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Arijana Meštrović
Episode · #678

RITAM POSLA Arijana Meštrović

Guest Arijana MeštrovićHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Arijana Meštrović spent fifteen years behind a pharmacy counter, dispensing medicine and advice. She watched patients come in with everyday ailments and profound grief, often in the same hour. What she saw wasn't just a transaction, but a crucial, often underappreciated, point of contact in the healthcare system. Pharmacists, she realised, are the health professionals who should know the most about medicines and treatment, yet their training often leaves them ill-equipped for the human element of their work. Now, with her agency Pharma Expert, Meštrović is building a new professional identity for pharmacists across Southeast Europe and beyond. She helps them develop the social intelligence and decision-making skills rarely taught in academic curricula, moving them from passive dispensers to assertive, confident healthcare advisors. You'll hear how Meštrović's work, stretching from Zagreb to Kuwait, is preparing pharmacists for a future where their expertise truly meets the patient's needs.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Arijana Meštrović's PhD focused not on a chemical compound, but on 'the pharmacist as a sociological profile.' The most impactful opportunities in any profession often lie not in the subject matter itself, but in understanding and improving the human dynamics of its practice.
02
Working across from a hospital, Arijana Meštrović saw patients seeking nail polish in one moment, then grieving the loss of twins in the next. Frontline care demands not just medical knowledge, but the ability to rapidly toggle emotional registers and offer appropriate support across the full spectrum of human experience.
03
Despite their deep medical knowledge, pharmacists often lack the self-awareness and strength to make independent decisions, becoming, as Meštrović puts it, 'subservient to doctors, advertising, or patient demands.' The highest value comes from empowering highly educated professionals to apply their expertise autonomously.
04
During the pandemic, doctors' offices were often inaccessible while pharmacies remained open, forcing pharmacists to make critical decisions without physician oversight. A crisis often clarifies the true scope of a role, exposing capabilities that were always present but rarely formally acknowledged.
05
When someone wakes up with a swollen tooth or a sore throat, they rarely call a doctor; they head straight to the pharmacy. The most valuable healthcare interactions often begin not in formal appointments, but at the most accessible point of expertise for immediate, common problems.
06
Current pharmacy education is largely theoretical, focusing on chemistry and pharmacology, while neglecting social and emotional intelligence. The most critical skills for real-world practice—like communicating difficult news or comforting a patient—are often precisely what academic curricula omit.
07
Arijana Meštrović educates herself in the US twice a year: once for new pharmacy practices and once for new teaching methods. For any educator, staying current means constantly updating both *what* you teach and *how* you teach it.
08
The 'Smart Pharmacist' project, co-developed with an American colleague, is now implemented in 17 countries, from India to Oman, often in partnership with local health ministries. Scaling a global standard means adapting it to local contexts, which requires navigating not just cultural differences, but also political currents and institutional partners.
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