What do you imagine when you hear the word “brand”? Although a logo or another image that differentiates one company from another might pop immediately to mind, the word can also be associated with individual health care professionals. If you are a future pharmacist, your brand is defined by how you are perceived by your peers and patients, as well as the way in which you distinguish yourself in your field. With the job market becoming increasingly competitive and information becoming more easily accessible, it is essential to establish your brand as a health care provider and learn how to market yourself to current colleagues and future employers.

The potential jobs for graduating pharmacists are changing and expanding. New opportunities arise every year for graduates to take on more nontraditional roles in business, marketing, and managed care within the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, with provider status on the horizon, pharmacists are poised to play a larger part on the health care team. No matter if you work in a community pharmacy, an institutional setting, or the pharmaceutical industry, your brand will be instrumental in identifying you as a successful health care professional.

So what goes into developing your own authentic brand? Well, you do! It’s important to be genuine when you talk with patients and colleagues, emphasizing your strengths without exaggeration. If you try to develop a brand that doesn’t truly reflect who you are as a person and a professional, you will succeed only at creating a false image of yourself that you will not be able to live up to in the future.

Remember, too, that as a health care provider, you are essentially running your own personal business, and you need to advertise what you have to offer. After all, there’s no point in developing your own brand if no one knows about it! Networking is crucial to marketing your skills and experience. Each time you meet someone new, be sure to focus your attention on that person, exchange contact information, and follow up with a quick e-mail expressing your gratitude for the conversation. Remember to touch base with these individuals from time to time.

Social media can also be an invaluable networking tool. As you connect with other health care professionals via sites such as LinkedIn, be sure to update your page with your latest credentials and accomplishments, remove anything that might reflect poorly on you, and consider adding a personal touch to set yourself apart.

Finally, train yourself to view each interaction with a patient or fellow provider as an opportunity to grow as a pharmacist and further develop your brand. Whenever you are presented with a task, think about how you want to perform and how that performance will exemplify your work. Be personable and confident, as this kind of attitude often resonates with others. And, perhaps most important, as you craft your brand and build your reputation, always ensure that you live up to the image that you created for yourself.

Building relationships and distinguishing yourself within the pharmacy profession are more paramount today than ever before. Not only can establishing a solid professional and personal brand open doors for you as you embark on your new career, but it will also help you reap benefits and define your work as a health care provider long into the future.

Stephen C. Howell is a 2018 PharmD candidate at the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Pharmacy and an MBA candidate at the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics.

Articles

Careers

What do you imagine when you hear the word “brand”?

Creating Your Brand as a Future Health Care Provider

Did you know that the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) was the first college pharmacy students could attend in the West, and that it was the 10th pharmacy school to open in the United States?

 that the school’s founders aimed to “advance pharmaceutical knowledge and elevate the professional character of apothecaries throughout California.”

That mission has remained the cornerstone of UCSF School of Pharmacy since 1884, when its first full pharmacy class of 5 students graduated.

Q: What is unique about your school/program? 

A: The school has always focused on advancing knowledge through its basic and clinical science. Its No. 1 ranking in National Institutes of Health funding for 35 consecutive years is a testament to this point.

Similarly, the founders’ goal of “elevating the professional character” of the profession has always been a focus of the school’s contribution to pharmacy practice. The very beginnings of the shift from a product- to patient-oriented profession began in part with the UCSF “Ninth Floor Project.”

Today, pharmacists must be part of team-based care beyond hospital walls, especially with the creation of health care systems, such as the UCSF accountable care organizations, which focus on promoting health and decreasing health care costs.

Lastly, the campus is unique among all academic medical centers in that the education offered is solely professional and graduate (PhD program) with no undergraduate training programs.

A: A continually developing philosophy has been to teach problem-solving skills with the course content serving as the vehicle for this goal. Considering the presence of 4 health professions schools and a graduate division, we also take full advantage of all interprofessional opportunities.

