The Pharmacy Profession Of Pharmacy Essay

Everyone desires to feel loved, valued, and appreciated. A career in pharmacy opens a door into the lives of other to make a difference. My intentions, now and as a pharmacist, ensures the value of each person by offering quality patient, guiding them with healthy lifestyle choices, and respecting each individual. Being a pharmacists offers a chance to care for those in need. Opportunities to brighten some one’s day with a listening ear or a smile comes occurs on a daily basis. One of my favorite quotes whose author is unknown, states that a smile can change to world. ‘’Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.’’-Unknown

The close relationship with patients and respect received in a community are what attract me to a career in a rural community. I have not decided what specialization I want to pursue within pharmacy; however, I’m hoping that the REHPS program can guide me towards the best branch of pharmacy for me, whether it is community or hospital based. Working in a small town pharmacy has had a positive influence on my career path and remains a possibility for my future career. I am anxious to experience a rural hospital setting and see if that could also be a good fit. Working through the REHPS program will not only show me what possible pharmacy careers options I have after graduation, but also give me the experience I need to form a successful career. I hope to make lifelong connections that can mold me into the most well rounded pharmacist I can

In accordance with John Swales, “…survival of the community depends on a reasonable ratio between novices and experts” (27). The pharmacy proves to be a stressful work environment and there is a high turn-over rate, thus I have observed there are always new employees within the community. Although turn-over is a normal occurrence, there is a steady presence of “lifers”. A “lifer” is an employee who has been with the pharmacy for a very long time. For example, Barbie is a “lifer” and has been employed with the pharmacy for twenty-five years.

The contribution of pharmacists in a clinical setting and community pharmacy is significant that the workforce benefit from. When the workforce understands their medications and complies with the prescribed treatment plans the work center becomes healthy and the potential of increased productivity becomes a realistic and profitable proposition for the organization. When the workforce takes advantage of the healthcare services the pharmacists provide in a community and clinical pharmacies productivity and profit are at high potential reality.

I have spent my time as a student pharmacist learning about opportunities within clinical pharmacy and making certain that I was equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. In my pursuit, I became an active member of pharmaceutical organizations, held multiple leadership positions, attended clinical conferences, established research projects, participated in community service events, and other initiatives. I excelled academically, which was manifested in not just a high academic standard but also in tutoring fellow classmates and arranging sessions with other pharmacy students to help them improve time management and study skills. I shadowed pharmacists and residents before my advanced pharmacy practice experiences commenced to discover which areas of clinical pharmacy I found intriguing. I have obtained valuable pharmacy practice experiences in five specialties thus far including inpatient internal medicine, long term acute care, geriatrics and telehealth, and primary care. Through these rotations, I built upon the knowledge I acquired from my didactic courses but also developed patient-centered approaches and strengthened my clinical skills. I enjoyed many aspects of my rotations, including contributing pharmacotherapy recommendations, providing patient education, attending rounds and interdisciplinary team meetings – all of which have solidified my desire

As the first generation in my family to go to college I learned the importance of education. I graduated from Benedictine University with a Bachelors in Science and an Environment Certificate. I became intregted by pharmacy when I started to spent countless hours at a hospital watching my grandfather go in and out of surgeries and treatments for cancer. Seeing the different medication being handed to him inspired me to understand biological and chemical processes that happened. A Pharmacists, role is to aim to help patients treat illness by introducing new developed treatment of medicines with a range of patients. I began to take special interest in memorizing all my grandfather’s medications and how practical and clinical aspect pharmacy worked.

This summer I was able to do my IPPE hours at Kroger Pharmacy in Findlay, OH with Dr. Alison Mosler. This was my first experience working in a pharmacy, so I was very excited to learn everything I could about community pharmacy. From shadowing a pharmacist in my first semester, I gained a basic understanding of the process of filling a prescription. Through this experience, I was able to shadow at each work station and work hands-on at production and some at drop-off. Furthermore, I participated in activities like taking a phone-in prescription, testing my blood glucose levels, and transferring a prescription.

