Connor Bowers, PharmD Candidate 2020, Ohio Northern University
Being a pharmacist is not something most children or young adults grow up wanting to be. Teacher, scientist, detective, and doctor could all fit that bill, though. Even at 23, how am I supposed to choose just one profession? What if I want to try them all?
I would venture to say that most of us enjoy pharmacy because it allows us to help patients by teaching them about their disease states and medications. When something is wrong, you investigate it by calling their prescriber to resolve the issue. Robust medication safety includes ensuring patients receive the prescribed medication, evaluating a patient's response to a specific medicine, and monitoring the patient for adverse events. Doctor appointments once or twice a year cannot provide the level of care that we are able to offer. It is imperative to track the use of a prescribed medicine, recognize any adverse effects that may be occurring, and accurately record the medication in a patient's medical record. Community pharmacists are in the perfect position to lead the change with our accessibility, expertise, and frequent encounters.
Enter Flip the Pharmacy. This is an opportunity not only for reimbursement of our services but to better care for your friends, family, and neighbors. We are capable and knowledgeable healthcare professionals, but it takes time to change public perspective. I wholeheartedly believe that these attainable and relevant changes are the future of community pharmacy.
Where do you predict the profession of pharmacy will be in 10-15 years? Will community pharmacists solely be checking and dispensing prescriptions? Or will pharmacy technicians be doing all of the filling and dispensing? Will your job still be secure? Will you have turned your job into a career?
Let’s make pharmacy better for everyone involved. Besides, I can’t name many other professions that allow me to be a teacher, scientist, detective, and doctor, all in one.