Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! You’ve successfully completed a journey that took a lot of hard work, sweat (from all the nervousness), and maybe even tears (there were definitely some for me)… Or maybe you’re just a G and you don’t cry because you’re too gangster for that lol. Either way, you did it! It doesn’t stop there though. That journey has ended, but you’re now starting a new one, as a pharmacist! Here are 5 tips for new pharmacists.
You’ll also want to check out:
How to: 5 Tips for Interacting with Doctors as a Healthcare Professional
How to: Handling Stress on the Job
How to Implement Professionalism Daily
5 Tips for New Pharmacists to be Successful
- Remain flexible
A lot of people already have a lot going on in their lives even before graduating pharmacy school as it’s a graduate program and in some cases, by the time you hit that point, real life has started for you. However, coming into the field may call for some adjustments. This is where being flexible comes into play. Flexibility may mean working a different shift than you intended or starting off part time or per diem. It can also mean working in an environment other than the one you planned. I started off in a independent pharmacy. That’s not where I planned to start, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It was just me and one tech for each half of the day. Working there taught me how to manage, the importance of organization, strengthened my communication skills, a little about the insurance side, inventory, the scope of independent retail pharmacies, how long term care facilities work (because we provided medications for a few), A LOT.
Being flexible at my current job allowed me to go from per diem (while I was working at my first job) to full time. As a per diem pharmacist, I floated between production and the clinical side, allowing me to know the ins and outs of both. On the clinical side I worked with and covered pharmacists from all the teams. This allows me to easily switch from one to the other because I know what is required.
In some cases, it may be best to pass on certain opportunities, but when you can be flexible, do it because it’ll allow you to experience more and can be your opportunity to learn and grow.
2. Know where to find and how to access all resources
Something that was funny to me when I first started working clinically was that I was using “GlobalRPh”. It was initially funny during APPEs because I felt like it did most of the work for you and how could we possibly be able to use something that gave us the answers, right lol? But that’s what resources are for. Not to give you the answers, but to help you out.
Also, the same way there were things you didn’t know in school and need trustworthy clinical sources is the same way you’ll need them in practice. And you know those sites aren’t free, but I bet your job has subscriptions. Get that information or know how to access it because the questions don’t stop in this profession. That drug information class you took definitely comes in handy lol.
3. Keep cheat sheets for process
Of my list of tips for new pharmacists, this is one that still helps me to this day (there’s another I mention later on). The training at your job may not include a book explaining all the processes. And I’m sure a book cant vividly paint a picture of your day to day.
My official training consisted of going through a few activities that familiarized me with the computer system we use. But that came nowhere near preparing me for my day to day processes. My manager had me sit with one of the pharmacists so that I could learn the workflow process. This was one of the best things she could have done. Learning how to properly enter things into a system serves no purpose when you don’t know where that info even comes from to be entered, how to find it, what it means, if its correct, or anything.
I created a cheat document for myself, which is a life saver. It’s not printed, but it’s a tab I keep open during the day. With all the processes and having to cater to different institutions, the steps can get lengthy, and you don’t want to miss any because they’re an important step to a bigger process. Catering to different institutions looks like using a particular subject line format, transcribing orders a certain way, using one email address to send orders but another to request labs for the same agency, and the list goes on.
4. Be teachable
This is an important one of the tips for new pharmacists. Unless you’re entering the wonderful world of residency, there won’t be too much more assisted learning as far as acquiring the prerequisite knowledge needed to be a pharmacist. Notice I said assisted, meaning in this field you should never stop learning independently as this field evolves so often. Of course, you’ll learn at bit here and there from presenters at seminars and a few new things when the drug reps come visit, but outside of that, you’re pretty much keeping up with your learning on your own. And all new knowledge is built off what you already know.
That doesn’t mean you don’t need to be teachable though. As a new pharmacist, you’ll be in a new environment with new people and new processes. You’ll need to learn workflow processes, how to work new machinery, new systems, and more importantly the ways of efficiency in whatever work environment you end up in. Ask questions and soak up all the information in the beginning so you don’t feel like you’re still struggling months in.
* IN REAL LIFE
I remember new compounding machines being brought in and all staff who would come in contact with them having to learn how to use them. Of course, when something new is implemented it’s because its more efficient, which it definitely is. However, it took us about 3 days to get it right lol. We weren’t fans at first and found a lot to complain about, but now we’re wondering how we managed to make it so long without it. I’m ashamed to say it, but it also took me a while to learn how to refill the label printing machine. Like where was I supposed to learn to do that lol!? I could’ve just let it run out and get somebody else to change it, but I was smart enough to realize that if I’m working a weekend on call by myself, there isn’t going to be anyone to help me. And medications HAVE to be labeled properly.
On the flip side, be confident in what you know. I know you always hear you know more than what you think or more than what you give yourself credit for. Let me be the one to tell you that statement is true. Unfortunately, you probably won’t really believe it until you work through a situation on your own using the skills and knowledge you spent however many years in school acquiring.
5. Stay organized
Some people say there’s a “method to their mess” or “method to their madness” when referring to their mess, lack of organizational skills, and how they still manage to operate. If you’ve gotten this far in life without being organized, kudos to you. I don’t know how you did it. However, there’s no place for it as a pharmacist. One of the most important characteristics of a pharmacist is their attention to detail. You will miss a lot if you’re not organized and organization just allows for more efficiency and less mistakes.
Organize in every way possible
* IN REAL LIFE
This is another of the tips for new pharmacists that helps me still. Learning how to organize my email was a game changer lol. Now I don’t mean go through it and move things to different folders. Let me preface this by saying I’ve always kept my email pretty cleaned up, but I was never receiving over one hundred emails a day with majority of it being important. I also never had an outlook email. With all that being said, being able to auto sort my email has worked wonders because between the volume of emails we get a day, the ones that don’t apply to us at that moment but may later on if we’re on call or covering another pharmacist, and the ones that do apply. It’s a lot to keep up with. This efficient method and the best way to do it was one of the things I had to learn from a colleague when I first started working.
These tips for new pharmacists may seem simple or basic, but remember you did all the hard work to get here already. Now it’s the simple steps that will help guide you. Keep a positive mindset. It may seem like a lot at first, but it’ll soon become second nature. And never be afraid to ask questions. In our profession, you’re better safe than sorry. Most importantly, gravitate toward and emulate positivity. Don’t link up with the person that’s always complaining or that you know cuts corners. Emulate the person that doesn’t miss a beat, that crosses all their T’s and dots all their I’s. After all, your work represents you, and you should want to do good work. to: 5 Tips for Interacting with Doctors as a Healthcare Professional.”
And remember…
Latest posts by Dalin (see all)
- 3 Things to do to Close Out the Year 2022 - December 21, 2022
- Becoming Her: How to Become THAT Girl - December 15, 2021
- 3 Things to do to Close Out the Year - November 26, 2021
It抯 truly a great and helpful piece of information. I抦 glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.