Gianna O’Neill’s interest in becoming a community-based pharmacist emerged early in life, and it came as a bit of a shock.
Er, so to speak.
A Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC) at Avita Pharmacy’s Philadelphia location, Gianna vividly remembers what led to her career progression: “I was a sophomore in high school, and I was excited to go to my sophomore dance,” she says. “But I went to a strict Catholic school, and if you didn’t show up to school on the day of the dance, you couldn’t go. So, even though I was very ill that day, I went to school. And as the day wore on, I developed a delayed anaphylactic reaction to the penicillin I was taking for my illness.”
By the end of the day, Gianna recalls, “I was just one big hive. I could barely see, my lips were swollen, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. It was scary. My mom took me to the doctor’s office, where they gave me a prescription for topical steroids and a steroid injection. Then, we headed over to the local pharmacy and asked the pharmacist a lot of questions. The pharmacist was so helpful and knowledgeable. Seeing someone educated about medications and their impact, and someone who took the time to talk to me about what was going on, really stuck with me.”
How does the story end? In the short term, Gianna took the pharmacist’s advice and her medicine and made it to the dance that night. Later in the semester, when she was assigned an English essay about where she saw herself in five years, Gianna recalled that experience. She began shadowing one of her community pharmacists and volunteered at her local hospital. By the time senior year rolled around, she was exploring college programs that offered a pre-pharmacy track. “That’s what got me here, and I don’t regret it at all,” Gianna says. “I love being a pharmacist, especially working for Avita.”
Of course, the rest of Gianna’s story is still being written. Read on to learn about her professional growth, including her commitment to underserved communities, business strategy, teamwork, and mentorship.
The pharmacist was so helpful and knowledgeable. Seeing someone educated about medications and their impact, and someone who took the time to talk to me about what was going on, really stuck with me.
Compassion in action: “It’s the smallest things you do that matter.”
Gianna went on to receive her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. During her final year of pharmacy school, she decided to pursue a career as a specialty pharmacist. Her first choice was to focus on HIV.
“I’ve always had an interest in HIV,” she says. “Sadly, my husband’s uncle passed away from AIDS in 1995 because he didn’t have access to the improved treatment options people do today. When I studied HIV in pharmacy school, I was very passionate about that disease state and the barriers people living with HIV face versus those who are not in that community.”
When the HIV rotation at her school filled up, Gianna pivoted to specializing in oncology. But she never gave up on returning to a clinical focus on HIV. Joining the team at Avita Pharmacy—the largest independent nationwide provider of pharmacy solutions for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees, AIDS Services Organizations, and Community Health Centers—in 2024 brought her vision full circle. Now she’s studying to get her HIV Pharmacist (AAHIVP) certification from the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM).
Along the way, Gianna has fine-tuned her care philosophy, which is to treat everyone with respect. “Whether that’s a coworker, a patient, or a provider, you don’t know what people might be going through,” she says. “But if you treat them with respect, you can give them the best care possible. Throughout my career as a pharmacist, I’ve learned that it’s crucial to treat patients with empathy and individualized care, because their health concerns need to be heard and seen. And it’s not the big moves that change everything. The smallest things you do for your patients every day are what truly matter.”
Whether it's a coworker, a patient, or a provider, you don't know what people might be going through. But if you treat them with respect, you can give them the best care possible.
Learning that business savvy and clinical excellence go hand in hand
While being a good pharmacist is all about compassion and clinical excellence, Gianna had a sense that business savvy also played a major role. “When you’re in pharmacy school, you’re trained to become a skilled clinician,” she says. “But they don’t teach you how to run a business.” So, after graduating with a doctorate in pharmacy, she went on to pursue her MBA.
“I recognized that to be a successful clinician, whether you own your pharmacy or manage one, you need to understand the business aspects of it,” she says. “When you’re running a business, you want to outperform your key performance indicators (KPIs) consistently. That has a lot to do with being a skilled pharmacist, and it also makes you a better leader because you can train your team to think with that business mentality as well.”
Gianna’s focus on business and clinical excellence has paid off for her patients, covered entity partners, and team members. Since joining Avita’s Philadelphia location in August 2024, Gianna has made it her goal to focus on workflow, business strategy, and getting to know her team. “I knew that if I could focus on those three things, I could build the business and help the Philadelphia community,” she says.
Now, as the PIC, Gianna is determined to increase the number of covered entity partners and patients served by the pharmacy. This growth, along with the team training that accompanies it, won’t happen overnight, she says. “You don’t want to overwhelm your team; you want to avoid burnout and retain them,” she explains. “As a manager, if I maintain a positive work environment every day, everything else falls into place. Pharmacists are people, and we’re trying to take care of people, but we also need to take care of our teams.”
Gianna often attends community events, like Pride festivals, where she has the opportunity to speak with current and prospective patients face-to-face and share what Avita offers: pharmacy services without stigma. “That’s so satisfying,” she says. “I’m finally able to live out what I always wanted to do with my career, and it’s all about a state of mind—I have to consistently show up for my team, my patients, and myself.”
I recognized that to be a successful clinician, whether you own your pharmacy or manage one, you need to understand the business aspects of it.
The secret to success? “Bet on yourself.”
While Gianna cites her husband, who is also a pharmacist, as her greatest inspiration, she notes that most of her professional mentors have been female pharmacists.
“One, with whom I’m still good friends to this day, is extremely kind,” Gianna says. “She has gone through a lot in her personal life, and yet she was always so kind to her coworkers and patients. That resonated with me. When I began mentoring new pharmacy team members, I’d always think about her if I became frustrated. I’d remember how she treated me and try to pass it on.”
For those just starting their careers, Gianna has a solid piece of advice she’s learned during her professional journey. “When it comes to your goals and dreams for the future, you must bet on yourself, she says. “You have to put in the work to see the change. Put yourself in that mindset of ‘I’m going to show up for myself every day.’
“Because every decision you make, you’re one step away from a completely different life.”
I'm finally able to live out what I always wanted to do with my career, and it’s all about a state of mind—I have to consistently show up for my team, my patients, and myself.
