Developing for Future Pharmacy Roles & Responsibilities

The PQS by Innovaccer Quality Corner Show talks with Christine Perry, R,Ph, Manager, Pharmacy Recruiting and College Relations at Albertsons about transitioning into a pharmacist role and growing as a pharmacist.

Perry talks about areas of focus and certifications necessary to become a successful pharmacist. She also provides advice for future pharmacists and pharmacy technicians entering the field on how to thrive, but more importantly, why they should follow their heart when choosing their path forward.

Chapters

• 0:55 Introduction
• 5:10 Skills for Pharmacy Success
• 11:35 Advice for Future Pharmacists
• 17:55 Deciding on a Career Path
• 19:38 A growth mindset
• 24:32 The Future of Pharmacy
• 28:12 Closing

Transcript

00:00:00:16 - 00:00:20:01

Christine Perry

I think the first thing I asked him is how much patient contact do you want to have? Because that really can separate. And then once you kind of know that, then you start to look at all of the different pathways that are within that, you know, that that section there. I also think they really need to understand the roles and responsibilities.

00:00:20:01 - 00:00:39:15

Christine Perry

So the difference between what I want to do with what you actually are going to do in the role. Not every role is as progressive as others, not every state. So you really have to understand what you want to do and then understand what you need to be successful now, but also what is coming up in the future.

00:00:39:18 - 00:00:47:01

Christine Perry

So we have to maybe look at pharmacy and or like a research and development in R&D.

00:00:47:03 - 00:00:56:24

Voiceover

Welcome to the Pharmacy Quality Solutions Quality Corner Show. Buckle up and put your thinking cap on. The Quality Corner Show starts now.

00:00:57:01 - 00:01:17:15

Nick Dorich

Hello Quality Corner show listeners, welcome to the PQS podcast where we focus on medication use, quality improvement and how we can utilize pharmacists to improve patient health outcomes. I'm your host, Nick Dortch. Now, I do have with me, if you are watching on YouTube, you're a special guest for today. And that is Christine Perry, manager, Pharmacy Recruiting and College Relations, with Albertsons.

00:01:17:16 - 00:01:20:11

Nick Dorich

Christine, how are you today? How's it going?

00:01:20:13 - 00:01:27:19

Christine Perry

I'm good. Nick, it's so wonderful to see you. And I really appreciate this. Invite. An opportunity to come and chat with you today.

00:01:27:21 - 00:01:51:05

Nick Dorich

Excellent. Well, for folks, if you don't know, Christine, we're going to give a little bit of background. Christine, you and I have known each other for perhaps longer than either one of us wants to admit. We'll keep that to just us. We're not going to air out our laundry here, but, Christine, can you give us a background on, you know, what is your background and experience in pharmacy and in healthcare and then how that relates to what it is that you do today at Albertsons?

00:01:51:07 - 00:02:12:13

Christine Perry

Absolutely. So I graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and I am a proud community pharmacist. You know, I went to pharmacy school wanting to be in community practice and left wanting to be in community practice. So that really is my specialty. I started working for my company at the age of 16, which is what actually inspired me to be a pharmacist.

00:02:12:14 - 00:02:31:11

Christine Perry

After talking to my pharmacist and finding out what they did all day. And then I had my path set. So I have now been with my company. I celebrated my 40th anniversary, this year. Can you believe it? I spent a lot of money at, Sephora and some anti-aging cream, but, so I'm in a different role, but with the with the same company.

00:02:31:12 - 00:02:53:19

Christine Perry

So over the years, I obviously worked as an intern in the greater Boston area and graduated, went right into practice, and then moved up, and went into our office doing operations. At that time, my focus was on scheduling and recruiting and training. Then eventually I moved up to a corporate position which is doing, recruiting full time.

00:02:53:19 - 00:03:13:20

Christine Perry

So and I've been in this position now for almost close to 20 years. So I really do love it. And, I think the piece that I love the most is being the one that opens the door for great pharmacists to join our company. And then I really get to watch them shine and do you know, great things in their career.

00:03:13:20 - 00:03:20:00

Christine Perry

So I have a sense of pride, sort of like a pharmacy mom, in what they do and watching them over the years.

