Pharmacy assistants are an essential part of the treatment process

About 25 years ago, Kirsten worked as a pharmacy assistant in a community pharmacy. She enjoyed the work, but she was ready for something new. ‘At the gym, I ran into a former colleague who had started working at the Princess Máxima Center, and her story got me excited. She said: why don’t you just apply? I got an interview and was immediately sold.’

Kirsten has now been working for a year and a half as a pharmacy assistant in the front office. ‘In the back office, you prepare medicines for the children at the Máxima Center. In the front office, you are the first point of contact for patients and parents. You dispense medication, guide discharge conversations, and support medication-related questions at the outpatient clinic or on the ward.’

Kirsten calls the Máxima Center ‘a unique place’. Everything revolves around the center’s mission, she says, and the pharmacy is an important link in the collaboration between all departments. ‘I can be a small source of comfort for children with cancer and their parents, with a smile and a kind word. But I also realize that as a center, we could never achieve our mission without medication. Medicines are essential for curing illness and for improving quality of life. Cancer medications often have significant side effects. Other medicines – for example, to relieve pain or nausea – help make the children’s lives as comfortable as possible.’

The work in the pharmacy is done as a team, says Kirsten, together with other disciplines. ‘As pharmacy assistants, we are in constant contact with the pharmacist, the doctors, and the nurses. We check dosages, but also whether certain medications can be combined. And if we have any questions, we bring them forward. That way, we create customized care together.’

Kirsten also enjoys the variety in her work. ‘One day I dispense medicines at the outpatient clinic for patients coming in for day care, the next day I mainly handle treatment checks. And the day after that, I conduct discharge conversations in the rooms of children going home. We explain everything about the medicines a child needs to take at home, so that parents and children leave safely and well informed.’

Kirsten is proud of the ‘complete package’ that she and her colleagues provide, both inside and outside the pharmacy. ‘Every child is unique, and every time we make sure everything is correct and tailored to the child. The work is varied and challenging. I think there is no better workplace for a pharmacy assistant than the Máxima Center