American Pharmacists Month: Moments that have mattered in my career as a pharmacist

October is American Pharmacists Month. October 15 was National Pharmacy Technician Day. So if you’re an organization like Stellus Rx, which employs more than 115 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, this is definitely a month to celebrate the role that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians play in the health of people throughout our country. As a pharmacist-by-trade and now Chief People Officer for this pharmacist-led organization, I find myself feeling so grateful to work with teams of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians whose clinical expertise and ability to remove barriers for patients are only surpassed by their compassion and connections with the patients we serve.

At the same time, I’m reflective this month about why I became a pharmacist in the first place. I loved going to visit the local pharmacy with my parents because the pharmacist treated us like family. He took time to see how we were doing … and he always gave me a sucker when I was sick and needed the “pink stuff” to clear up an ear infection or strep throat!

When I got my first job as a cashier, I was lucky enough to be placed in the pharmacy. The pharmacist there treated her patients with the same type of individual attention as my family pharmacist. She taught me that pharmacies are often the first place that patients turn to with questions about their health, sometimes even before their doctors because of ease of access and personal relationships. I wanted to dedicate my professional career to providing that care and concern every day.

I’ve been a licensed pharmacist now for 24 years, and even kept my license up to date as I moved from pharmacy management to corporate leadership roles. The biggest lessons that being a pharmacist taught me (and that I continue to carry with me):

• Actively listen to understand … not just to respond
• Problem-solving (whether in the pharmacy or in the corporate environment) requires agility and an openness to what could be true. Fixed, rigid lines of thinking eliminate possibilities. And the result thoughts turn into solutions that never reach their full potential

This American Pharmacists Month, I’m thankful for the profession that has given so much to me. I hope I can continue to give back—to my teams and to our patients—so that people can continue to see the impact that pharmacists make on the health of our communities.