Student-nominated award recognizes Bashar-Ntim, pharmacist at the Community Pharmacy Co-op, for precepting excellence

By Katie Ginder-Vogel

When Nishat Bashar-Ntim began working as a staff pharmacist at Community Pharmacy Co-operative in Madison, Wisconsin, she loved the slower pace and opportunities to get to know patients. The pharmacy — co-founded by University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy alumni on the UW campus in 1972 — has been part of the community for over 50 years and has a reputation for excellent patient service.

“When I first came to work in the U.S. from the U.K., I started out as a pharmacist at WalMart, which was very busy,” Bashar-Ntim says. “I’ve been here, at Community Pharmacy Co-operative, since 2016. Our patients come in and say hi, and we know who they are. It’s what I always imagined when I thought of community pharmacy. Patients will even call us if they’ve picked something up from another pharmacy and have questions, and we’re very grateful that they believe in us so much and trust us.”

The pharmacy’s focus on patient relationships also gives student pharmacists the ability to hone their skills, particularly with patient education and communication. Since 2018, Bashar-Ntim has precepted School of Pharmacy PharmD students during their clinical rotations during their first three years of pharmacy school, known as Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) rotations.

“Our customers are so used to having students in the pharmacy, and they’re happy to take the time to listen to students talk with them about their medications,” says Bashar-Ntim. “The pace here makes teaching and precepting easy.”

“She truly has a passion for educating students, and this is seen through the time she took throughout the day with us to explain questions, involve us in her workflow, and provide feedback and support to help students grow.”
—PharmD student

The School’s PharmD students are honoring her with the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s 2024 IPPE Clinical Instructor of the Year award.

“The fact that it’s the students that nominated this award is so heartwarming,” she says. “We have lucked out with the students we’ve had. They have been very oriented to learning, and they know our pharmacy and what it’s about.”

Bashar-Ntim has a flexible work schedule, working a full day at the pharmacy on Thursdays, when all the IPPE students are there. 

“Dr. Bashar-Ntim truly embodies the qualities of an exemplary preceptor. She displays empathy through her genuine care for patients and works with patients together as a team to address their concerns and problems they may be facing,” says one student nominator. “She truly has a passion for educating students, and this is seen through the time she took throughout the day with us to explain questions, involve us in her workflow, and provide feedback and support to help students grow.”

Bashar-Ntim has a routine with the students she precepts — each week, she and each student decide on a topic to research for the next week, and then she and the students follow up on what they learned, sharing their perspectives, opinions, and ideas.

“We decide together on something that interests them or that happened that week that they want to research further, and I look it up, as well,” she says. “They put their spin on it, and we have a little discussion, which benefits me as much as them. In a small group, when everyone shares their points of view and ideas, we learn a lot.”

For Bashar-Ntim, precepting gives her more opportunities to practice a key skill for pharmacists: clearly explaining challenging concepts.

“I always say, if you can explain something to someone, and they get it, then you know what you’re talking about,” she says. “It goes both ways with students — if I can explain something, and they get it, I’m happy, and I’m glad when they can do the same thing.”

Bashar-Ntim values the opportunity to learn alongside her students.

“I’m learning along with them,” she says. “We each bring our knowledge and perspectives to our work. That’s my way of learning, and I love it.”