Today marks the end of my 5-week stint here at MPhA. Reflecting back upon my impressions coming into this rotation, I find that I have gained so much more knowledge and experience than I ever anticipated. The breadth of opportunities during these 5 weeks has unquestionably enhanced my pharmacy school experience and has opened my eyes to career options that I previously hadn’t considered. And the learning has continued to the very end, with several new and valuable experiences from this week.
After last week’s whirlwind traveling pharmacy tours, this week has been much more settled. My time in the office was spent reflecting upon last week’s visits, reading and analyzing model MTM legislation, learning about federal drug disposal legislation, and reviewing a Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative document about the importance of comprehensive medication management in medical home models. On Wednesday, Mark and I were able to meet with a pharmacist who is planning to open an independent pharmacy. And today, Julie, Mark and I met with two representatives from Merck to discuss issues relating to pharmacy, such as pharmacy’s place in the medical home model, issues with e-prescribing, and how to better enable pharmacists to immunize patients.
The meeting with Merck, model MTM legislation, and PCPCC document all illustrated the valuable role that pharmacists have to play in the management of chronic conditions. In this era of health care reform, some pharmacists are concerned that pharmacy will somehow be left out of the new medical home models. This concern is legitimate given that pharmacists are continually striving to demonstrate how we can further enhance health care. However, the information I came across shows that many other health care providers and legislators are beginning to realize that health care change cannot succeed without the integral contributions of pharmacists. It seems that as long as pharmacists keep up with the issues and keep talking to legislators and other providers, there is no question that pharmacy will play a big role in bettering the health care system.
Throughout this rotation, I have been exposed to many aspects of independent pharmacy ownership. I have seen and heard about many of the challenges that owners are being faced with. These challenges made me question whether it is feasible to open a new pharmacy now. Wednesday’s meeting with an entrepreneurial pharmacist was eye-opening because it demonstrated that with enough preparation and a solid business plan, opening a pharmacy today is not only feasible, but can be very profitable. This meeting made me realize that as long as you have a niche and have a plan for making the most of that niche, it is still very possible to start an independent pharmacy, even in the metro area. That being said, such an endeavor requires a certain personality and certain talents that not all pharmacists possess.
Overall, this rotation has been a fantastic way to start my fourth year of pharmacy school. The experiences I have had with MPhA broadened my horizons in ways that the rest of the curriculum cannot. This rotation has taught me to see how different aspects of pharmacy are interconnected with one another and with health care in general, and I believe this insight can only help me make the most of my remaining rotations. Thanks to Julie and the rest of the MPhA staff for a great 5 weeks!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Reflections
Well it’s my last day here at MPhA and it is time to reflect on my time spent here. Overall, this rotation has been a lot different than what I was expecting. It was a learning experience for everyone, including Julie (our preceptor). She had not had any students come during this part of the year (July) until Laura and I joined her. Normally the students are heavily involved in the legislative work that MPhA does to keep pharmacy safe and informed, however there was not a session during our five weeks… so we had to freelance a little bit! Like I’ve talked about in my previous blogs, Julie decided to focus our efforts on community pharmacy and specifically on independent practice/ownership.
I have learned so much about independent practice and ownership over these past five weeks. I don’t even know where to begin. The biggest thing for me was to clear up some misconceptions I had about owning and managing a pharmacy. Until now I always thought independent pharmacies had no chance against the large chains simply due to the size difference. I would always hear about the small independent pharmacist who would go out of business when the chain pharmacy showed up in town… come to find out, that is not always the case. It just becomes a game of niches. As long as a pharmacy has a niche, either a service or population, it can survive. Laura and I spoke with a pharmacist who has been doing some research on opening up an independent pharmacy, and some of the information shared was astonishing! For example, did you know a one-pharmacist store can survive by filling about 100 prescriptions per day? I was very encouraged by this, because it put a number in front of me that made sense and seemed plausible. Along with other things that we talked about, the conversation really gave me assurance that independent pharmacy can survive as long as the owner stays on top of their niche.
