CONNECTORx CORNERx: 013 - 2023-03-21

Pharmacy Strategy & Career Development Newsletter: Advocacy, Pharmacy Organizations, and Joy in Work

PHARMACY STRATEGY: Advocacy

Where would we be without advocacy for our profession?  

Answer - in a very bad spot.

While we have not achieved all of our efforts for advocacy fully such as the elusive provider status, great strides have been made.

"Advocacy = the act or process of supporting, defending, or arguing for a cause, person, place, or thing"

How to get involved:

• Join Professional Pharmacy Organization(s) - the more voices the better
• Donate to the Political Action Committees (PAC)
• Make Your Voice Heard - to your state and federal legislators (Call, Email, Attend Capital Days)

Read More: 

• APHA Advocacy
• ASHP Advocacy 
• ACCP Advocacy

What are you doing to support advocacy for the profession and patient care?

CAREER DEVELOPMENT:  Pharmacy Organizations

A key part of your continuous professional development plan includes professional organizations.

Since you are in my world, I am sure you are a member of at least one professional pharmacy organization. 

I came across this article recently which discusses the value of professional organizations and how to choose which ones to join. 

I reflected on my choices. For me it has always been a given since my personal pharmacist took me to my first state association meeting when I was a P2 (not that it was called that back then).  I am a member of 2 regional, 2 state, and 3 national pharmacy organizations.  

I also make it a priority to attend the conferences (which is great now that we can be in person again). 

I am actually heading to the APHA Annual Meeting tomorrow (please message me if you will be in Phoenix).

READ MORE: List of Pharmacy Organizations

What organizations are you a member of and what volunteer positions do you have? 

FUN & JOY:  Joy in Work

Stress and burnout are common in our workplaces. 

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) - Framework for Improving Joy in Work is a new approach to look at the challenge of burnout by flipping the focus on the positive aspects of work.

There are many aspects of the Framework and I will provide some background on the recommended process and framework.

As a quality improvement organization, IHI of course recommends addressing this in a QI manner with a systematic process of testing and implementing improvements.  They recommend starting with asking Staff "What Matters to You" The structured steps are designed to provide leaders with a pathway for “how to get from here to there.

There are nine core components that contribute to a happy, healthy, productive workforce.

The three outer rings of the framework show who is responsible for these components: senior leaders are responsible for all nine components; managers and core leaders are responsible for five components; and individuals, for three components.

Individuals can support their joy through daily improvement, wellness & resilience, and real-time measurement.  

READ MORE:  IHI Joy in Work

Let me know what you think about?

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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