Pharmacy News

In order to become a pharmacist and start your pharmacist career, you spent a lot of time in school, passing tests and becoming certified, and you expect all of that time to pay off once you graduate. Perhaps the best news of all is that there is an increasing demand for skilled and well-trained pharmacy employees throughout the country, and you can virtually write your own ticket these days.

Whether you are a pharmacist, pharmacist director, or a pharmacist technician, your pharmacist career can take off by taking a look at alternative means of employment. You don't have to spend your entire career in one pharmacy, behind one counter, when there are now many opportunities for you to work short-term jobs, or even travel to different cities and states to work as a pharmacist.

Most pharmacists do envision their life, working in a small town, helping the same people, month after month, but there are many other alternatives to life as a pharmacist. You may find yourself working in a hospital or residential setting one week, or working for a large pharmaceutical setting in a different state the next week. If you have the flexibility to travel, you can have a very exciting career, one that will enable you to meet plenty of people, work in different settings, and pick up new skills along the way.

Especially in today's tough economy, it is good to know that you can always fulfill your pharmacist career without having to wait for your local pharmacist to retire. This is an exciting and growing field that offers high salaries to the most qualified pharmacy experts. By taking daily, weekly, or even monthly shifts at different locations, you will be able to build on the training you already have, and make a very good living doing it!

Due to the shaky economy many patients have lost their jobs or insurance. They may rely on their pharmacist for help managing their medications. How can you help your patients maintain their prescriptions? Pharmacy Today offers some useful tips.

Author Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD, recommends reviewing the patient's prescriptions for medications that can be switched to a less expensive generic option. If you find a generic option, reassure the patient that generic medications can be as effective as name brands.

You can also talk to your patients about pharmacy-sponsored programs and encourage them to compare options at various pharmacies. Always remind patients that it is not safe to fill prescriptions at multiple pharmacies.

Another alternative for low-cost medication is the internet. Tanzi cautions that you should always tell patients to confirm that the site is a state-licensed, U.S. pharmacy with a VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) seal.

For qualifying patients, search government options like Medicare and Medicaid. Some of your patients may not be aware of these programs or that they are eligible for them.

Lastly, Tanzi suggests checking into companies that offer free medications to qualifying patients. She says, "Information about these programs is posted on manufacturers' websites." Other sites, like www.NeedyMeds.com, maintain lists of these programs.

Source: Ganzi, Maria G., PharmD. "Counseling Patients in Hard Economic Times" Pharmacy Today. January 2010.
apha.imirus.com 12 February 2010.

Drug Topics recently released their Business Outlook Survey, which reveals that pharmacists in all settings see a positive year ahead in 2010. Over 800 readers were surveyed, including 246 hospital pharmacists.

The following hospital-based pharmacist statistics regarding pharmacy outlook in 2010 are pulled from the Drug Topics survey:

• 49% expect that their drug budgets will increase
• 40% expect pharmacists' salaries in their department to increase
• 37% of the pharmacists who responded work in hospitals that have a computerized physician order-entry (CPOE) system, 38% said their hospital plans to install a CPOE in 2010
• 38% of respondents' hospitals have a bedside bar-coding system, 39% said their hospital plans to install bedside bar-coding in 2010
• 61% of those surveyed work in hospitals that use EHRs

All pharmacists surveyed felt that the nationwide shortage of pharmacists still exists. Over 51% of hospital-based pharmacists responded that there is a shortage in their state, 10% of those surveyed said that the shortage is severe. However, there are signs that the shortage is easing and the projected outlook in pharmacy over all is positive.

Source: Rajecki, Ron. "Drug Topics' 2010 business outlook survey" Drug Topics. 11 December 2009. drugtopics.modernmedicine.com

Everyone in the healthcare industry is wondering how their specialty, their job or their role will change with government healthcare reform. Pharmacists are no different.

According to a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times, pharmacists could start contributing more on the front lines of patient care by filling in healthcare gaps and providing better advice to patients. Research by the Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative has shown that when clinical pharmacists collaborate with physicians, they improve health outcomes.

Additionally, with pharmacists' expertise in available drugs, they can often save patients money by prescribing the most cost-effective options. The Los Angeles Times reports that in addition to providing patients with better care earlier in their treatment, pharmacists can also improve health outcomes through counseling.

Unfortunately, the article states that most consumers miss out on the opportunity to speak with the pharmacist. A recent study, referenced in the article, showed that 50 percent of patients 65 or older waive the counseling option. Pharmacists can offer patients many benefits through counseling, including improving the patient's health and saving money.

Source: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. "Pharmacists Could Play Important Role in Reform" Medical News Today. 1 December, 2009. www.medicalnewstoday.com

A recent article in Modern Medicine, "Pharmacists' role evolves with 21st century health care," reports that the National Council for Vital Health Statistics (NCVHS) testified that electronic health records (EHRs) are imperative for decreasing health costs and improving patient care.

Pharmacists will play a large part in determining how EHRs are used to improve communication between physicians and pharmacists. In the past, pharmacists have had limited information about the patient's disease or treatment. EHRs offer physicians and pharmacists a unified view of the patient profile, which allows pharmacists to provide greater assistance to the physician and the patient.

Retail pharmacists can also improve communication with physicians using EHRs. The number of retail medical clinics is growing and pharmacy organizations support them. However there is a lack of unified communication protocol for clinics and pharmacies that is prohibiting efficient communication.

The Standards Charter Organization (SCO) addresses that need by bringing senior members of the U.S. healthcare standards development community together to eliminate communication barriers.

Healthcare professionals across the board are working together to improve patient care through collaboration and communication. Pharmacists will play a critical role in this new healthcare landscape.

Source: Klimek, John, RPh. "Pharmacists' role evolves with 21st century health care" Modern Medicine. 10 August, 2009. drugtopics.modernmedicine.com