Working with autonomy in pharmacy is the wish of many professionals who face exhausting routines and long hours, often with little time for themselves. That was the case for pharmacist Wagner Almeida, who shares his story of transformation and search for purpose.
Since graduating in pharmacy in 2018, he has followed a challenging path, passing through Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, until returning to his hometown in Minas Gerais, where he decided to shift his focus to aesthetic pharmacy. Now he is closer to his dream of working with autonomy in pharmacy, free from the pressure of exhausting shifts.
The Exhaustion of Working Behind the Pharmacy Counter
After graduating, Wagner quickly entered the pharmaceutical market, working at retail pharmacy chains. The initial stability the field offered was a relief, but soon the difficulties of a routine of long shifts and little free time began to weigh on him. “My idea was to stay in this sector, but over time I realized this routine took up a lot of my personal time”, he explains.
Far from his family and on a work schedule that often exceeded 12 hours a day, he felt the need to look for alternatives in order to work with autonomy in pharmacy and, above all, achieve a balance between personal and professional life.
After years in retail, aesthetic pharmacy began to stand out as a promising opportunity for Wagner. The idea of working with autonomy in pharmacy kept gaining strength, even as some fears arose along the way.
“I realized there really was room for me”
“I feared that being a man would make it harder for me to break into the aesthetics field, which is still very female-dominated. But talking with female friends and seeing other men working and succeeding, I realized there really was a place for me”, he says. That confidence motivated him to enroll in the Aesthetic Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at Nepuga, where he found a path to achieve his dream of working with autonomy in pharmacy.
The specialization opened the door to specific knowledge in aesthetics that, until then, he did not have. Through the course, Wagner gained essential skills for the field, including techniques for applying botulinum toxin, facial fillers, and other aesthetic procedures. “I already had experience with injectables, but focused on medications, like antibiotics and hormones. The techniques I learned in the postgraduate program are totally different and are helping me build a solid foundation to work with autonomy in aesthetic pharmacy”, he details.
Planning to Work with Autonomy in Pharmacy
Besides expanding his technical knowledge, Wagner has been doing financial planning with the goal of setting up his own practice after finishing the course. “From the start of the program, I was already thinking about how to build my setup so I could work with autonomy in pharmacy, especially in aesthetics. That planning was essential so I could prepare safely”, he says.
Wagner's desire to work with autonomy in pharmacy is not just a financial matter. He is also seeking a better quality of life, something retail shifts did not allow. “Before, I couldn't find time for a weekend with my family or for a trip. Now I see in aesthetics the chance to achieve that flexibility and a purpose I've always wanted”, he shares.
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Wagner's story is inspiring for those who, like him, are looking for new opportunities and long for a balance between professional success and personal well-being. Working with autonomy in pharmacy has become a real goal for him, who sees in aesthetics a path to transform lives – starting with his own. “Knowing that I can help raise people's self-esteem with the treatments I'll offer is very rewarding”, he concludes.
For those who want to change fields or are looking to fulfill the dream of working with autonomy in pharmacy, Wagner's account shows that, often, the answer lies in allowing yourself to explore new paths.
Laís Bianquini
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
