EPISODE 95: INTERVIEW WITH MARIAM ALTHERAAWI, PHARMACIST AND IVPN VOICE PODCAST HOST

Mariam Altheraawi is a fresh, new-generation pharmacist. She graduated with a B.Sc. Degree in Pharmacy in 2018. Mariam hosts a pharmacy podcast called IVPN Voice, and she loves to use her voice to inspire and empower pharmacists her age to improve the profession as they know it.

Founded in 2012, IVPN stands for (I)ntra(V)enous (P)arenteral (N)utrition. Visit http://www.ivpn-network.com for more information. Originally, it was an email group focused on the topic of intravenous parenteral nutrition. IVPN is growing and includes other specialties now. Members are fondly nicknamed, “IVPNeers.”

Mariam pitched the idea of adding a podcast to IVPN, and they loved it! IVPN founder, Osama Tabbara, saw something in Mariam and let her take the lead. She launched IVPN Voice Podcast in 2020. Mariam is learning a lot and having fun.

IVPN Voice Podcast has a global audience with Ambassadors in other countries. Visit IVPN on Instagram for more information about Ambassadors and the countries they represent. IVPN wants to promote the profession of pharmacy among all countries and empower pharmacists to practice at the top of their licenses.

Many listeners are people around Mariam’s age. They may be students, fresh grads, or pharmacists trying to find jobs and their passion for the profession of pharmacy. Mariam hopes to inspire them or push them to do what they want to do. She is a working pharmacist and a podcaster. She’s a role model to her listeners!

Mariam has several co-hosts, including Ahmad El Ouweini, PharmD, Sirine Shoukair, PharmD, Leen Agha, and others. She appreciates her team and enjoys working with them.

We discussed differences between the role of the pharmacist in the UAE vs the US. Private practice and entrepreneurship are more common in the US. Two US women pharmacists who help other pharmacists launch businesses are Dr. Blair Thielemier and Dr. Asha Pai Bohannon. Blair’s Pharmapreneur Academy helps pharmacists leverage their skills through consulting services. Dr. Asha works with her husband Eric to help pharmacists launch their own businesses. Visit the BizRx™️ website to learn more or check out their IMPACT Pharmacist online course. (Note: affiliate link.)

IVPN and APhA (The American Pharmacists Association) are partners. IVPN Founder Osama Tabbara and current APhA President Scott Knoer know one another from Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic has a presence in the UAE, specifically in Abu Dhabi. According to Mariam, Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi (CCAD) has set the bar high for medicine. She did her internship at CCAD and credits them with helping her find her passion for pharmacy during her internship.

Currently, Mariam works full-time as a pharmacist in a hospital in the UAE. Her focus is insurance and pre-authorization issues, but she also dispenses meds, counsels patients on therapy, and does first fill reviews. She records 1-2 podcasts per month.

Mariam may be the only woman pharmacist podcaster in UAE as of this recording (April 10, 2021). Way to go Mariam!! Check out IVPN Voice Podcast, and connect with Mariam on LinkedIn.

IVPN Voice Podcast (Google Podcasts)

IVPN Voice Podcast (Apple Podcasts)

Thank you for listening to episode 95 of The Pharmacist’s Voice ® Podcast!