Another important philosophy is for students to link the acquisition of critical thinking while simultaneously improving patient outcomes. As example of this philosophy is the school’s mandate that Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences must result in value to both its students as well as its host institutions. Student pharmacists are expected to add value and extend the ability of the pharmacist (and other health care providers) to allow them to fulfill their responsibilities.

Many teaching styles are used, ranging from traditional lectures, to hands-on training, to simulation, to hybrids of the flipped classroom technique. We strive to make our basic and clinical sciences come alive in the classroom; our scientists particularly emphasize the importance of problem solving over rote memorization.

We encourage and support students to take responsibility for their own learning, with faculty serving as partners to facilitate and guide the learning process.

Q: What are some community outreach activities or programs the school participates in? What volunteer opportunities are available to students?

A: UCSF student pharmacists are involved in a variety of community outreach initiatives and programs.

The student-directed Community Outreach Student Alliance (COSA) coordinates the activities of 14 community service projects, which provide health screenings, disease state management consultation, and workshops focused on underserved populations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Focus areas include diabetes, HIV outreach, tobacco awareness, and asthma education, and vehicles include health fairs and a variety of health information programs.

Interprofessional community service opportunities include medical, dental, nursing, and physical therapy students. The UCSF student-run Homeless Clinic and the Mabuhay Health Center are examples of the provision of culturally competent interprofessional care.

Through the Partners in D initiative, UCSF student pharmacists help underserved seniors and health care colleagues navigate the complex Medicare Part D drug benefit. This national award-winning initiative has provided individual counseling to more than 2000 underserved seniors, trained more than 1000 student pharmacists statewide to provide counseling throughout California, and presented more than 80 lectures to health care professionals. Importantly, these initiatives have resulted in significant cost savings to seniors.

Finally, UCSF student pharmacists are active in education initiatives to promote interest in science and pharmacy. The annual UCSF School of Pharmacy Summer Science Camp initiated in 2007 provides a 1-week day camp each summer to motivate and inspire fourth- and fifth-grade students—especially those who are underrepresented in the health sciences&mdash;to pursue science in college and as a career. Serving up to 60 students annually and funded through donations, students collaborate with faculty to design a hands-on, inquiry-based science experience.

UCSF student pharmacists are also active in promoting interest in UCSF and the pharmacy profession through outreach programs aimed at undergraduates. The Latino Association of Pharmacy Students Annual Outreach conference brings students to campus to learn about UCSF and pharmacy through student- and faculty-led discussions and panels. The student-led Pharmacy Alliance for Mentoring, Leadership and Information pairs local undergraduates with student pharmacist mentors to learn about the student experience at UCSF and provide insight as they evaluate pharmacy as a career.

Q: What advice do you have for students who will graduate this year?

A: Reflecting upon my career as a member of the faculty and now dean, more professional opportunities exist than ever before. State laws have markedly expanded scope of practice and recognition of pharmacists as providers at the national level is imminent. The gaps in primary care also offer opportunities to the PharmD graduate who can bridge these gaps.

While the opportunities exist, much work still needs to be done. The role of pharmacists in society remains poorly defined. In my own opinion, the role of the pharmacist is clear: to ensure the right patient receives the right medicine. However, at the present time, we don’t fully accept full responsibility for this critical role.

Today’s graduating students must be proactive problem solvers who will break down the barriers that hinder the fulfillment of this remarkable opportunity.

Did you know that the University of California, San Francisco was the first college pharmacy students could attend in the West, and that it was the 10th pharmacy school to open in the United States?

University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy

They say home is where the heart is, but could it also be the future site of your next job?

The way we work in pharmacy is fundamentally changing. Pharmacists now do much more “beyond the vial” or “beyond the pill.” We work in compliance, regulatory, clinical operations, health economics, clinical research, medical affairs, and managed care, to name just a few growing areas of pharmacy practice.

With all the variety in health care, coupled with technology, the internet, and the ability to work anywhere with a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection, the exciting news for pharmacists is that they are no longer limited to working in the confines of a pharmacy. Even better, pharmacy jobs both now and in the future may offer a very short commute: from your kitchen or bedroom right to your home office!

