Finances
Here you will find information and guidance on how to manage your money and any debts you may have, and ways to find funding, including from Pharmacist Support, should you need financial assistance.
Elizabeth is a retired pharmacist, having worked in community pharmacy for 36 years. In this personal story, she shares with us the challenges she has faced over the years and how Pharmacist Support has helped her.
I became a pharmacist because I wanted to help people.
Whilst studying for my degree at Aston University, I worked in the pharmacy department in a hospital and upon graduating, went to work in small community pharmacies. It was different back then because I feel we used our practical skills a lot more, which I enjoyed and overall, I found my work fulfilling. Even when I was pregnant and became a mother, I carried on working part time.
After some years, I moved on to work for a large supermarket chain, eventually becoming the pharmacy manager. In a way, it was similar to community pharmacy because we still had our regular customers. I soon started to notice that we were helping many patients with addiction issues, and I did my upmost to support them in any way I could – even just being a listening ear for them, making them feel seen. One such patient even described me to their friend as “treating them like a human being.” That was my ethos for my entire professional life – the most important thing for me was being able to do what I believed to be right.
I first heard of the charity when it was the benevolent fund.
In 2000, I was off work for 18 months because I had osteomyelitis in my right heel from a steroid injection and I ended up having three major operations on my foot. I was struggling financially so came to the pharmacists’ benevolent fund for financial support, which I received. Then in 2008, the benevolent fund helped me again with some serious family difficulties. It was such a relief to us that there was somebody who didn’t judge and was perfectly willing to help us.
The charity’s support has personally meant so much to me ... I’ve been able to keep my dogs, who are my lifeline, my friends.
Read Elizabeth’s story about how we have supported her and her family throughout the years.
Knowing that I’d receive non-judgmental support, I approached what was now the charity, Pharmacist Support, again in 2016.
Unfortunately, someone went into the back of my car when I was stationary, leaving me with a fractured spine and ongoing health problems and needs which haven’t always been covered by the NHS. This is on top of a cardiac arrest I had a few years ago … it really has felt like it has been one thing after another. Because of all this, I had to cut back on so much to the point it became impossible for me to keep on top of things financially. One morning I reached desperation, thinking I just can’t do this anymore. This is where, over the years, Pharmacist Support has stepped in to help me cover some of my care needs. The charity’s support has personally meant so much to me and impacted my financial stability; I’ve been able to pay my rent and bills knowing that nobody would come knocking at my door for payments; I’ve been able to keep my dogs, who are my lifeline, my friends. I’ll be honest, without the charity’s help, things would have been much, much worse, and I am so grateful.
I understand that it’s hard reaching out to ask for help as we all have an element of pride.
However, it doesn’t mean you’re weak or a failure or anything like that, and the courage and strength it takes to ask for help is worth it, so I would urge anyone in a similar situation to reach out to the charity. They have always been lovely, so supportive and non-judgemental … like a family in a way.
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