Skills Pharmacy School Does Not Prepare You For

Skills pharmacy school does not prepare you for. These are skills you need as a pharmacist but some how it was skipped throughout pharmacy school. At first it comes as a shock. For a second I wander what next, probably message a mentor for their opinion. But eventually as time passed I learnt on the job, I gain the experience and devise the best plan to overcome and carry on as the responsible pharmacist.

Medicine Bagging: 

Yes it is a skill and the first on the list.
A pharmacist bags every prescription checked. I do not remember a lecture on how many Ventolin inhalers could fit into a medium bag. The number of times I had to repack a prescription because I did not choose the right bag.

Patience:

The Art of Patience.
A pharmacist patience is tested on a daily basis. It is either the Strong-Willed Staff, Highly-Opinionated Staff, Rebellious Staff, Angry Customer or Difficult Customer. Being able to manage a pharmacy team requires the skill of patience. Being able to stay calm over a shouting customer and still provide the best customer service requires a ton of patience.

Building Surgery Relationship:

Is this even a thing?
Yes it is.
Building a work relationship with the surgery staff is one of the most important relationships in community pharmacy. And trust me the surgery staff is one team you need on your side. If the surgery receptionist disapproves of your method, they can make a day in the pharmacy long and painful. Forget about getting a script signed in seconds. A pharmacist must learn to interact effectively with the surgery staff.

Adaptability:

With every store there is a Legacy.
It could be good (and that is great) or bad. A pharmacist will inherit the store either way. If the HCA has no idea of the sales protocol, it is the current pharmacist responsibility. A pharmacist must adapt to different dispensing systems, different teams, and stay up to date with the pharmacy world.

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What did you have to figure out for yourself in Pharmacy World? Comment Below