00:03:20:02 - 00:03:51:24

Nick Dorich

Yeah, absolutely. And seeing that that kind of aspect of being a pharmacy mom and mentor, you know, guiding life. I certainly that was how you and I had originally met. And you and I typically get a chance at least once a year to catch up at the APhA annual meeting. And the conversation we're going to have today is, is actually kind of dovetailing off of the conversation you and I had at this year's, 2024 APhA meeting and talking about, you know, how we prepare pharmacists because graduating from pharmacy school, it is different than practicing.

00:03:51:24 - 00:04:10:09

Nick Dorich

You know, once you're on the bench, especially in a changing health care environment. So what our conversation today is going to focus on is really, hey, what is how do you go from that somewhat theoretical, or from that curriculum to what you need to learn when you're doing it, you know, real. For the real experience of being hands on with pharmacy practice and experience.

00:04:10:09 - 00:04:26:23

Nick Dorich

And I think really from, just my own conversations with various, people that have been involved, this industry, you have been on both sides of us on the bench, but now also in kind of that corporate setting, making sure that people can transition. So we're going to hope to provide everybody with a little bit of considerations. How do you effectively transition,

00:04:27:00 - 00:04:45:01

Nick Dorich

what are the non book lessons that you need to make sure you have or that you learn and develop, and becoming a pharmacist, and hopefully we'll have some other, you know, interesting tidbits that keep people really excited, you know, for this industry going forward. So, Christine, with that is our background. Are you ready to begin for today's conversation?

00:04:45:03 - 00:04:46:04

Christine Perry

Absolutely.

00:04:46:06 - 00:05:11:04

Nick Dorich

All right. Well, Christine, first question I have for you. Let let's dive right into it. Pharmacy school curriculum. It provides us with a lot of information and a lot of knowledge. It's a lot of time spent on pharmacotherapy and, book application or being able to, really apply that, really understanding the knowledge. But how we apply that knowledge is what makes for a good pharmacist, not just a good pharmacist, but a great pharmacist.

00:05:11:10 - 00:05:29:07

Nick Dorich

So from your own standpoint, you know, when it comes to students, residents, fellows and new pharmacists, are there any, you know, important skills, maybe things that you didn't learn in pharmacy school that are imperative to becoming a successful pharmacist as you start or as you continue throughout the course of your career?

00:05:29:09 - 00:05:55:04

Christine Perry

Absolutely. So I'll break them down into two areas what I think is really clinically focus for us. And then another area of more of, professional success. So, the first thing is certifications. I think this is really a growing area of pharmacy. Most students graduate with just their immunization certificate. There's a few schools that are now adding on MTM or diabetes, but not all.

00:05:55:04 - 00:06:20:01

Christine Perry

And I do think that sort of the new trifecta that you do have to graduate with those certifications, you know, so I encourage, college of pharmacy faculty, you know, the accreditation bodies to really look at that and adding that in because that is what today's pharmacists needs on day one to go out and impact patients, but also look at different payment models and certification and collaborative practice and things there.

00:06:20:01 - 00:06:43:05

Christine Perry

So so I think certifications is is the big thing that we're looking at. And then also looking at BPS right. So officially board certifications, whether that is in nuclear pharmacy, psychiatric pharmacy, Ambulatory care, there's a whole bunch to choose from. And I think that's another area that's continue to grow. That certainly not an entry level right at graduation.

00:06:43:05 - 00:07:09:17

Christine Perry

But I think people really looking out where they'd like to specialize, where they'd like their expertise. So I think those are probably the two areas that are really our gold standards is different certifications. And, BPS. I also think that different certificate programs, things are going to allow us to advance the practice, prescribe like hormonal contraception, epinephrine prescribing, you know, Prep and pep, Doxyprep

00:07:09:22 - 00:07:29:15

Christine Perry

I think that's the next level of certificate programs. And I think colleges of pharmacy should also look at what their state is providing now for pharmacists authority and what's coming up in the next few years. And again, try and find ways to add that into the curriculum or allow it as maybe, you know, another class that they would be able to take.

