The Hidden Leadership Role of Pharmacists in a Complicated Healthcare World

A recent pharmacy ad for a drugstore chain that probably has a location within five miles of your house paints an interesting picture. In the advertisement, a man walks in wanting to know how Medicare will cover his new prescription.

The smiling pharmacist says, “Medicare, Mr. Johnson?” Note that he did not tell her his name. She simply remembered from a previous visit. “I think I am going to need to see some ID.” And then the rich, dusky voice of the narrator reminding us that when we use this pharmacy we are family.

Huh, you might think. I’ve been to that store. That’s not how I remember it going.

And ok. Most of us don’t love our pharmacies the way that people in commercials love…anything. On the other hand, pharmacists play a genuinely important role in helping people manage their medications and find solutions in an increasingly complicated healthcare landscape.

Read on to learn more about how you can make a major impact in your community as a pharmacist.

The Most Accessible Form of Healthcare?

One thing that’s worth putting out there? In some communities, pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals in town. Many is the rural community that is separated from the nearest healthcare clinic by dozens of miles. Imagine if you will, the elderly patient that we referenced in our introduction. Were he a real person, and not an overly enthusiastic commercial man, he might be like so many of the older people in our own communities. Eager to be proactive about his health. Not necessarily completely equipped to satisfy the steps necessary to make that happen.

An older person with mobility issues might not be able to drive forty minutes to the next county to consult a doctor about their prescriptions. They probably can get themselves a couple of blocks down the street to speak with their nearest pharmacist. No, pharmacists can’t take the place of a doctor but they can pass along valuable information about medication safety.

Medical Safety Proponents

It’s also worth keeping in mind that pharmacists have played a continuous and important role in fighting against the opioid epidemic. When a person is doctor shopping–or displaying any of the other indications of abusive behavior–they are often in the best position to catch the problem quickly.

Pharmacists check prescription patterns across multiple doctors. They look for early refill requests that happen too frequently. They note when patients claim lost or stolen prescriptions repeatedly. They identify unusual dosage increases without clear medical justification. They observe physical or behavioral signs of dependency during interactions.

Again, it’s not ideal. We don’t want the person behind the pharmacy counter to be a community’s first and last line of defense against opioids, but interventions even on a person-by-person basis can have a big impact. This is again especially true for rural communities which have been hit very hard by opioids and have received little support in dealing with it.

Rural areas face unique challenges with opioid abuse—limited addiction treatment facilities, fewer mental health resources, and economic factors that can contribute to substance abuse.

Pharmacists in these communities often become essential healthcare partners, identifying problems before they escalate and connecting people with whatever limited resources might be available locally.

Medication Safety

It’s very easy to see pharmacists as overpaid clerks–if you don’t know anything about what really goes on beyond the counter. Yes, they hand you your pills. But they do so much more.

Pharmacists are there to make sure medications are safe. They identify risk factors unique to the individual. Check dosages. Ensure that a medication is appropriate for a patient’s size and age.

They monitor side effects and help catch potentially harmful interactions before they emerge. They also educate patients on how, when, and with what medications should be taken.

Doctors certainly think about these things but they don’t specialize in them the way a pharmacist does. Within the world of healthcare it’s a well-known fact that there are dozens of professionals there to make doctors look good—and keep patients safe. Pharmacists are just some of these professionals.

How Do You Become a Pharmacist?

It’s important work. It’s also well-compensated work. Pharmacists make more than $100,000 a year doing a job that genuinely helps the community.

Pharmacists almost all carry a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited school. This is both cost and time-prohibitive, requiring 6-8 years of education total. Some programs offer accelerated options, but traditional pathways involve completing prerequisites or a bachelor’s degree before entering the 4-year professional program.

There is flexibility in your undergraduate education. You can major in a fairly wide range of undergraduate programs and still be considered for admission to pharmaceutical graduate programs.

Certainly focusing on science or health-related programs will help prepare you for the rigorous pharmacy curriculum and prerequisite coursework. Common undergraduate majors include biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and health sciences.

You should speak with your guidance counselor about specific recommendations based on your academic strengths and the pharmacy schools you’re interested in attending.

Most pharmacy schools require completion of specific prerequisite courses regardless of your major, including biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, calculus, statistics, and human anatomy and physiology.

It’s not an easy path. You’ll need to get good grades. Study hard. Put in the work. Pass a standardized test. Yes, at the end of the road awaits the NAPLEX—an adaptive exam designed to test your knowledge and make sure that you are ready.

However, at the other end, there is a rewarding career ahead of you. One where you can play an important role in your community worth all the attention that the very best drugstore commercial can bestow on you.

When we think about healthcare leadership, it’s often at the organizational level. Administrators. Charge nurses. Public officials shaping policy. While these are valuable positions, it is important to remember that pharmacists see dozens of people every day.