CONNECTORx CORNERx: 006 - 2023-01-31

Pharmacy Strategy & Career Development Newsletter:   Pharmacy Hours, Job Shadowing, and Sleep Overs 

PHARMACY STRATEGY: Pharmacy Hours 

I wanted to weigh in on the recent news about moves to cut pharmacy hours by many pharmacies.  

This situation is complex and concerning. 

While I have been concerned about the risk of future pharmacists' shortages due to declining enrollment in colleges of pharmacy, there is not a pharmacist shortage right now.

So, what gives?  Here is an insightful explanation. 

“Some are blaming reduced hours on a pharmacist shortage. It is incorrect to say that there is a shortage of pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. More accurately, there is a shortage of pharmacists and technicians willing to work under the current conditions. Pharmacy is a rewarding profession and pharmacists are experts in medication use. We need to stop conflating and blaming the current conditions on pharmacist or technician shortages when it’s due to short-staffing and health care system faults,” said Ilisa BG Bernstein, PharmD, JD, FAPhA, interim executive vice president and CEO of APhA.  Read more from APHA at Pharmacy Today. 

I have also said that doing more with less will get us less - less quality and less satisfaction.

 The pharmacist and pharmacy technician role on the healthcare team is invaluable and we must support appropriate staffing and work conditions to reverse the course.  

CAREER DEVELOPMENT:  Job Shadowing

  I am a big fan of job shadowing as a part of your Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

     Job Shadowing =the observing of a person at work by someone who is interested in a similar career.

As a reminder, it is helpful to have a variety of learning methods in your CPD in the following breakdown:

• 10% Structured Learning / "OFF the Job" / Education
• 20% Learning from Others / "NEAR the Job" / Exposure
• 70% Learning from Experience / "ON the Job" / Experience

Job shadowing falls into the category of experience and is very effective.  

I have experienced job shadowing and facilitated this for my teams.  Shorter term experiences are easiest to schedule but longer-term job switches can be fruitful.

This month I get to host a job shadow experience for a Master's in Healthcare Administration student.  This program is organized by my state American Council of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Chapter.  Ironically, they call it "Groundhog Day Job Shadowing Experience".  Get it... the shadow :)

 Let me know if you have done or facilitated a job shadow before?

• READ MORE:  Check out this blog post/podcast episode to explore more on why we don't invest in ourselves. 
• Stay tuned for the Professional Development Plan Bootcamp on April 22nd to create your own plan that includes job shadowing.  Reply if you want to find out more. 

FUN & JOY:  Sleep Overs

This past Saturday I hosted a sleepover for my kids.  It started with a plan for one of my twins to have her friend over and turned into 4 additional kids totaling 7. 

It was a blast and something we delayed doing throughout the pandemic. 

We of course played our dinner games and the kids played games, tag, and made slime. The evening was capped off with a movie. 

I learned that I did not need to stress about planning activities as kids can make their own fun and don't have high expectations for food. 

Up next for fun in the neighborhood I am planning a girl's night out of candle making and a parent's night out - location TBD.  

What activities are you inserting into our week to bring fun and joy?

SUPPORT AND RESOURCES:

I am here to support you in your journey to advance pharmacy and accelerate your joyful engaging career.  Schedule time for us to connect.  

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