October is Pharmacists Month | Let’s Celebrate Together!
Every October, we celebrate pharmacists with Pharmacists Month! Today I’m sharing a guest blog post by Dr. Annie Ho, PharmD to promote our profession.
Guest Blog: First 5 Years as a Pharmacist by Dr. Annie Ho
On Monday I witnessed the most wonderful moment. One of our patients finished his last cycle of chemotherapy- YAY! As a tradition, the nurses/staff get together to make a ruckus and congratulate the patient. Today was especially extraordinary because he told us that he planned to propose to his girlfriend at the end of his appointment. It was one of the most heartwarming things I’ve witnessed. He told her, “I was the one with cancer, but we both went through this together.” Of course, she said yes.
Moments like these are small highlights in my work as a pharmacist. The work of a pharmacist isn’t solely our productivity and knowledge base. I believe it’s just as much about having empathy and caring about the lives of others. Caring about providing quality care motivates me to study and work hard. Caring about my nurses and coworkers creates a sense of trust and teamwork, which ultimately improves our service.
I started this reflection months ago when I first decided to restart my blog. I felt inspired to write this after I convinced a doctor to reduce the frequency of monitoring for a specific lab. Knowing the kinetics of the medication prescribed, I knew that checking labs too often may lead to premature dose adjustments. When I started this position, I spent a lot of extra time questioning my judgement before daring to question a physician. Reflecting on this makes me realize that as I’ve worked to expand and practice my clinical knowledge, my confidence has also grown. This interaction wasn’t life-changing, but I think it is important to recognize the small victories we achieve in the midst of the day-to-day grind.
What keeps my job meaningful as a pharmacist? Knowing that I’m doing my best. And at times during these 5 years, I admit I haven’t always had that mindset. I’ve had victories and I’ve also had lessons in failing forward in my career. Once the learning curve settles, the daily grind becomes routine, the drama (which is inevitable in any group of human beings with differing goals and personalities) can wear you down, and it’s easy to feel a sense of complacency. How I dealt with this was to constantly seek challenges.
I’m currently an oncology/infusion pharmacist and I absolutely love what I do. It’s a challenging, constantly evolving field and the learning curve is steep. I’m fortunate to have a supportive boss who exemplifies patient-centered care. He inspires me with his knowledge base and endless compassion for our patients. I love what I do because I feel like I make a difference when I’m spending the time to help patients manage their treatment and side effects. I make a difference when I’m able to build a trusting relationship and have my recommendations accepted or considered by our oncologists. I make a difference when I’m able to serve as a resource, teach, and learn from my nurses.
This isn’t news, but many people have no idea what we do. Even within pharmacy, we don’t understand the challenges our colleagues face in their own setting. We become isolated in our chosen area of pharmacy and gradually lose the feeling of being part of a bigger community. I hope that celebrating this special month and reading the stories of your colleagues helps revive a sense of pride and understanding.
This makes me even more mindful of how important it is to recognize other health care providers when they do something right. I encourage you to make someone’s day. Notice the efforts of your coworkers and acknowledge how they contribute to the team.
Dr. Annie Ho, PharmD is an oncology/infusion pharmacist in Sacramento and a Pacific graduate. Her passion is leadership and student development and her current project is current project is CPhA’s Rx Bootcamp, which she founded along with 2 colleagues in 2015. It is California’s only event designed for and by student pharmacists! Annie enjoys rock climbing, yoga, backpacking, and traveling. When you meet her for the first time, she will likely greet you with a homemade cookie. Please follow Annie’s blog at The Pharmers Market
Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.