her as well.

Um, so I decided to uh, leave Blooms, where I was pharmacy manager and somehow this uh, property development role came up and I thought, okay, let me just give a shot at it.

Um, and, you know, let's see what happens in a year.

See, I was there for, yeah, a couple of years.

And also at the time I was doing like locum work and I was doing, and I was a heart screening pharmacist, which, uh, thanks to you, uh, you got me into that.

So that was, um, you know, keeping up my pharmacy skills with point of care testing, um, So I was still doing, I was still in the pharmacy world, but not as much, and um, look, property development taught me a very, was a very different world compared to pharmacy.

So whilst I was in property development, as I said earlier, I like to challenge and learn new things.

So whilst my role was in fact managing various portfolios.

I also wanted to experience, get some hands-on experience.

So I, uh, learned how to do waterproofing, um, bricklaying, and of course I had to play with the heavy machinery as well.

Um, but what I learned.

Yeah, here I am, you know, a pharmacist by profession in a heavy machinery or waterproofing, but look, what I've learnt is, you know, I still learnt a lot of skills during those couple of years that have actually, I've taken, now that I'm back in pharmacy, have actually made me, I think, a stronger, a stronger leader.

Yeah, so I've actually taken back.

I've actually taken away a lot of skills from those couple of years outside of pharmacy.

So what I've learnt from that experience is, no matter what industry, you're in.

Um, particularly as in a leadership position, you should never be afraid to, you know, get your hands dirty, so to speak.

Um, Um, But instead of managing, say, a portfolio of properties, I'm now.

Overseeing a portfolio of pharmacies and a lot of those skills that I, that I learned during those 2 years away from pharmacy, has actually made me a stronger leader.

And, uh, in some ways a better pharmacist because it's all about connecting with people and I think it, Again, it doesn't matter what industry you're in at the end of the day, it is all about relationships and. How you connect with people.

Um, okay, so fast forward, post-COVID.

Uh, you're now back in the pharmacy industry after getting your hands dirty, so to speak, in the property well.

You're now at a um, you're now in a role with what is now known as independent pharmacists of Australia.

Just wondering if you could share, 1st of all, how you manage to get into a role like that after, I guess, being technically out of the pharmacy industry.

Whilst you were still involved to some manner.

And then even just share a little bit about what your experience was like in that role.

How I got their role at IPA. Is actually a funny story and it does go back to what we touched on earlier about.

It's all about relationships and people.

I was actually at a friend's wedding.

And I didn't know as many people at this wedding and I was sitting next to.

Um, And I was sitting next to this person and we just started talking and Funnily enough, it turned out she knew you.

Um, and she was also a pharmacist and, At this point, I was trying to go back into pharmacy because, I realised, hey, um, you know, whilst I've had a bit of experience away from the industry.

Pharmacy is ultimately where my passion lies.

So I was um, so I was talking to the person next to me and the next thing I know, she goes, Oh, send me your CV.

And so I did that.

So once I got home from the wedding, I sent her my CV and literally the following week I was called in for an interview and yeah, that that's how I got the role.

Well, I think that does show cases, just how small, not just how industry is, but our whole world actually, to be honest.

And just you never really know where the opportunities are going to come from.

And so sometimes getting out of your comfort zone.

And I'm not saying, hey, you should start crashing weddings.

But that putting yourself out there is, yes, start talking to people.

So no matter what event you're at.

No matter where you are, start talking to them, talking to different people.

And you never know where that conversation may lead.

You never know who they know, um, or, um, what's down down the corner for you.

So I think that just showcases to maybe people that are listening, especially if they serve maybe earlier on in their career that any opportunity.

Um, or any situation that can could be an opportunity for the future, I mean, you never know what's, What's next for you?

And so for you, Divya, once you were at IPA, what did that role look like?

So for those that are listening, um, IPA is, um, an independent group that supports 1000s of pharmacies within Australia.

And If I've got it right, Livia, your role was supporting pharmacist.

Um, intern pharmacist, um, through preaching and education and training programs.

And so maybe you could just share a little bit about what that experience was like for you.

So for me, IPA was absolutely an amazing company to work for, um, particularly under, Particularly under the leadership of Steve Castronakis, who's an amazing, an amazing person.

Throughout my time in pharmacy, I thought pharmacists just had to be either in community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy.

So when I got this position, I was very excited.

To be to be in a corporate role.

That was quite novel, you know, coming from community pharmacy.

My role was consultant to independent pharmacies in New South Wales and ACT.

So how they could utilise professional services.

More effectively and to come up with strategies to improve the dispensary workflows and also bottom line as well.

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So this role, our IPA was quite varied.

So one minute you might be supporting a pharmacy owner.

Uh, perhaps working with the pharmacy team to get them implementing services, but then moving into an education role and supporting intern pharmacists, uh, very, very different, especially since it's been a little, a few years since we've done our internship.