An anonymous pharmacist who has practiced for 16 years in addition to 2 years of residency recently took her first job working from home (in one of the roles described below) for a large health care system. “Working from home is an awesome opportunity, especially for a parent who already has limited time with her kids,” she told me. “I now have more flexibility with my time and a shorter workday, since there is no commute, and I can save money on dry cleaning and new clothes!”

She decided last year that it was time to switch to a telecommute position. “I often had to work around dentist appointments, field trips, and after-school activities, and it was becoming more and more difficult to manage my time without it interfering with my job,” she explained. “I knew that working from home would allow me the freedom to run errands over the lunch hour, move my lunch hour to account for appointments, and help me gain almost an hour in time where I no longer have to drive to and from work and pick up my kids.”

Her new situation presents its own challenges, however. “The two things that you have to learn to manage when working from home are the lack of coworker contact and the ability to stay focused on the tasks at hand,” she said. “By taking advantage of instant messaging regularly with coworkers and having 4 or 5 phone meetings per week, it does help you maintain personal contact. I also feel creating a dedicated work space in the house is imperative to success when working from home.”

I’ve worked from home before in business development roles and as a field-based medical science liaison, and I agree that it is important to have a dedicated office space with a door. It’s good to literally close the door after a long day at work and walk away.

While working from home is not for everyone, it could be a great option for many, depending on where they are in their careers and what they expect from their work. If you want to pursue it, here are 6 possibilities to explore.

 Many big health insurance companies are hiring pharmacists who work remotely or from home, including in the realms of prior authorization analysis, fraud and abuse investigations, and clinical and pipeline analysis of new drugs for formulary management.

 Telemedicine and telepharmacy are finally taking off, and you might be able to work for a large retail chain from home.

 Consulting gigs in and around the bustling area of specialty pharmacy allow you to work from home.

 The pharmaceutical and biotech industries offer many home-based jobs, including medical science liaisons that sit out in the field at many companies. Sales offers pharmacists another route to working at home.

Contract clinical research organizations (CROs).

 If clinical research is your passion, check out CROs to see if they offer at-home positions for clinical research associates, medical monitors, or pharmacovigilance professionals.

 Pharmacists can land gigs such as writing, editing, reviewing, or consulting—all done from home.

The options are many and growing. So, as you plan your next career move, consider a at-home option; your next job could be literally just around the corner!

Erin Albert, PharmD, JD, MBA, is a health outcomes pharmacist, an attorney, a writer, co-host of the Pharmacy Podcast, a speaker, an entrepreneur, and president of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Indiana Chapter. For more about her, see her website, 

They say home is where the heart is, but could it also be the future site of your next job?
 

The Future of Pharmacy: Working from Home

Although many recent pharmacy school graduates will face an evolving profession and a competitive job market, the latest figures from the Pharmacist Demand Indicator (PDI) indicate that there is currently a greater demand for pharmacists than there was last year.

Supported by the Pharmacy Workforce Center and previously known as the Aggregate Demand Index, the PDI uses data from panelists involved in hiring pharmacists to provide a continuous measure of national, regional, and state-level demand for pharmacists. The 5-point scale on which the PDI estimates demand can be found on Table 1.

The most recent available data show that national pharmacist demand was 3.20 in March 2017, an increase from the demand score of 2.94 estimated in March 2016. Demand for pharmacists is particularly high among community settings (3.19), compared with institutional settings (2.70).

Regionally, the Western states saw the greatest demand (3.28) in March 2017, followed by the South (3.23) and the Midwest (3.17), while the Northeast saw the least demand for pharmacists (3.09). Notably, the demand in each region was higher in March 2017 than it was in the previous year.

Among individual states, demand for pharmacists was highest in Alaska (4.50), Texas (4.00), Mississippi (4.00), Louisiana (3.80), and Arkansas (3.75), and lowest in Montana (2.50), Rhode Island (2.50), Utah (2.50), Wyoming (2.40), and Hawaii (2.33). See Table 2 for a complete list of the March 2017 demand scores in each state.

