Having practiced now for 18years both in the U.K and in the USA, I have often found myself wondering what we really do to earn our salaries. In a time when the practice of pharmacy has become more and more automated and patient contact continues to diminish, it is easy to stand back from the counter and wonder what kind of a difference we are really making. The role of the pharmacist continues to evolve, albeit not at the rate we envisioned in our halcion days in pharmacy school. We have seen Nurse practitioners’ numbers triple, Physician Assistant schools multiply and various other allied health fields spring up and yet, it may feel as if we still spend most of our days folding paper, counting pills and scanning our lives away, especially in retail.
There are definitely many issues that I have with what the role of the pharmacist has become both in our own eyes and also in the eyes of our physician colleagues, nurses and the general public. It seems that there is a disconnect between their views of our roles in the healthcare field and what we are actually able to do with the current system. That is a lengthy discussion best saved for a future date.
However, I want you to think about this. All highly paid professionals that I can think of are reimbursed based on the 99% rule. Lets look at some examples to illustrate what I mean. A commercial pilot flies thousands of hours using a completely automated system. He does the same thing over and over again and works within industry established guidelines, rarely ever having to think independently about what a course of action should be. Then a man single handedly, losing both engines on initial ascent, turns the correct way and lands a plane in the Hudson river, saving hundreds of lives. A lawyer spends countless hours preparing routine paperwork over and over again and then, once in a while, a case comes along that makes a huge difference to someone who is a victim or even a huge group of victims. A family doctor sees hundreds of routine cases that could easily be treated using minimal training and knowledge and then, once in a while, he catches something that saves a life. How often does this happen. Maybe 1% of the time. Does it make the rest of the 99% of routine plodding worthwhile?
We are a golden example of this. We have all had that moment when we find something that is not correct. We have all caught mistakes, overdoses, interactions. We have all made a difference. No one else in the pharmacy could have done it. It required a specific training. The buzz that we felt made us feel whole again. It doesn’t happen every day, but it does happen.
We need to work together to create a practice that concentrates our talents and training. We need to be on the ball, stay away from complacency and build our skills to maximize these moments.
By: Darius Randeria, R.Ph ; M.R.P.S ; BPharm (London)
AHS PharmStat, Vice President, Staffing
dranderia@ahspharmstat.com
Isn’t it nice when you are regognised for the work you have done. The Nursing Schools blog in the USA wtote these nice works about PL-UK in their recent post:
“The 100 Best Blogs For Pharmacy Students”
“This is a great resource for English students interested in becoming pharmacists. Posts about getting a pharmacy job in the UK.”
Of course, being American they use the term English instead of British, but it still gives me a nice warm fealing to know that even in the USA, people ar reading the ramblings of a British pharmacist!
Report in the Baltimore Sun urging President Obama to involve pharmacists in healthcare reform agenda
“To help guarantee health care reform that reduces costs and builds “health care teams that work” (to use President Barack Obama’s words), pharmacists must play a key role in the planning process being undertaken by the federal government.”
Full story
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.pharmacists29jun29,0,3604902.story
Ever get the feeling you might be working in the wrong place? Well if you are a female pharmacist, you might be. A recent survey looking at the return of women to the workforce found that the best paid job for women in the USA is Pharmacist, with women pharmacists earning $86,000 per annum on average!
For more information click on the link below
After the initial media frenzy, all seems to have gone quiet on the Swine flu front. However when you look at the data, it looks like the incidence of confirmed cases is accelerating. The BBC reported today that globally 10,000 cases have now been reported with some really acute increases – 79 confirmed in Japan over the weekend.
Locum Pharmacists need to be aware of the symptoms of swine flu, especially in holiday makers returning from Mexico and the southern states of USA.
Link to NHS guidance on swine flu symptoms below
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pandemic-flu/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
Agency Workers Regulations – how does it effect me?
The simple answer is it doesn’t. …. in most cases. For more expert guidance than I can supply as a pharmacist rather than a legal bod please click on the link below. http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/documents/01109%20PCG%20A4%2020PP%20BROCHURE%20SINGLE%20PAGES.pdf
One in a lifetime opportunity – pharmacist required in Tonga
We have been approached by a not for profit pharmacy in the Kingdom of Tonga asking us to recruit a pharmacist to work at one of the health centres in the Kingdom. This opportunity will definately not come up again for if you fancy a complete change of scene and an opportunity to live on [...]
Just a quick post to remind all pharmacist that they need to renew their GPhC registration by the 31st October. So you still have a month to pay but if you are anything like me, if you don’t do it now, there’s a chance you’ll forget!
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