For Vladyslava Birchenko, a career in pharmacy began with a curiosity about the properties of plants and continued with education, employer support, and professional development. Today, the former sales floor administrator works as a pharmacy assistant and is considering pursuing higher education — once again with the company’s support.
Vladyslava Birchenko is originally from Sloviansk. From an early age, she was interested in the properties of various herbs. Later, she realized that she wanted to gain a deeper understanding of pharmacy and how medicines work.
“After all, this knowledge helps people and, quite often, saves lives. Knowing that I can contribute to this process by providing professional advice is an incredible feeling. That is why I am happy that I chose this profession,” — Vladyslava says.
She began her professional career in pharmacy as a sales floor administrator at “Apteka 9-1-1”. It was while working for the company that she learned about an opportunity to obtain professional education with financial support from her employer through the corporate “Vyshcha Liha” (“Higher League”) program.
Vladyslava took advantage of this opportunity and enrolled at the professional college of the National University of Pharmacy in Kharkiv. She recently received her diploma and took the next step in her career, becoming a pharmacy assistant.
“I have been working at Apteka 9-1-1 for two years now. I like the friendly team and the working conditions. But most importantly, I value the opportunity to develop professionally with the company’s support,” — Vladyslava says.
Her professional plans do not end there. The next step may be to obtain higher pharmaceutical education. Vladyslava is considering continuing her studies and, in the future, applying for a higher position and expanding her professional opportunities.
Education as Part of a Career Path
Today, around 700 “Apteka 9-1-1” employees are studying or upgrading their qualifications with financial support from the company as part of the “Vyshcha Liha” (“Higher League”) program. This year alone, 180 employees have already received their diplomas.
The company views investment in employee education not only as a social initiative, but also as an important component of the development of the pharmaceutical industry. An employee’s professional expertise directly affects the quality of consultation and assistance provided to pharmacy visitors and, consequently, people’s trust in the pharmacy profession and the company’s reputation.
At the same time, development opportunities go beyond obtaining a diploma. “Apteka 9-1-1” systematically builds partnerships with educational institutions. The company currently has more than 85 memorandums of cooperation with universities and professional colleges.
Company specialists regularly meet with students in different regions of Ukraine, talk about the pharmacy profession, introduce young people to practical work in the pharmacy network, and explain the opportunities available for building a career.
This approach helps create a connection between education and future employment while students are still studying.
From Newcomer Onboarding to Leadership Development
Educational projects are part of “Apteka 9-1-1”’s comprehensive employee development strategy. At its core is the “UPTEKA: 9-1-1 Development Academy” program, which covers various stages of an employee’s professional journey — from onboarding and mentoring to professional training and the development of management competencies.
In this way, the company creates opportunities both for those who are just beginning their careers in pharmacy and for experienced employees who are ready to move to a new professional level.
Vladyslava’s story illustrates this approach well: from working as a sales floor administrator to obtaining professional pharmaceutical education. Her next step may be university studies.
“I want to continue developing. Higher education will give me the opportunity to advance in my career, gain new knowledge, and open up more professional opportunities,” — Vladyslava explains.
Today, she dreams not only of professional growth. Vladyslava hopes that the war will end as soon as possible so that she can once again travel with her husband, daughter, and parents, discover new countries, and explore the world.
Her own professional journey is also continuing. And it seems that its next destination has already been set: a new level of education and the new opportunities it will open up.
