JCU Pharmacy graduate making a difference in rural healthcare
When Ruby Schembri left her small rural hometown of Gilgandra in central New South Wales to study pharmacy at James Cook University, she took a leap of faith.
She knew she wanted a career in healthcare but wasn't sure which direction to take. It was her mother who suggested pharmacy. Ruby is now back in her home town working as a pharmacist. She's not only found her profession, she’s also using it to make a difference in the community that raised her.
Her commitment to rural healthcare, community education and innovation has recently earned national recognition, with Ruby named the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's Intern of the Year.
"It was a really nice bonus, my goal throughout my internship was simply to get through it. It felt like my Olympics. Winning the award was something I never expected," Ruby says.
But the award is recognition of much more than simply completing her internship. Throughout 2025, Ruby looked for opportunities to go beyond her day-to-day responsibilities as an intern pharmacist, using her skills and knowledge to improve access to healthcare and information in the Gilgandra region.
Image credit: Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Making a difference beyond the pharmacy counter
Ruby works at the Gilgandra Pharmacy, in the only pharmacy servicing the town of around 3,000 people as well as the surrounding rural communities.
"Rural pharmacists wear many hats because access to healthcare can be limited. People may not be able to see a doctor straight away, so pharmacists need to be practical, adaptable and confident,” Ruby says.
"Pharmacy is a unique profession and it's evolving constantly. There's a perception that pharmacists simply put labels on boxes, but the reality is much broader. No two days are the same.
"Particularly in rural communities, pharmacists need strong communication skills, clinical judgment and the ability to think on their feet."
Ruby says she was lucky to complete her internship at a pharmacy that gave her the opportunity to develop those skills and encouraged her to take on new challenges.
"During your intern year, you complete a range of competencies and assessments. One of those is a health promotion activity, and I chose to focus on women's health because it's an area I'm passionate about," she says.
Ruby returned to her former high school and spoke with students from Years 9 to 12 about contraception, reproductive health and navigating the huge amount of health information available online.
"The sessions covered the different contraception options available as well as emergency contraception. I also spoke about the common misconceptions that young people may see online. The aim was to help students make safe, informed decisions.
"I didn't learn much about menstrual health or contraception until my final year of university. If I didn't know these things, I wondered how many other young people were going through life without that information."
She was also conscious of the challenges young people face when trying to work out what health information they can trust.
"There's also a huge amount of misinformation online, particularly around hormonal contraception. People with large platforms can make bold claims without any expertise, and young people can be heavily influenced by that," Ruby says.
"I wanted to start conversations, provide accurate information, and let students know pharmacists are available to help. It wasn't about promoting one option over another."
The need for accessible and reliable health information is particularly significant in rural communities.
"Gilgandra has a high birth rate, and women in rural areas are more likely to experience unintended pregnancy than women in metropolitan areas. Geographic isolation and access to healthcare play a role."
The conversations weren't always easy, but Ruby says they were important.
"The sessions could be confronting at times, but they were important. I've since had students stop me in the pharmacy or at the supermarket to say thank you. Hopefully it shows them that pharmacists are approachable and available if they need help."
Image credit: Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Putting rural healthcare into practice
Women's health education was just one part of Ruby's contribution during her internship.
She was also heavily involved in community vaccination programs and medication management education.
Ruby's pharmacy administers between 700 and 900 flu vaccinations each year, helping improve access to preventative healthcare while also easing pressure on local general practices.
The pharmacy also provides vaccinations to residents in aged care facilities and has delivered vaccination clinics in neighbouring communities.
For Ruby, these services demonstrate the increasingly important role pharmacies can play in making healthcare more accessible.
"If someone can walk into the pharmacy during their lunch break and get vaccinated, that might be the difference between them getting a flu shot and not getting one," she says.
The transition from intern to qualified pharmacist has also given her a new perspective on the responsibility that comes with the profession.
"As an intern, everything gets checked. Then suddenly your intern year is complete and when someone asks to speak to the pharmacist – that's you," she says.
From Gilgandra to Townsville and back again
Ruby's path into pharmacy began when she moved to Townsville with her partner, who was posted with the Army.
She considered a range of career options before discovering that pharmacy offered the combination of healthcare, people and community connection she was looking for.
"What attracted me wasn't necessarily the science, I loved talking to people and building relationships. That's still one of the best parts of the job," Ruby says.
"I wasn't someone who loved science at school. What appealed to me was working with people, building relationships and being part of the community. That's a big part of pharmacy."
Studying at JCU gave Ruby the opportunity to develop those skills through placements across North Queensland, including Airlie Beach, Port Douglas and Mount Isa.
Those experiences exposed her to different communities, different healthcare challenges and the opportunities that come with working outside a major city.
They also reinforced something that has since become central to her career: rural and regional communities need healthcare professionals who are willing to understand their communities and become part of them.
While Townsville and her JCU experience opened the door to new opportunities, she wanted to bring the skills and knowledge she had gained back to the Gilgandra community that had supported her throughout her life.
Now, she finds herself assisting former teachers, family friends and people she has known for years at work.
"One of the nicest things about coming home is feeling like you're giving back," she says.
That sense of connection is at the heart of Ruby's approach to pharmacy and reflects the values JCU's College of Medicine and Dentistry seeks to instil in its students: embracing opportunity, gaining real-world experience and using those skills to make a meaningful difference in rural and regional communities.
She hopes other students will discover the rewards of rural life.
"Give rural practice a go, it doesn't have to be forever but many people who try it end up staying. Rural communities give back what you put into them, and it's incredibly rewarding to know you're making a real difference," she says.
Armed with a JCU pharmacy degree, a new qualification and a national award recognising the impact of her internship, she is back where it all began, helping shape the health of the community she calls home.