Throw Out Resolutions – They Don’t Work
Are you feeling stuck, or wondering what you got yourself into by living the life you are living now? Or maybe you know exactly what you want, but you’re having internal conflicts about how to get where you want to go?
Seeing pharmacists feel stuck is one of the main reasons why I went from working as a pharmacist in ambulatory care clinics on Native American reservations to helping pharmacists find the right jobs for them. I was tired of seeing pharmacists feel stuck in what they were doing & feeling like they need to settle.
Seeing pharmacists lose their passion was frustrating to me. A job is just a part of your life, but the way you approach your job can reflect how you approach life. Many pharmacists I’ve seen who’ve lost zest in their jobs have also lost zest in their dreams for their life.
This is the year for you to take the big leap.
Here’s a secret to how you may be sabotaging yourself & not achieving what you want to achieve, even though you’ve put forth the effort: Conflicting desires. Even if you are clear about what you want, sometimes you are not achieving what you want to achieve because of internal conflicts that you may not realize about. I know this very well myself-–on the surface, I felt I was clear, but during times when I struggled and wasn’t as successful as I could be, it was because I had an internal conflict.
On the surface, you tell yourself that you plan on spending more time with your family and will not stay late from work anymore. But you keep picking up shifts when your boss asks you to, so you can make more money. Or, you may have set the resolution of being financially set when you retire and that you plan to invest $500 every month, but you don’t spend your time figuring out what to do with that money you invest; instead you buy new clothes or a new car.
You need to overcome your internal conflicts in order to achieve what you want to achieve. Sounds simple? If you aren’t achieving what you are wanting to achieve, chances are that you have not overcome them or they are masked. Stop writing resolutions that don’t work. Start with the secrets I’m going to teach you.
Join me in my FREE “Throw Out Resolutions & Live Your Purpose in 2010” Teleseminar to start out the New Year. It is completely my gift to you.
“Throw Out Resolutions & Live Your Purpose in 2010”
The program is over, but you may access the FREE replay instantly:
Give yourself the gift of this 1-hr teleseminar:
· Learn how to achieve what you want to achieve without setting resolutions that don’t work
· Re-connect with your higher purpose
· Release what isn’t supporting you
· Discover 3 ways to overcome internal conflicts related to the gap between where you are & where you want to go without feeling pressured
Come away with clarity & a plan to live your purpose in 2010 like you never have before! Register Now! You will get the call-in details when you register.
You will also receive a bonus gift, “90-Days to a New You” accountability e-course. We are in this together. As you leap into the next level of your passion, or re-discover your passion, I am also going to take that leap with you, stepping into the next level of my passion.
Look forward to connecting with you on the call and seeing you re-ignite your passion and create a plan to live it.
To 2010 & new beginnings!
Misunderstood Expectations, to a Pharmacy Everyone Wants to Work For
One of the main reasons why pharmacists leave their jobs is because they have an unsupportive team environment. Pharmacy managers & HR managers, here is one solution to that:
Create a Code of Honor. Create a “code of honor” specifically for the pharmacy. This is something that isn’t talked about a lot, but is in essence the things (said or unsaid) that a team works according to. If there is not an established code of honor for the team, an individual usually goes by his/her own code of honor to make decisions. This is where you can start having problems. Read more on why it matters, what examples of a code of honor are, and how to create a team environment everyone wants to be a part of. Read more
I Hate Pulling Other People’s Weight
Have you ever worked in a pharmacy where you felt like you had to pull other people’s weight? That other pharmacists didn’t have the same view as you regarding workflow?
I was just having a conversation with a pharmacist who is experiencing this: prescriptions piling up to be handed out while another pharmacist he works with seems to prioritize differently & may spend more time reviewing patient records than noticing that prescriptions are piling up to be handed out. And that this person doesn’t necessarily do it intentionally, but is perhaps one-track minded & unaware when he gets deep into reviewing patient records.
I have observed this myself while practicing in a pharmacy, noticing pharmacists have different viewpoints about what is acceptable workflow priority and speed. I have seen pharmacy staff become frustrated with each other at varying levels. It comes from the belief that a particular priority is the right one & in being upset that someone else isn’t matching up to how you feel priorities should lie.
With my experience in practice, this is a conclusion that I’ve come to–that just like a spouse or a family member, you have no control over what someone else perceives & chooses to do. What you do have control over is influencing someone. As a leader too, you also don’t ever really have control over anyone; you can inspire others to do as you request & there may be consequences to them perhaps not meeting your expectations, but no person can be controlled.