We spent some time this week talking about some of the financial business of the association. Although it may not sound like the most intriguing conversation, it was definitely necessary to hear. It gave me a good lesson in budgeting. I learned a little bit more about some of the things Julie (as Executive Vice President) has to be cognizant of while leading the association. Every business has to keep in mind that if they can’t pay the bills, they can’t help the people they serve. But possibly just as important are the relationships Julie and MPhA have to keep strong in order to keep the wheels of the association spinning. The Executive Vice President has an obligation to keep strong bonds with all of MPhA’s partners and sponsors. It may sound like a lot of work but it can also be very rewarding. I was so impressed with the network of people around Julie, and I was so impressed with how well we were received around the state. To put it in perspective… We called ahead to maybe half of the 10 or 11 pharmacies that we visited during this rotation, and each owner/pharmacist gave us almost an hour of their time to explain independent pharmacy. Many of us know how busy a pharmacy can get, and here were the owners giving a significant chunk of their day to two students they did not even know! I think that is a testament to the hard work Julie and MPhA do to keep their relationships strong throughout the state.
All in all, this rotation was not what I expected but it was a welcome difference. I learned a lot and it gave me a wonderful opportunity to explore areas of pharmacies that I didn’t learn about at the college. One piece of advice for future students… Keep an open mind. This rotation will probably not be as structured as you are used to or expect, but you will also see things that you never expected… and it’s fun!
This was my first shot at blogging and I hope it was at least OK to read… Thank you to those who did!
I have learned so much about independent practice and ownership over these past five weeks. I don’t even know where to begin. The biggest thing for me was to clear up some misconceptions I had about owning and managing a pharmacy. Until now I always thought independent pharmacies had no chance against the large chains simply due to the size difference. I would always hear about the small independent pharmacist who would go out of business when the chain pharmacy showed up in town… come to find out, that is not always the case. It just becomes a game of niches. As long as a pharmacy has a niche, either a service or population, it can survive. Laura and I spoke with a pharmacist who has been doing some research on opening up an independent pharmacy, and some of the information shared was astonishing! For example, did you know a one-pharmacist store can survive by filling about 100 prescriptions per day? I was very encouraged by this, because it put a number in front of me that made sense and seemed plausible. Along with other things that we talked about, the conversation really gave me assurance that independent pharmacy can survive as long as the owner stays on top of their niche.
We spent some time this week talking about some of the financial business of the association. Although it may not sound like the most intriguing conversation, it was definitely necessary to hear. It gave me a good lesson in budgeting. I learned a little bit more about some of the things Julie (as Executive Vice President) has to be cognizant of while leading the association. Every business has to keep in mind that if they can’t pay the bills, they can’t help the people they serve. But possibly just as important are the relationships Julie and MPhA have to keep strong in order to keep the wheels of the association spinning. The Executive Vice President has an obligation to keep strong bonds with all of MPhA’s partners and sponsors. It may sound like a lot of work but it can also be very rewarding. I was so impressed with the network of people around Julie, and I was so impressed with how well we were received around the state. To put it in perspective… We called ahead to maybe half of the 10 or 11 pharmacies that we visited during this rotation, and each owner/pharmacist gave us almost an hour of their time to explain independent pharmacy. Many of us know how busy a pharmacy can get, and here were the owners giving a significant chunk of their day to two students they did not even know! I think that is a testament to the hard work Julie and MPhA do to keep their relationships strong throughout the state.
All in all, this rotation was not what I expected but it was a welcome difference. I learned a lot and it gave me a wonderful opportunity to explore areas of pharmacies that I didn’t learn about at the college. One piece of advice for future students… Keep an open mind. This rotation will probably not be as structured as you are used to or expect, but you will also see things that you never expected… and it’s fun!
This was my first shot at blogging and I hope it was at least OK to read… Thank you to those who did!
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