Community Pharmacy

[Dr. Pharmacy]

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Hello There!

I'd like to welcome you to the community Pharmacy thread. This thread is for anybody who would like to ask any question about community pharmacy. I will do my best to answer all of your questions. Please, feel free to ask me anything about the practice of community pharmacy. I look forward to answering all of your questions!

Below are a few questions I would like to answer for you as they are popular questions asked by students. Now you will have the answers!

1.What do you enjoy most about your specialty?
The practice of pharmacy is rewarding in that there is a lot of interaction with people. You as a pharmacist will communicate with many patients and will have the oppotunity to help these patients live a healthier life. Nothing can replace the feeling that you have helped someone in need.
2. Is there anything you dislike about your specialty?
The practice of pharmacy has come under fire with the situation of our healthcare in the United States. I am in no way putting any blame on any one entity, but the decision of whether a drug is covered under an insurance plan really puts the patient at a disadvantage. For me, I have no problem contacting an insurance company or calling the doctor for a change in therapy, but it is the patients' therapy that is delayed. This aspect of pharmacy I dislike because the patient must "wait" it out. Personally, if it's a medicine the patient has been on before and it's to maintain life, i supply them with a few days worth. Our healthcare system as it pertains to pharmacy is what I dislike most about the profession.
3. How many years of post-graduate training does your specialty require?
Community Pharmacy is nice in that you have 2 options after you graduate. Some Universities will offer a community residency for 1 year. These programs offer pharmacists the opportunity to work with faculty to start diabetes clinics, brown bags, warfarin glinics etc. The other route is you may start to practice in the community.
4. What is a typical schedule like for your specialty? Are the hours/shifts flexible? The typical schedule for a community pharmacist depends on the corporation you work for or if you own your onw independent. One corporation only allows there pharmacists to work 8 hour shift, so you would work five 8 hour shifts. Another corporation allows the phamacists the flexibility to worl whatever schedule they want as long as the store remains open. These hours may be between 7 to 14 hour shifts. Independents are usually open shorter hours but as the owner you may find yourself working everyday with one day off. Your schedule will then depend on who you chose to work for.
5. Where do you see your specialty going in five years?
The practice of community pharmacy will only thrive more in the next 5 years. People are living longer and will need medication to help them live healthier lives. I see more pharmacies opening in the next 5 years but I am hoping that pharmacy schools can keep up with the demand.

A little about myself: I have been in practice for 3 years and enjoy the profession. I work for a large corporation which shall remain nameless!

 

[Dr. Pharmacy]

How many patients does your Pharmacy, currently supply there medications to?

Do you think that there are to many people, that are comming to your one Pharmacy?

The great thing about community pharmacy is that it is open to the Public! Anyone can walk in and get their medicine filled. My particular location gets a lot of traffic, and although I cannot give you an exact number, we supply medicines to a lot of patients. In terms of numbers, community pharmacy doesn't really count patients to measure traffic, rather the number of prescriptions it fills. A slow pharmacy may fill 125-175 prescriptions per day, whereas a busy (high patient count) pharmacy may fill 400-500 prescriptions per day. My location fills between 400-500 prescriptions per day; do i believe this to be a high number? Yes, but with adequate and trained staff, this location is efficient and safe. Thanks for your question!

 

[Dr. Pharmacy]

Hi - What are your thoughts on big retail pharmacies and the pressures they place on their pharmacists to fill prescriptions as fast as possible? For example: drive-thrus and timing how fast prescriptions get filled.