00:07:29:17 - 00:07:55:06

Christine Perry

And add that in another area that pharmacists can look at is micro-certifications. And if you don't know what that is, those are short, competency based courses that are really going to help to build our skill level and that transition and to the other skills that pharmacists need, which would be around leadership and interpersonal skills. So, micro-certifications can help you achieve that.

00:07:55:11 - 00:08:27:00

Christine Perry

They can be things such as communication and leadership. I also think financials in a business acumen is important for any pharmacist to have, the payers control the market and we have to get in the game and understand how things work and then how that impacts our profession, how that impacts our patient. So, financials are good for every pharmacist, you know, on the business end, other areas of leadership and interpersonal skills would be problem solving, critical thinking, resilience.

00:08:27:06 - 00:08:54:01

Christine Perry

I think DEI is extremely important to know. And then the last thing would be bilingual skills. So a Spanish speaking pharmacist, a pharmacist that may be trilingual is very valuable, to be able to serve, the patients in their community. So that would be, I think, the group of areas of looking at both your clinical focus of what we have to do as practitioners, but other areas where we can really strengthen ourselves, to be drivers in our profession.

00:08:54:03 - 00:09:09:22

Nick Dorich

Thanks, Christine. So a couple of items I want to hit on before we go on to the next part. And so you mentioned three certificates. Is that trifecta, immunizations, which are most schools and colleges are offering. But I think MTM and diabetes were those the other two that you mentioned or that they grouped with it?

00:09:09:24 - 00:09:35:21

Christine Perry

Yeah. So I think those are the other gold standard, a certificate for courses that are out there right now. There are some HIV courses. There's obviously some vet courses that are out there and different things, but I think those that are universal in every state, that every pharmacist, that would be the new, I think, trifecta of the gold standard that each pharmacist should expect to have either as they enter practice or very shortly thereafter.

00:09:35:23 - 00:09:51:20

Nick Dorich

Great. And I think this is an important, you know, important point for us to to talk about, because when we graduate, when we get that Pharm D, or even as we're going through a program, we know as pharmacists that continuing education is part of the program. And it's not just getting the CE hours, but medicine and health care.

00:09:51:20 - 00:10:12:22

Nick Dorich

They change both in terms of what we know, you know, treatments that are available, understanding the disease state. And then one of my big recommendations when I work with young pharmacists or graduating pharmacists, students becoming pharmacists is it becomes really important for you and your career. Do you want to be a, you know, do you want to generalize and being able to approach anything and everything?

00:10:13:00 - 00:10:43:19

Nick Dorich

And that's where you know, Christine, to your point, immunizations, MTM, diabetes, those are all very common. That's going to be there in every single community. And that's a skill set, a mindset where it can transfer, you know, really wherever you're going to be versus if you do want to go in something more specialized, like HIV, that may be harder to get into and there may be limited opportunities, but there does come to some degree, a higher degree of perhaps job satisfaction, or being able to have a or more specialized, you know, job that could be perhaps more insulated in the job market as well.

00:10:43:23 - 00:11:04:20

Nick Dorich

But really, that's always one of my big biggest pieces for younger pharmacists or newer pharmacists is either you got to figure out early: generalist, or do you want to be specific and, you know, taking that approach to it? I do also really appreciate your call out here for being able to understand, to some degree, the economics of the pharmacy business that becomes increasingly important as we're working with pharmacies today.

00:11:05:01 - 00:11:19:10

Nick Dorich

And then the other aspect that you talked about, whether it's DEI, you know, population working in the community, you know, when we go to pharmacy school, maybe somewhere close by to where we grew up, it may be somewhere, you know, that's a city that we wanted to go to or hey, maybe it's where our parents want went to school.

00:11:19:10 - 00:11:35:02

Nick Dorich

We want to go there. But where you get your first job, especially if you're doing a residency or fellowship program, you may be going somewhere where you're uncomfortable and is maybe not your first choice. So that kind of flexibility to be able to work with, because ultimately the community that we're in, those are the people that we're working with.

