PharmDr. Pavel Petrovič Jr.: Putting Patients at the Heart of Pharmacy

On 5 November 2025, PharmDr. Pavel Petrovič of LIBRA LAB Pharmacy in Bratislava received the expert jury award in Slovakia’s Pharmacist of the Year 2025 competition. The recognition followed a selection process that began with 48 nominations from across the country. An eight-member expert jury assessed candidates’ professional knowledge and skills, their contributions to pharmaceutical practice, and their involvement in education and research. Petrovič’s award acknowledged a career shaped by specialised pharmaceutical work, professional engagement, and a sustained commitment to patients.

For Petrovič and his colleagues, however, the achievement represents more than an individual distinction. LIBRA LAB described the award as a source of pride and a renewed sense of responsibility for the entire pharmacy team. That perspective reflects the collaborative nature of community healthcare, where professional knowledge must be supported by reliable colleagues, effective communication, and an understanding of each patient’s circumstances. The award also brings attention to an aspect of pharmacy that can easily be overlooked: the work involved in preparing medicines, answering questions, and finding practical solutions when standard options do not fully meet a patient’s needs.

Individually prepared medicines, known in Slovakia as individuálna príprava liekov (IPL), are central to Petrovič’s professional specialisation. Unlike products manufactured in standard batches, compounded medicines are prepared according to an individual prescription and specific requirements. Depending on the prescription, formulation, and availability of suitable ingredients, this may involve creams, ointments, capsules, suppositories, solutions, tinctures, or oils. At LIBRA LAB, this work preserves a specialised area of pharmacy practice that requires technical knowledge, precision, and close attention to the intended use of each preparation.

Compounding is not simply a matter of mixing ingredients. Pharmacists must consider the prescribed formulation, the suitability of ingredients, preparation procedures, and appropriate quality standards. When a patient’s needs cannot be fully addressed by an available standard product, an individually prepared medicine may provide an appropriate alternative under professional guidance. Such preparations are not automatically better than commercially manufactured medicines; their value depends on the clinical need, prescription, and correct preparation.

For Petrovič, maintaining this expertise also means keeping the practice visible and relevant. LIBRA LAB describes its laboratory as a place where traditional pharmaceutical skills meet ongoing professional development and collaboration with prescribers. This combination of practical knowledge and problem-solving helps explain why individual preparation remains an important part of the pharmacy’s identity.

One of LIBRA LAB’s distinctive features is its glass-walled compounding laboratory, which allows patients to observe the preparation of individually compounded medicines. The design reflects a deliberate effort to make a specialised part of pharmacy practice more visible. Rather than presenting medicine preparation as an unseen technical process, the pharmacy gives patients an opportunity to understand the work and professional knowledge involved.

Transparency, however, is about more than the physical layout. It also depends on clear explanations, respectful communication, and the willingness to give patients time to ask questions. By making its laboratory visible and placing consultation at the centre of its approach, LIBRA LAB connects the technical side of pharmacy with the human experience of receiving care. The aim is not to turn preparation into a spectacle, but to help patients better understand the service being provided and the expertise behind it.

For Petrovič, a pharmacy’s responsibility does not end when a medicine is handed across the counter. LIBRA LAB describes its approach through three practical principles: prepare, advise, and source. Together, they reflect a model of community pharmacy that combines specialised preparation with professional consultation and efforts to help patients access the medicines they need.

The principle of advice places communication at the heart of the pharmacist–patient relationship. A consultation can give patients space to ask how a medicine should be used, raise concerns, and clarify information about their treatment. LIBRA LAB also describes providing a private consultation environment, where conversations can take place with greater discretion. When a question involves diagnosis, treatment changes, or a concern beyond the pharmacist’s role, collaboration with the prescribing doctor or another appropriate healthcare professional remains essential.

The third principle, sourcing, addresses a different but equally practical challenge: medicine availability. When a product is difficult to obtain, finding an appropriate solution can require persistence, professional judgement, and communication with suppliers or prescribers. LIBRA LAB presents this work as part of its commitment to helping patients navigate access difficulties. It should not be confused with a guarantee that every medicine can always be sourced, but it demonstrates how problem-solving forms part of the pharmacy’s everyday responsibilities.

These three principles show how Petrovič’s professional approach connects technical expertise with service. Preparing a medicine, explaining its use, and helping identify an available option are different tasks, yet all depend on understanding the patient’s needs and working within appropriate professional standards.

The Pharmacist of the Year 2025 expert jury award recognises Petrovič’s professional contribution while drawing attention to the wider team behind LIBRA LAB’s work. Pharmacy practice depends on more than an individual’s knowledge: it requires colleagues who maintain standards, communicate clearly, and coordinate their work to support patients. The pharmacy’s response to the award reflects this shared responsibility, acknowledging both professional recognition and the trust patients place in its services.

Petrovič’s contribution also extends to professional education. LIBRA LAB describes his involvement in teaching at the Department of Galenic Pharmacy at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, where he shares knowledge related to individual medicine preparation. Passing on this expertise helps keep specialised skills accessible to future pharmacists and encourages them to consider the practical and human dimensions of the profession.

In this context, the award is not simply a milestone to celebrate. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of maintaining professional standards, supporting colleagues, and treating every patient as an individual rather than a routine transaction. By combining specialised preparation, consultation, and practical problem-solving, Petrovič and the LIBRA LAB team offer an example of how community pharmacy can preserve its technical foundations while remaining attentive to the people it serves.

For Petrovič, the lasting value of professional recognition lies in what it encourages people to continue doing. His work at LIBRA LAB highlights the importance of combining pharmaceutical knowledge with attentive communication, practical problem-solving, and a willingness to share expertise. As healthcare continues to evolve, his story offers a reminder that meaningful progress can also come from strengthening the everyday relationships between professionals and the people who rely on them. Through BritishPEDIA, stories like his help preserve the contributions of individuals whose commitment to their profession can inspire others to pursue excellence with purpose.