What you do have control over is stepping up & encourage others. You have the ability to use your leadership skills even if you are not the designated leader, by asking them to help you out where you feel the workflow priorities are, if they appear oblivious. Do the best that you can in your role and in your encouragement of others; then let go of the rest. Otherwise, it can only create frustration in you.
If it is to the point where you feel that another pharmacist’s workflow priorities are impacting your workflow substantially, approach your pharmacy director or direct manager and have a conversation about how they feel the workflow priorities are to be.
Pharmacy managers, consider setting clear cut workflow priorities that are both verbally expressed to the whole group and written, so it becomes a standard and there are no questions about what expectations are for everyone.
What is your advice when you’ve encountered this situation? What has worked or hasn’t worked for you?
10 Things I Want For Christmas – Pharmacist’s List
Pharmacist’s “10 Things What I Want for Christmas” List
1. A set schedule, preferably M-F, Day Shift and nothing else
2. Patients who tell me how much they appreciate my help. They like to ask me about my medications.
(for retail pharmacists: They never leave voicemails telling me they want “all their medications”, nor ask me to ring up their coupons)
3. A boss who acknowledges me frequently for the contribution I am making
4. Working in a pharmacy that doesn’t require roller skates to keep up with how busy it is. One that is always fully staffed.
5. A clinical position, as clinical as I would like it to be Read more
4 Secret Ways to Attract Good Pharmacists to Your Pharmacy (Part I)
Don’t you wish that you could always be fully staffed and never have to worry about hiring pharmacists or getting pharmacist coverage when you need it?
There are more pharmacist candidates to choose from in this competitive pharmacist job market, but pharmacies are still telling me that it is taking time to find the right candidate. There are more candidates to sift through. In fact, many of you are holding out to hire just the right pharmacist because you want to make sure he/she is the right investment.
The scoop #1: Pharmacists are discouraged by the lack of fulfillment in their job.
SOLUTION: The more you are able to offer in your position a good mix between clinical/staff, the ability to be involved in non-routine work and offer a sense of contribution beyond simply dispensing, the easier time you will have attracting a good pharmacist.
Take an interest not only in the pharmacist’s professional & career development, but also offer the opportunity for personal growth. By doing so, you expand your pharmacist’s capacity to handle different situations and step into being the best pharmacist possible for your patients. This can involve teleseminar training, live event training, books, CDs on areas outside of pharmacy.
Share with your potential pharmacist hires how your company is different with encouraging personal growth & fulfillment in their jobs. This alone will make your company more attractive than others.
Comment below on this idea & what else has worked for your pharmacy to attract good pharmacists. Stay tuned in future blog posts for 3 other secret ways to attract good pharmacists for your pharmacy.
How Will The Healthcare Reform Affect Pharmacy Practice?
(Updated 3/30/10)
There has been a lot of buzz & speculation about how the healthcare reform will impact pharmacy practice. Concrete understanding of its true impact will be made more clear as it moves forward into implementation.
Many pharmacists feel that the healthcare reform is likely to positively impact pharmacy practice because of its support of pharmacy practice and its importance in the healthcare system.
Pharmacy-related aspects of the passed bill include a loan-forgiveness program & grants for pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services. The bill scales back cuts to Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement rates under the average manufacturer price, and exempts pharmacies from durable medical equipment accreditation requirements.
Increased access to healthcare as a result of the reform is expected to increase healthcare demand, and some say this is good for pharmacists. However, more prescriptions filled does not mean more money generated for pharmacies. For example, with Medicare, you must fill a higher volume of prescriptions to generate the same amount of profit as you may when a patient is on insurance.
As the healthcare reform moves forward and plays itself out in the upcoming years, it is important for pharmacists to continue to educate our legislators on what pharmacists do. The impression we make to our legislators can result in their support or lack of support about what pharmacists do. Some legislators do not see the level of care that pharmacists can provide to them in the pharmacies they go to. This can happen especially in pharmacies that are understaffed. In those pharmacies, pharmacists may not be able to give each patient the attention they’d like.
How do you think the healthcare reform will affect pharmacy? What are your biggest questions about how it can impact pharmacy? I know some of you are concerned about whether pharmacist salaries will be affected; others wonder how it will affect the pharmaceutical industry or managed care pharmacies. Share your questions below.
How can you contribute to educate the public about our profession & encourage lawmakers to encourage pharmacy practice the way we’d like to practice? Check out APhA’s website on steps to take to make legislators aware of what we do. Share your story and move legislators. Comment below with your opinion on how the healthcare reform will impact pharmacists and their practice.
