KEVIN de Vries does miss putting on a while coat to help customers in his pharmacy. But he loves seeing pharmacy students have lightbulb moments, learning about their role in rural health in his present job.
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A Junortoun resident, Mr de Vries trains University of Melbourne pharmacy students in the nature of regional and rural health.
He has also been actively involved in the Junortoun community for more than two decades.
Mr de Vries got into pharmacy education almost by accident. He had sold his Hargreaves Mall pharmacy and spent some time at the Bendigo Business Council, now Be.Bendigo, as chief executive.
He was working in Rochester and central Bendigo when he saw an advertisement for a role at the Pharmacy Guild at three days a week, writing training materials.
A while later he was employed by the University of Melbourne, to train its students in rural and regional health.
Mr de Vries's role is to help students talk realistically about how health care is different in rural areas, in the short time they have on placement.
On nearly every measure people who live in regional and remote communities have poorer health, Mr de Vries said.
But many city-based students didn't appreciate how health status and treatment of conditions differed from a metropolitan setting, he said.
It can be everything from vaccination to questions about a set of symptoms. And Mr de Vries said, as people age and suffer more long term conditions, getting their heads around medication can be critical.
"There's everything from primary care ... through to having conversations about long term health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure," Mr de Vries said.
"There's always an opportunity for pharmacist to have a word to people about their medication, making them better rather than worse."
Mr de Vries loves getting out, and loves seeing the pharmacy students come to understand an aspect of rural medicine they might not have considered before.
Confidentially issues in a small town pharmacy, access to female doctors, or barriers to seeing a specialist, can be among the issues they encounter.
"There's this sense of, 'Wow I hadn't considered that', among the young people," Mr de Vries said.
The Shepparton based role can stretch anywhere from Ararat, to Ballarat, to Swan Hill, or Wangaratta.
It's always better to be standing alongside a politician with a big smile, cutting a ribbon than writing angry media releases.
- Kevin de Vries
"The joy of going to communities like Benalla and Maryborough, and Kerang and Swan Hill ... and seeing pharmacists who are doing really good work embedded in communities," Mr de Vries said.
"Customers patients walk through the door and interact not just with pharmacists, [but] pharmacy assistants.
"You're seeing them deliver health care at very close to the community level. And that's very enjoyable."
Mr de Vries became a pharmacist after a year 12 teacher tapped him on the shoulder, and suggested he consider the field.
He'd always been good at maths and science. When he looked at the course, he realised it was for him.
Mr de Vries has found the occupation provides great reward.
"I chose pharmacy, pharmacy chose me, and I've been very very happy in the role ever since," Mr de Vries said.
"It's the human contact, and being able to apply scientific knowledge to assist people through disease. Medications are not the only way to treat people for a health condition ... but they are important.
"But also how taking medicines and taking medication fits in with other broader lifestyle measures. It's all about getting to know the patient, and getting to know their background."
When Mr de Vries listed his occupations, one was the pharmacist training role, the other writing training materials. The third he mentioned was the Junortoun Community Action Group.
He's secretary and treasurer, and has been involved since it formed in 2012.
Mr de Vries moved to Junortoun 21 years ago, with his then fiance, now wife. The couple have two children, aged 11 and 12 years old.
When they first moved, they noticed that Junortoun was without lots of things. The emerging community lacked amenities such as a playground, or mobile phone reception.
The Junortoun Community Action Group formed after a range of public meetings the council organised.
The group developed a community plan, detailing residents' aspirations for the suburb.
A playground, improved bus services, a cycling track, and a project to restore an old quarry at Honeyeater Reserve, are some of the group's achievements Mr de Vries can list.
He believes many of these projects would not have happened without community agitation.
In a way the relationships and reputation the group has with leaders are just as important, he said.
"It's the reputation we've built with council for getting things done, but working constructively with them. That comes from a number of projects successfully delivered, without going to war with council," Mr de Vries said.
"It's always better to be standing alongside a politician with a big smile, cutting a ribbon than writing angry media releases.
"It's far easier and you get more done if you have a positive partnership with government."
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