On the 25th September 2022, the world celebrated Pharmacists. To most people, a Pharmacist is a glorified shopkeeper, an educated drug dealer, a drug dispenser. I can bet you that most people subtly even question why they are called Doctors, but this is a discussion for another day. I’m not sure what being a Pharmacist means to you who is one.
This is a day dedicated to celebrating the Pharmacist. I am taken back to a couple of years ago when I was just about to clear campus and the direct posting of Pharmacists had just been done away with. The nostalgia as I think of this season is surreal. I felt stuck. Why had we even been in school for 5 years. The origin of the dilemma we found ourselves in was the fact that the main motivation during the long Pharmacy School days was the consolation of the guaranteed employment and six figure salary. If you’ve never believed that money can motivate, ask a Pharmacy Student!
From inception, for most of us, the foundation was wrong. The motives and intentions of being the best Pharmacists cannot be questioned but how can you sustain a structure when right from the onset, the foundation is unstable and shaky? Adjusting to this new reality took some of us a while and we are still unlearning this. Our mindsets, at best, need a paradigm shift.
One of the best things that happened to me during the break from my graduation to my first job opportunity is the Pharmacists I interacted with that pushed me to be better during and after my internship experience. Questions like, ‘Where do you see yourself post internship?’ never sat well with me because of the temptation to grumble over the unemployment in the country.
Thinking outside the box and identifying problems one can solve then becomes a prerogative. Sadly, the great future that we all desire cannot be handed on to us on a silver platter. This means taking the time to create value in what you’re doing, allowing people to know you are a dependable member of the Healthcare team. Everything about our profession is a big deal and it matters. From Community Pharmacy to Regulatory Affairs to Hospital Practice.
Back to our initial discussion on foundation. What is your foundation as a Pharmacist? What is your WHY? What irks you most in our profession? What are the existing gaps you’ve identified so far? Most importantly, what are you doing about it?
Are you going to be among those noisy gongs that’ll always complain about the Senior Pharmacists and what they did not do right, or will you take up the challenge, in your own small or big way to create a difference?
The time is now, to reflect, refocus and strategize. Pharmacy is a very versatile career with a myriad of opportunities. The Pharmacist just needs to be burdened enough to take that bold step and do what they love even as they solve the challenges that come their way.
“Opportunities are missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”. I am certainly not saying it has all been rosy, the corporate world has done a number on me but gratefully, it has taught me how gifted I am, what networking opportunities I can tap into but most importantly, it has consistently reminded me that I am the only book some people may ever read about a Pharmacist, so what kind of story am I scripting for the world around me to see?
Happy World Pharmacists Day 2022!
Yours truly,
RASBURICASE