Although many recent pharmacy school graduates will face an evolving profession and a competitive job market, the latest figures from the Pharmacist Demand Indicator indicate that there is currently a greater demand for pharmacists than there was last year.
 

Job Facts & Figures: Information for Success

As a modern society, we live in a world focused on “now.” Not only are there are certain results that we want to see, but there are also some we need

to see immediately—and that means we need devices or methods that can deliver relevant and unbiased results to knowledgeable individuals capable of interpreting the information. Just as improvements in cell phone technology eventually produced the smartphone as a way to make information more easily accessible, pharmacists have undergone their own evolution in the services they provide. However, the profession remains underutilized in multiple health care settings, and many opportunities exist for pharmacists to play a larger role on the health care team. One such opportunity, especially in the modern world of “now,” is the generation and interpretation of diagnostic information.

The terms “diagnostics” and “diagnoses” have been around for a very long time, though our understanding of them has changed. The first and oldest wave of diagnostics involved easily measurable values such as age, weight, gender, skin color, and eye color. While these diagnostics are simple in nature, their value should not be underscored; indeed, some of them remain better prognostic indicators than more technologically advanced diagnostics. The second wave of diagnostics arrived with the implementation of novel tools and newer technologies. Significant advances in the understanding of basic human biology, health, and disease were provided by the abilities to measure more subtle and individualistic physical signs and symptoms, as well as the technologies to evaluate bacterial cultures and gather and interpret biological biopsies. The third wave of diagnostics is a fairly recent phenomenon, and new, interesting discoveries have led to as much confusion as they have clarity. As the scope of diagnostics has grown, so have the duties and responsibilities of those involved. Historically, this tended not to directly involve pharmacists, but that is rapidly changing.

Diagnostic-linked treatment decisions are increasing at a staggering pace. Although empirical treatments in which a practitioner may not know a patient’s specific issues are becoming the exception instead of the rule, diagnostics remains uncharted territory for pharmacists in all practice settings. Like the proverbial train on the tracks, it’s approaching quickly whether we like it or not, and our lack of awareness of this area will not protect us from being run over.

That said, it might serve us well to speculate about how easy it will be to add diagnostic responsibilities to the plethora of services already offered by pharmacists. As pharmacists play a larger role on the health care team, many feel stretched to the point of breaking. How, then, might additional activities, such as diagnostic screenings and interpretations, affect an already stressed reality? Also, diagnostics will contribute complexities and uncertainties that may make perfectly skilled and talented pharmacotherapy experts feel like less-than-competent pharmaco-diagnostic-therapy practitioners.

In upcoming installments of this series, we will begin to unpack the realities of what might be a logical yet challenging path forward for the pharmacy profession. Health care is evolving, to be sure, but getting from the murky and unclear present to a brighter future will require us to navigate some potentially rough stretches without full knowledge of the way forward. However, pharmacists remain among the most accessible health care providers in their communities, and their inclusion in the diagnostic arena has the potential to make a significant impact on patient health.

Haroon Mesdaq is a 2018 PharmD candidate at the Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, where he is also pursuing a master’s degree in clinical research through the school’s dual degree program. 

Gary Keil, PhD, RPh, is a board member of the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute; national program co-director of Beautiful Mind Strong Body Center, LLC; and co-owner of Evolutionary Health.

As a modern society, we live in a world focused on “now.”

The Pharmacist's Role in Diagnostic Assessment

There are a multitude of reasons why pharmacy students choose to pursue a career in specialty pharmacy. While some may want to work with orphan drugs and others may wish to treat patient populations with rare disease states, many are drawn to the specialty pharmacy by it’s potential for growth.

As an aspiring specialty pharmacist, there are a number of steps you can take to prepare yourself. Pharmacy schools are filled with opportunities to grow, network, and differentiate yourself, and by engaging in some of these activities, you’ll be well on your way to transforming yourself into an ideal candidate.

