By Gauri Godbole, BPharm, MClinPharm, GradCertPallCare, BCGP, CDP, FPS CredPharm (MMR), FANZCAP (GeriMed, PallCare), FAdPha
BPS Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Council Member
My professional journey into pharmacy began in India, where I was given the strongest possible start. Alongside a rigorous education in pharmacy, I was shaped by opportunities that fostered resilience, creativity, and lifelong connections. These qualities became my compass when I later moved to Australia.
The transition from India to Australia was both challenging and transformative. Early in my career witnessed firsthand the struggles older people face—frailty, isolation, and the burden of complex medication regimens. That experience awakened an inherent inclination to help, and it shaped my decision to pursue geriatrics. As our global population ages, new challenges emerge—polypharmacy, multimorbidity, and the growing need for -person-centered care.
Specializing in geriatric pharmacy allowed me to combine compassion with clinical expertise, ensuring that older adults receive safe, dignified, and effective treatment. My practice in Australia offered me opportunities to expand this focus through advanced practice, research, and leadership in aged and palliative care. My Indian roots gave me depth; my Australian experiences gave me breadth. Together, they shaped me into a pharmacist who bridges cultures, honors tradition, and embraces change.
My decision to pursue the Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP) credential was shaped by mentors who showed it was more than a credential; it was a commitment to excellence and integrity. Following their path felt like joining a tradition of pharmacists dedicated to elevating practice and safeguarding patient wellbeing. For me, certification honored their guidance while carving my own path toward advanced practice. This journey also led me to serve on the BPS Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Council, sharing knowledge and bringing a global perspective to shape examinations with rigor, fairness, and worldwide relevance.
When I recorded my BPS Ambassador video in 2023, I spoke about physical, mental, and professional fitness. Board certification was central to that vision of professional fitness. It represented not just a credential but a commitment to excellence, resilience, and readiness to meet the evolving needs of patients. In the years since, I have discovered new avenues for using my BPS Board Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy. Certification has become a living credential, opening doors to leadership, research collaborations, and mentorship. It has allowed me to integrate evidence-based pharmacotherapy with the nuanced realities of older adults’ lives, ensuring that my practice remains at the top of my license.
Practicing at the top of my license means leading deprescribing initiatives, contributing to multidisciplinary care planning, and advocating for medication safety with authority grounded in recognized expertise. Board certification equips me to navigate the complexity of polypharmacy, frailty, and shifting goals of care in older adults. It enables me to balance therapeutic benefit against risk, tailoring interventions to individual values and circumstances. For me, certification is not just a professional milestone—it is a covenant with my patients: a promise to safeguard their health, dignity, and quality of life.
Discussing the benefits of board certification with colleagues is an ongoing part of my journey. With pharmacists, I emphasize how certification validates advanced knowledge and opens pathways to specialized practice. With students, I frame it as an aspirational goal, a way to invest in their future fitness and credibility in a competitive healthcare landscape. With other healthcare professionals, I highlight how certification fosters trust and collaboration. When physicians, nurses, or allied health colleagues know that a pharmacist is board certified, they recognize the depth of expertise and are more willing to engage in shared decision making.
Ultimately, my journey from India to Australia and my pursuit of board certification are deeply intertwined. Both reflect a commitment to growth, resilience, and service. Certification sustains my professional fitness, keeps me accountable, and elevates the profession of pharmacy. Most importantly, it ensures that the patients I serve—often at their most vulnerable—receive care that is safe, compassionate, and grounded in expertise.