I've always enjoyed the mentoring and training part, and it's something I've done.

Pretty much since I started working in community pharmacy.

So like most other pharmacists.

I've been a preceptor, but I've always uh, you know, enjoyed the mentoring roles.

Have you done any work with pharmacy students and helping to, yeah, support them in their career as a future pharmacist?

So I found the opportunity with pharmacy students because Parts of New South Wales were struggling to get interns.

The pharmacies wanted interns, but the interns wanted to go to different areas or different models of pharmacy.

What I also found was in terms who worked as pharmacy students at pharmacies were more likely to do the intern year in that pharmacy.

It was important for me to actually go straight to the students before they get to the intern year.

And show them the opportunity and also give them the experience at a student level for what an internship could look like.

You are right.

I, I know in my own experience when I decided where to go as an intern.

It was the same pharmacy.

I've been working out casually as a pharmacist student for the last 2 years.

So I think you were definitely, you're definitely onto something there.

If we fast forward to your current position now.

I guess you could almost say you've done full circle.

And you're now back with the RX management groups and which is part of Priceline.

What are some of the things that you see?

Is exciting about the future of pharmacies.

I think pharmacy is going through.

A very interesting and exciting time of change, particularly with full scope of practice and pharmacists being able to prescribe.

I think pharmacy is going to look very different to what it does today.

To be honest, like the last 15 years of pharmacy.

It looks very different to, um, what it was 15 years ago.

Like we, when we 1st started in pharmacy, We couldn't even do vaccines.

And now, vaccine was just the everyday part of life.

But if I draw on your experience, your role is to support pharmacies in identifying these areas of opportunity, but then being able to ensure that they're sustainable.

How do you see?

These areas being sustainable for community pharmacy.

Look, that's a great question, Christie.

I think as much as pharmacists.

We want to help patients and serve our community.

We do have to also realise we are running a business and it does need to be viable.

We can no longer rely on scripts volume and increasing in basket size.

There are still about a 1000 pharmacies that are not vaccinating.

That's huge opportunity.

That's a really interesting statistic that you just mentioned, still so many pharmacies that are still not realising on the services, and the income that is available to them today.

And so whilst full scope and practice is going to be an area of opportunity in the future.

There's still a lot of opportunities still sitting on the table today.

Now, as I reflect on our conversation today.

I can see a particular theme that keeps coming out and that's very much around relationships and people.

And how did you identify, I guess, that this was something that was important for you, um, in building these relationships?

That's a great question.

I was a very shy person and for me to approach someone.

Initially was quite scary.

So I, One day set myself a goal and I said, okay, I'm going to, Start going to these networking events and my goal is just to go up to one person and form a connection.

So it came from, A place where I wanted to improve my own skill set.

So I just wanted to share that because I know for some people it is hard.

Practice makes perfect.

So as I reflect back, I can see the key people are the ones who I've worked for and developed great relationships with and till date and still in touch with and I don't think I could be here.

You know, without them.

They probably might not even realise the impact that you have on them.

And I think that's the, um, thing in life that you never know who you're going to meet.

So I think sometimes some people can be a bit scared to go and try new things.

Um, and I think one of the things that I keep hearing in our conversation about you, Dibia, is that even if it's really scary, um, or you feel nervous about something, just have that courage to try something new and and do something different.

I think it's really important.

Because you never know where it will lead you.

Growth happens outside your comfort zone, right?

You need to just give it a go.

Oh, 100%.

I love that.

As we wrap up.

What are some of the things that you do in your life to help, I guess, around you and unwind from the day to day?

So I do yoga about 4 times a week in the mornings before work, so I think that's very helpful and also spending time with my puppy Oscar. Just going for a walk.

That's just, you know, it brightens my day regardless of what type of day I've had.

I could definitely relate to that.

Most people probably known by now that I have a little dog choby.

And I think even in life, sometimes it's nice to remember to find joy in even just the smallest things.

Yes, and it's important to unwind because you need to have a clear and fresh mind.

Okay, Divya, well, we've made it to the end of our conversation.

And I just want to say thank you so much for joining me today and sharing your story.

I think your story and your pharmacy career to date has been a mix of curiosity and courage and I really think it will resonate with everyone that's listening.

But before we go, Divya, I just like to ask you, if you could give yourself some advice.

So think of the person you were when you were a pharmacy student or early on in your career, knowing what you know now, what would you say to Divya?

I don't wait, just go.

You can just go for it.

Yeah.

Well, you've heard it here.

Don't wait, just go.

Thank you so much, Divya, for joining me on the podcast today.

I hope you enjoyed yourself.

And for our listeners, if you take one thing from today's episode, let it be this.

Your career doesn't have to follow a straight line.

Sometimes the unexpected turns are what makes it extraordinary and don't wait.

Just go.

Thank you for having me, Krysti.

Thank you.

Thanks for tuning in to Your Pharmacy Career podcast.

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