Are cover letters good for online applying?
Q: Chen, are cover letters good for online applying?
A: Even if the online site just asks for your resume, if you are able effectively to capture a pharmacy hiring manager’s attention with a cover letter, by all means write one. Just make sure that the formatting will come thru properly with your resume underneath it.
Cover letters are good for online & offline applying only if they are truly targeted towards the specific job you are applying for, and ties in nicely to highlight your experience that makes you different from any other pharmacist. It is an introduction to you and is essentially a compelling statement marketing yourself and why you should be considered. It is also an opportunity for your personality to shine through that cannot necessarily be captured in a resume.
If it doesn’t convey anything special or extra from what you put in a resume, then it is a waste of space. This is a common mistake pharmacists make. I frequently see generic cover letters and it is such a turnoff to pharmacy employers. It may be interpreted that you don’t really care about the opportunity enough to put attention to it. Read more
Is it Aptitude or Attitude that Counts in an Interview?
Aptitude gets you in the door. Your resume is the place to show off your aptitude. Are you a pharmacist with relevant experience for the role that they are looking for? Do you appear to consistently be an overachiever who is loyal (and likely to be a good investment for the company, rather than a job hopper?)
During the interview, you will clarify your aptitude so that a potential pharmacy employer feels confident about your capabilities related to the job. Your employer is also looking for the right attitude.
I have seen pharmacists who may have been borderline in consideration when it comes to experience, but they were able to stand out from others in a resume and sell themselves so well in an interview that they get the job. The pharmacy director or hiring manager appreciates the attitude and enthusiasm of the pharmacist, finds it to be a good fit, and wants to offer him/her the job. That is how important crafting your resume to stand out & acing the interview is.
Be cautious about being overconfident without being able to back it up; it won’t do you much good. Saying that “I can learn quickly” is trite to the point that you might as well have not said it at all. However, if you back it up by examples & tie it in to the specific responsibilities of the job, it makes you stand out. Example: “My recent pharmacy manager asked me to start a pharmacy-run smoking cessation program. Although I didn’t have the experience, I participated in intensive training & created a program that helped 121 patients quit smoking in 6 months; X % of the patients continued to be non-smokers after 12 months.” See the difference?
This is something that my students in the Get the Edge program have practiced to get the edge over the competition during the application & interview process.
What do you think–is it aptitude or attitude? Share your thoughts or your own experience where aptitude or attitude seemed to have counted more—comment below.
What does Tiger Woods have to do with getting an interview for a pharmacist position?
Tiger Woods gets paid $100 million every year to endorse products, because having his name associated with products helps make billions in sales.
His image is no longer the same to those companies. The media now refers to him as “Cheetah”, rather than “Tiger”. It is still possible for him to make a lot of money from endorsements, but they will have to alter the way they promote Tiger Woods’s image with the products. His picture perfect image is no longer the same. I’m sure that when Tiger was not being a “better person and the husband and father that my family deserves”, he wasn’t thinking about the implications of his image if the media got on to him.
Even if you don’t care about Tiger Woods & his image, one lesson to learn from how the media is having a field day about it is to realize that everyone will judge whether you like it or not.
This is the same when you are wanting to get an interview for a pharmacist job you want.
Reputation matters. Impressions count.
Reputation matters. It’s amazing how fast word travels in the pharmacy world. I know someone who applied for a hospital position a few months ago. Someone at the hospital knew him & told the pharmacy director that he’s a bad apple. Now, just because someone doesn’t like you doesn’t mean you won’t get a job, but if someone known and trusted by a pharmacy director shares negative comments about you, those first impressions will hurt you, compared to the first impressions from someone else who doesn’t come with that information tied to them. Read more
What is Considered Job Hopping in Pharmacy?
Question: Chen, what is considered job hopping in the pharmacy profession? Does it really matter if I leave a job within a year?
Answer: In our parents’ generation, it was common for people to stay in their jobs until they retired. In this generation, people move around jobs more frequently. However, if you leave jobs within 2 years, it is typically considered job hopping, unless you are a relief pharmacist.
Leaving positions frequently before sticking it out for at least 2 years is what you need to be concerned about. This says to a pharmacy employer that you may not be a good investment to them, even if you are great at what you do. It takes time, money, and resources to train someone fully, not to mention the costs of screening & hiring a pharmacist.
What is considered unacceptable? Read more