A pharmacy is considered a chain community pharmacy when there are multiple stores of the same brand (Chain Community Pharmacy, 2013). In this particular field of Pharmacy, the Pharmacist can manage the pharmacy or work as a staff member. The pharmacy manager will be in charge of the staff and other different services that will allow the pharmacy to operate smoothly. In comparison to Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, Community Pharmacists experience many of the same encounters with direct patient care being the main one. Pharmacists that work in a chain community pharmacy are also interacting and building long-term relationships with their patients. However, this medicine field can be demanding, leading to stressful situations at times (Chain Community Pharmacy, 2013). If one can't handle demanding atmospheres, then this particular career pathway might not be for

Pew, Stephen, Ph.D (2008). Introduction to Health Services. 7th Ed. [Video] Thomson Delmar Learning. Retrieved from:

Even students with perfect grades in high school, during undergrad, or even during pharmacy school struggle at times when going out into the world to find their ideal job as a Pharmacist. When most people think of a Pharmacist, they immediately think of a retail setting, such as CVS/Pharmacy, Giant, etc. In today's age, after going through their residency or working as a Pharmacy technician in a retail setting, most graduates do not want to be stuck in a retail pharmacy all their lives. According to a few articles online, students nationwide are struggling with these issues and more on a daily basis. We will be covering what the average pharmacy students struggle with before, during, and after pharmacy school.

Ten years ago I set out on a journey to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an influential pharmacist and healthcare professional within my community, however, I was unaware of all of the challenges I would be faced in pursuit of my dreams. I began seeking work while I was enrolled in my first semester of college. During my job search, I discovered a job posting for an entry level pharmacy technician at a community retail pharmacy. After reading the job description, I knew that I was on the right track to finding a career that incorporated my love for both chemistry and biology. I began work as a pharmacy technician where I learned the ins and outs of the industry and decided to enroll in the certified pharmacy technician course that was available at my college in hopes of continuing my goal of one day becoming a pharmacist.

As I reflect on my experience of a pharmacy practice, I realize how much of my personality has changed in only few months. The experiences I gained during my first rotation at Walgreens were particularly rewarding, especially those gained while working as a team to achieve a common goal of a patient’s well-being. I did not have any previous experience in the pharmacy setting, therefore I was determined to take advantage of this opportunity to grow and develop skills that are vital to be a good pharmacist. During the rotation, I performed many activities that were assigned by the preceptor, learned new skills and competencies, identified my strengths and weaknesses, and made plans for continued development throughout the journey of pharmacy practice.

“Helping people on their path to better health” is a quote used by CVSHealth, I first heard it during the orientation for my pharmacy technician job. I love this quote because it really defines my purpose for wanting to be a pharmacist in the simplest way. My journey to becoming a pharmacists consist of why I selected pharmacy as a career, future goals, and my backgrounds that will help me achieve the goals that I set for myself.

Today in the 21st century the roles of pharmacist have expanded tremendously. Before pharmacist had the role of solely dispensing drugs. Pharmacists were limited to only being regulatory or clinical pharmacist. Back then they were called medical purveyors who were much like today’s regulatory pharmacist and hospital pharmacist who are similar to hospital pharmacist. Now pharmacists carry many roles in healthcare. Pharmacist can play roles in public health, community, health systems, state, and federal government.

The flow of the medical community is dependent on every person employed there. The harmony it creates does not only come from the doctors or nurses, but the janitors, surgeons, receptionists, and even the pharmacists. Each job is necessary in order for the hospitals to function properly; for instance, the doctors diagnose the patient with their illness, prescribe them medication to cure it, and send them to the pharmacist, who then gives them their medication and sends them home. However, some jobs are overlooked more than others and do not receive the proper credit, like the pharmacist. Pharmacists are recognized for dispensing and sorting drugs, but their jobs help educate patients over their prescription and uphold the