Udhaya Venkat, R.Ph., had a fascination with medication from an early age—and that interest eventually led her to pursue a career in pharmacy. “I was always curious about how a little tablet can make someone feel better,” she says.

Now, as a pharmacy manager at Ralphs #299 in Irvine, California, she understands that innately and is quick to dispel the myth that pharmacists are mere pill counters. She performs meticulous work behind the scenes, checking for drug interactions and confirming correct dosages, all while collaborating with doctors to ensure patients receive the best care. Venkat has also continued to advance her knowledge, pursuing certifications in travel immunizations, diabetes management and medication therapy management.

The pharmacy where Venkat works is near a hospital, which means she often sees customers arrive at the pharmacy emotionally distraught, some even in tears. “For someone who’s never been to the doctor, who’s never been taking medications, it can be overwhelming when they are discharged from the hospital with six or eight medications at a time,” she says.

One particular incident stands out in her memory, involving a man who had never been a customer at the pharmacy, although he was a customer at the store—until a life-altering event changed that. He had a heart attack that led to his hospitalization. When the time came for him to specify which pharmacy should receive his medications, he made an unusual choice.

As Venkat recalls, the man said, “I’ve never set foot in this pharmacy before” when he came to the counter. But she says he went on to say: “I’ve never had the need to visit a doctor, and I’ve never taken any medications. But when I had that heart attack, all I could think of was you. You’ve always been so kind and helpful to all your customers, and even though I’ve never been here for pharmacy services, I’ve seen your interactions with others. So, I asked them to send my medications here, simply because I’ve seen you being there for people.”

This is just one of the reasons she exemplifies the best of the best in pharmacy and was selected as a 2023 award winner. Here, Venkat speaks more about her commitment to providing the best possible care for her customers. 

How do you put yourself in your patients’ shoes?

Well, I don’t know if I put myself in their shoes, but I feel that patients are sometimes lonely. They just want someone to talk to. I try to listen to them and provide them with the best possible solution for their needs.

I think it’s my personality to help out every single customer in whatever way possible. Most of the people who come to the pharmacy are sick, so every little thing we can do to help them feel better matters. 

We also have patients in our store who come from different cultures and different backgrounds. I grew up in India and moved to the U.S. with my husband when he got a job here. I think that makes it easier for me to understand people from different cultures and helps me explain everything at their level.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

When someone comes back and says, “Hey, I’m glad you checked on it for me, and the doctor was not aware I was taking this medication” or, “they were not aware I was allergic to it, and you caught it.” Sometimes doctors don’t give the correct dosages, and when the patient comes back and says, “Oh my God, thank you so much for catching that,” I think that’s the most rewarding experience, that you were able to help someone even in little ways.

What do you wish people knew about pharmacists?

A lot of customers have a misconception that we just pull the tablet out of the bottles, put it in a bag, stick a label on it, and give it to them. It’s more than that, especially now because pharmacists are doing a lot more than just filling medications. I wish people knew that we check for drug interactions. We make sure that the dose they’re getting is correct. If there are any issues, we call the doctor’s office multiple times to get it clarified before we give it to them, just to ensure it’s safe for them. 

How do you help patients save at the pharmacy?

Some of our customers’ medications are too expensive and they can’t afford them. When that happens, we try to run it through SingleCare and tell them, “You know what, yes, it is expensive with your insurance, but we can provide this medication for you a little bit cheaper with the discount card.” Or we’ll call the doctor’s office and switch it to a different medication that may be cheaper. 

There was a customer today whose copay with her insurance was $290 for the full medication. With SingleCare, we got it down to $95. She was really appreciative. I see stories like this every day.

What advice would you give to somebody considering a career in pharmacy?

You need to have a lot of patience and a lot of empathy because it is easy to get frustrated and annoyed. Sometimes we have elderly customers in their 80s or 90s, and they keep asking us the same questions over and over and over again. You have to be very patient with them. We also have a very diverse clientele at our location. We have people from different cultures and different backgrounds. They’re from different countries where the system is not the same as it is here. You have to be a little bit more patient and explain to them, “It was probably different where you come from, but this is how it works here.”

What has surprised you since becoming a pharmacist?

It’s surprising that pharmacists are doing so many immunizations right now. I never thought that would be a part of my job, but I like it because we are so easily accessible. There are a lot of people who are not that regular about going to their doctor. They don’t do their immunizations. For those people, I’m glad that we are able to provide those immunizations. I’m glad that we can help people live a healthier life.