This is a very good question. Please keep in mind that what I type is my opinion only! In todays retail business, numbers are everything. Wait time, ready when promised, are you in stock of a medication, where you professional are all parameters that are measured by certain chains. Why do they do this? They do this to measure customer service. The pressure can be overwhelming at times, but you still need to go at your pace. I recommend that you never rush just for the sake of getting a prescription out fast. Do it right and efficient!.
The drive thru was built for the convienence of patients who otherwise have a hard time walking for one reason or another or for patients with young children etc. It was built and will always be incorporated in the chain pharmacy retail business. Many pharmacists hate the drive thru, but what you have to do is have a staff to take care of it. I rarely go to the drive thru as there is always someone assigned to drive thru. As for counseling at the drive thru, just try to be a quiet as possible. I myself do not like counseling at the drive-thru.

Also - Do you ever feel frustrated that a large proportion of the general public do not use retail pharmacists as a resource for questions on their medications? I'm starting my P1 year in August and am very interested in community pharmacy. However, from my perspective, most people don't want to ask questions or wouldn't ask the pharmacist even if they had one. I think there is a perception that everything people need to know is either printed out for them and included with their prescription or can be found on the internet.

I feel there needs to be a major push to let patients know how much training pharmacists have and what a great resource they can be if utilized.

Will this ever happen???

Excellent question! What you need to realize is that you need to approach the patient sometimes. Even if they don't want counseling just throw a tidbit about the drug. This may spark some interest. Some pharmacies up north will not let a prescription leave the pharmacy until the patient has been counseled. You as the pharmacist must take intiative sometimes, but you must know your boundries. I'm not saying to force yourself onto the patient, but always make yourself available. Sometimes, I will walk over to the registrer and just start talking to them. Eventually, i find myself at the counseling booth with the same patient🙂. As far as getting the word out, I think the word is out that the pharmacist is always available. It's just that sometimes we need to come out of our shell and get over to the counter to talk to the patients no matter if its for counseling or just to say hi to a regular patient. You need to build a relationship just like a doctor would with his/her patients.

I hope I have answered you questions and if I have not let me know.

 

[Old Timer]

I am a community pharmacist with 25 years of experience. The first nineteen years were spent in independent community pharmacies and the last six years with major national chain.

I am here to answer any of your questions related to the practice of pharmacy in the community setting.

I would especially like to help interns as they start out in their chosen profession.

Mindful of the words of the Talmud:

Much have I learned from my teachers....

More from my friends than my teachers....

But from my students I have learned the most.......
​

 

[Dr. Pharmacy]

Once I ahd to interview a Pharmacist for a career develpoment class beacuse I unlike most knew that was what I wanted to do. So I interviewed the Pharmacist on my campus at the student health center. The first thing he said to me was that If his best friend told him that he wanted to be a pharmacist he said he would tell him to choose a different career. He also said that he didnt really have time to counsel the patient. Because he was Always so busy. i told him that one reason i choose pharmacy is beacuse I wanted that one on one with the patients and i felt doctors didn't have time to do that they are always in and out. And he said that doctors have more time then pharmacist. Do you agree or disagree with this idea? as a pharmacist in the community/ retail setting filling 400-500 prescriptions a day do you even have time to counsel patients?

There is plenty of time to counsel the patients. You must make yourself available to counsel patients. Yes, filliing 400 rx's is a lot, but the patient comes first. Counseling is required by law, so i always make myself available to the patient even if filling prescriptions must stop for a few minutes. I am busy, but if the patient has a question i must attend to their needs. Even if you think you don't have time, you make time. I don't believe that excuse that I am too busy. Do not be detered by one bad experience and continue with your plans to become a pharmacist.

 

[Old Timer]

Dear Old Timer,

Congratulations to your long succes as a community pharmacist. What advice would you give to a new graduate with hospital experience, but very little retail. How did you train your new pharmacist who didn't know insurance codes. I'm a little rattled because I work in a busy store where no one wants to train a new pharmacist because they feel they should know everything there is to know already.

Depending on where you work, there should be some formal training. Some of it is computer based (WEB or CD) and some of it will be hands on.

Who do you work for and where are you geographically?

 

[Neuronix]

This thread is closed until an advisor can be found. Would you like to be an advisor for this topic? PM me for details.