Pharmacy Times on a Saturday Morning:

Bea Riemschneider, Editorial Director
The Next-Generation Pharmacist Profile: Vision for the Future (Source)

As Riemschneider communicates her ideas in this editorial, I see many points for reflection coming from a future pharmacist.

Delving into the thought processes of members of a select profession, especially in the health care arena, is a tough proposition.

- Questions asked at interviews: Although they correlate to one another, each school and therefore each program fill theirs positions according to their mission and values system.


the key ingredient for making it all work for them revolves around the joy of helping people and “making a difference.”

- Why Pharmacy? I think this statement answers that. However, the key here is that it was made more personal in my case through my dad's experience and my own experience with sports nutrition. What a difference can knowing what you are taking makes with patient compliance? What a difference can knowing how to cycle through sport supplements can make in your fitness regiment and more easily, liver's health?

Along with the deeper passion and benefits of the profession, this article in Pharmacy Times analyzes respondent's comments on disadvantages.

First and foremost, responding pharmacists were concerned about their work hours. A total of 25% said that this was the biggest disadvantage of being a pharmacist. Followed closely at 20% was “insurance/administrative burden,” which voiced the concern of many in the profession that too much time is spent on administrative work. Pharmacists from the institutional and chain pharmacies responded with a total of 5% saying they were “understaffed,” and 4% responded that “standing” was the biggest disadvantage for pharmacists as a profession. Another 4% added “stress” as a major disadvantage, with some responses referring to the large responsibilities of pharmacists in general by saying “stress of having to get it right 100% of the time.”


- I think outside looking in, Pharmacists appear to have the flexibility. From Industry to Academia I believe that there are specific hours per week. However, with Industry and Academia, there can be additional responsibilities with committees and membership roles. For those in retail, I believe these hours can effect the quality of the work environment. Those who list hours as a disadvantage may not see the need to stay longer or may have other obligations outside of the profession that they need attend to.

The understaffed comment is a relevant detail. However, with this comes the idea, that those who work hand-in-hand with drug experts, must come with the appropriate background, training and expertise to take on the supportive role of the pharmacy profession.

Lastly, the 100% of the time disadvantage. With their own ethical and moral responsibility, all actions align with these personal values. Yes, pharmacists are human. Although the public may have the expectation of being right 10 out of 10 times, we have to understand that there may be flaws or inconsistencies that make 9 out of 10 a possibility. With that we have to understand that with their ethical responsibility, pharmacists will make every attempt to get it right the first time, considering patients health and lives are on the line. Any such instance where there is a mistake, one must consciously respond and bear the consequences of such actions.