Caring for her home community has prompted former Tantanoola resident Eliza Baker to take up the permanent position of community pharmacist at Millicent Chemist and Giftware.
Ms Baker believes her role as a pharmacist is to provide counselling, an explanation about medicines and education for her vast clientele.
“We are the first point of contact for free health advice and I take this role seriously,” Ms Baker said.
“I want to provide care for my community as they have cared for me.”
Hers is very much a familiar face as she was raised on a Tantanoola farm and then educated at the Tantanoola Primary and Millicent High schools.
Prior to heading to Adelaide for her tertiary studies, Ms Baker spent her “gap year” gaining a retail certificate at McCourt’s Garden Centre in Millicent.
Then followed almost a decade of study in the capital city at two universities.
Her study at Flinders University over five years earned her qualifications in disability studies, developmental and special education and primary teaching.
This was followed by a further four years at the University of South Australia for her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.
Her mandatory year-long pharmacy internship was spent at Mount Gambier Hospital and then Ms Baker opted to spend a further 12 months at this facility in the Blue Lake city.
As with many health professional spheres in rural areas, pharmacists are in great demand.
It is understood Ms Baker is the first local to return “home” to Millicent as a qualified pharmacist.
She is still living at Mount Gambier for the present but is looking to shift to Millicent.
Come what may, Ms Baker wants to maintain two favourite pastimes.
One is to regularly exercise her two Border Collie dogs with runs on beaches along with dabbling with a paint brush with oils and watercolours.
“Along with three friends, we had an exhibition at the Millicent Gallery in 2011,” Ms Baker said.
“Back in my youth, I was very much into horses and went show jumping at the Millicent Show and many others.
“I also participated in the Millicent Show Society show persons contests and these later became the rural ambassadors.
“Moving to Adelaide and living in a shared house meant it was not possible to have horses.
“I worked part-time in the disability sector when I was at uni at places like Autism SA and Minda.”
Ms Baker has no regrets about moving from the hospital pharmacist to the community pharmacist role.
“I know so many people and the team here at Millicent Chemist and Giftware are very friendly,” she said.
Ms Baker is very mindful of the presence of COVID and recommends the community continue hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing in high-risk settings and at other times and places where it is appropriate.
