A career compounded by collaboration and connection with our mission
An interview with Elaine Powell, our compounding production supervisor in Dublin
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started at Baxter
Elaine: I always wanted to work in healthcare and studied physiotherapy in college. When I qualified, it was hard to get a job as a recession just started. After a short period working as a sports physio, I started a job in a community pharmacy. While in that role I began a pharmacy technician course, along with a leadership and management qualification, before applying for a Production Technician role in Baxter’s compounding unit in 2017.
Q: You have recently been promoted to production supervisor. Has leading a team always been something you wanted to do?
Elaine: I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to progress over the last five years with Baxter. I started as a technician and moved to a team lead role after 18 months. The Supervisor role came up in 2020, so I applied and was successful. I’ve been in this role over a year now and I love it. Helping and directing others is something I’m passionate about.
Q: Can you describe what the compounding team does day to day?
Elaine: We manufacture drugs in a clean-room environment for patients who are treated in hospital or at home. The entire team is focused on doing this in a compliant way, following very strict procedures. It’s such a fantastic team – everyone digs in to make sure patients get their treatment on time. We also work in collaboration with multiple departments on a day-to-day basis, it’s a true team effort.
Q: What do enjoy the most about your role?
Elaine: It sounds a bit cheesy, but Baxter’s mission to save and sustain lives is what we do every day. It’s very motivating to know that patients rely on us and we are helping to improve their lives.
Q: Baxter has just announced a major investment in the compounding site at Sandyford. It’s an exciting time. How do you feel about it?
Elaine: It’s a very exciting time for our teams as we expand our compounding operations. There are plenty of opportunities for career progression and development and we are all really looking forward to working with new people and new technology.
Q: Is there a fun fact you want to share about yourself?
Elaine: I’m a qualified lifeguard and a trained first aider. I think that sparked my initial interest in healthcare and here I am now - doing a job that I love and leading a team who play such a crucial role in supporting patients.