One of the best things you can do is gain work experience while you are in school. A good first step is to check for specialty pharmacies around your area. Once you’ve made a list of potential employers, check their websites to see if they have a career section or an area to submit an application. They may have postings for internship positions on their website or listed on job search sites.

An internship within a specialty setting will provide students a wide range of experiences, including exposure to specific products only seen in this area of practice, a chance to observe the high-touch monitoring and clinical information that specialty pharmacies provide, an overview of how reimbursement works within this specific space, and an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the day-to-day workflow in all areas of a specialty pharmacy. 

Make sure your resume is polished before reaching out to these companies. For those who are interested in optimizing their resume, most universities have an office of career services. This is a great resource to gain feedback and improve your resume. You may even have a faculty mentor or an upper classman review. Don’t hesitate to ask them to look over your resume, they may be able to give you more specialized tips than the career services office, who are not practicing in the field of pharmacy.

If specialty pharmacies in your area don’t have any jobs listed online, reach out to their leadership directly and ask if there are any available intern positions. You never know if an opportunity will arise. 

Building connections is among the most important things you can do during your time in pharmacy school. A great resource for networking opportunities is to join your pharmacy school’s chapter of Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists (AMCP). This organization encompasses all aspects of managed care and includes many individuals in the specialty industry. If your school for some reason does not have a local chapter on campus, consider taking the opportunity to start one.

The benefits of AMCP membership are numerous. You can add leadership positions to your resume by becoming a student officer for your campus’ local chapter. For those looking for even more experience, you can volunteer to work as a member of AMCP’s national committees, a number of which include student representatives. You can check the AMCP website for the available committee slots, requirements, and instructions on how to apply.

The AMCP also has national conferences with the AMCP Annual Meeting occurring every March-April, and the AMCP Nexus Meeting held in the fall, which are terrific places to network with pharmacy leaders from all over the country. Even more interesting for students, the AMCP holds a yearly P&T competition with AMCP student members competing at local level before potentially moving on to the national finals. The final competition occurs at the AMCP Annual Meeting.

For those who are interested in interfacing and networking on a more regional level, the AMCP also has numerous regional and state chapters. These localized branches include even more opportunities for students to meet and connect with specialty pharmacists.

For those about to head into their last year of pharmacy school, there are even more opportunities to continue your development. Most students will have the option to select at least one or two elective rotation sites during their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) year.

Rotations will provide you with an introduction to aspects of specialty pharmacy that you may not even see at your normal internship site. This includes exposure to workflow management, medications not found in other practice settings, clinical management of these complex disease states, and insurance concerns with these products. As such, advanced practice rotations are another great way to further get your name out into the specialty world.

Some students may also have a part of the year set aside for research or independent study during the professional phases of the curriculum. You may want to seek out faculty members of your school who have experience in the specialty field, and ask if they have any opportunities you could use to fill this rotation block.

Research experience looks great on a resume and is a mechanism to differentiate yourself from other candidates. This research can also be submitted and presented at national meetings.

There are residencies and fellowships available for graduates who are looking to become specialty pharamcists.

For those who want to learn more about these opportunities, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and AMCP both hold residency showcases where specialty pharmacy programs appear.  The ASHP residency showcase is held each December during their midyear meeting, while AMCP’s residency showcase is held in the Fall during their yearly Nexus meeting.

Overall, the amount of ways you can engage in the specialty world as a student are numerous. There are a multitude of opportunities to both build your network and a strong resume. By keeping yourself engaged and active during your time in pharmacy school, you have the chance to make important connections, and gain valuable experience that can help you achieve your goals. 

Matthew Sullivan, PharmD is a 2017 graduate of the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy. 

Jonathan Ogurchak, PharmD, is Vice President for Business Operations at PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy. 

There are a multitude of reasons why pharmacy students choose to pursue a career in specialty pharmacy.

Pharmacy Careers Spring 2017

Creating Your Brand as a Future Health Care Provider

University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy

The Future of Pharmacy: Working from Home

Job Facts & Figures: Information for Success

The Pharmacist's Role in Diagnostic Assessment

Preparing for a Career in Specialty Pharmacy