Thanksgiving 2020. A time to remember all we have to be thankful for even in a year as weird as 2020. Professionally one thing I am thankful for is the opportunities being involved with CPESN have given me. You see in 2018 I sold my pharmacy and quit seeing patients (and dealing with management issues) on a daily basis. First I am thankful that my former partner allowed me to continue to represent his pharmacy on the CPESN MN board where I get to work with dedicated pharmacists who give of their time to improve our profession. Through my involvement with CPESN MN I have also made new friends from working with the talented staffs of CPESN USA and MN. These people share a vision of what community pharmacy can be that matches the vision of the community pharmacy I ran for over 28 years.
So CPESN has allowed me to continue to be a pharmacist and help chart the future of our profession. The biggest and most joyful part of that opportunity has come from coaching other pharmacists in the Flip The Pharmacy program. Most of the pharmacists I am working with are young and excited about our profession and are excited to change their practices into ones that better care for patients. They ask questions, challenge my answers and teach me new things every day. They also seem to appreciate sharing the experiences I have had in working in pharmacy for over 53 years (38 as a pharmacist). One of them even told me that they were surprised that some one my age was so progressive! It is fun to see them try new things and be successful and to take my ideas, improve them and adapt them to their own practice settings and styles. I can't think of a better way to spend my first years out of active practice. Thank you to everyone involved with CPESN MN!
Paul Iverson, BPharm
CPESN MN Luminary & FTP Coach