00:11:35:07 - 00:11:52:09

Nick Dorich

So being able to provide them that healthcare knowledge is going to be absolutely key for what we do going forward. So, Christine, with that, you know, let's talk about that a little bit further. You know, for someone that is entering the pharmacy, pharmacy profession, either as a pharmacist or a technician, you know, what's your advice to them?

00:11:52:09 - 00:12:09:03

Nick Dorich

You know, what's what's our current state of pharmacy and what are going to be the things that are most important for them so that they're successful in this endeavor in the pharmacy profession. But also so that the profession, you know, continues to not just survive, but also thrive as we go forward. What advice would you offer?

00:12:09:05 - 00:12:28:08

Christine Perry

Yeah, Nick, great question. So I do a lot of mentoring and precepting as you do. And often the most difficult question, which would seem to be the easiest, is right, what do you want to do when you grow up? Right? What do you want to do with your life? And it is so difficult for students, right, or new grads to kind of answer that question.

00:12:28:14 - 00:12:49:01

Christine Perry

So I, I take them through, you know, a series of, of a few questions to see. And I think the first thing I ask them is how much patient contact do you want to have? Because that really can separate, and then once you kind of know that, then you start to look at all of the different pathways that are within that, you know, that that section there.

00:12:49:03 - 00:13:12:17

Christine Perry

I also think they really need to understand the roles and responsibilities. So the difference between what I want to do with what you actually are going to do in the role. Not every role is as progressive as others, not every state. So you really have to understand what you want to do and then understand what you need to be successful now, but also what is coming up in the future.

00:13:12:17 - 00:13:31:19

Christine Perry

Right? So we have to maybe look at pharmacy as like a research and development right into R&D. What's in the pipeline, what's coming up? What do I need to do now and what do I need to do in the next five years? To stay up to date in in what my area is? I think you also understand what the scope of practice is and what you you'd like to do.

00:13:31:19 - 00:14:06:16

Christine Perry

I mean, like I said earlier, I've always wanted to be the community pharmacist. That's my space I celebrated. I'm an expert in that space. And what do I need to do to be at the top of my game to take care of patients? I also think it's important that we all remember that we have a pharmacist in charge role, and I think a lot of us are thinking that we're a clinician and we want to stay in that space when when I talk about really understanding the roles and responsibilities every one of us has to put on a pharmacist in charge hat we may not be the pharmacy director, the pharmacy manager, but

00:14:06:16 - 00:14:28:06

Christine Perry

we are going to be the pharmacist in charge. And what does that mean? What comes with that in regards to what we have to do to lead and manage our team, our patients, the facility that we're in. So. So again, the leadership piece is really important, but we can't ignore the fact that we are in a leadership role and we're in a area where we have to make the call.

00:14:28:06 - 00:14:54:12

Christine Perry

You have to be in charge. So it's not, just, you know, clinically focused. There is more there. So I think also understanding that and celebrating it and, and walking into that and then, pharmacy is more again than just the clinical. There's the business side and there's the operational side. And even if you again, don't officially want to move in there, you want to stay very close to the patient.

00:14:54:14 - 00:15:11:21

Christine Perry

I think you have to understand those roles and responsibilities, how you fit in with that, how you work there as a team, and again, how just the whole system works. So I think it's important to make sure that you're aware of that and have some knowledge to be successful. And then when it comes to technicians, I think, right.

00:15:12:00 - 00:15:38:14

Christine Perry

So technicians, I would really like to remind them that that this is not just a job for techs. It's a career. And I think that's really exciting. People can get benefits, they can support their family, they can make a good salary. They are a valued member of the health care team. I think if you ask any pharmacist, right, they get their right arm for their technicians, a team, their right.

00:15:38:14 - 00:16:00:21

Christine Perry

They a lot of them are like, I'm giving up my cost of living increase my raise, give it to my team, give it to my staff. And then what's also really exciting for technicians, there's a lot of expansion in their scope of practice. A lot of technicians are being trained to do vaccines. A lot of technicians are working on adherence and helping with the gap there.

00:16:00:23 - 00:16:06:16

Christine Perry

So, so they are, again, a very valuable member of our team and play an important role.

00:16:06:18 - 00:16:23:13

Nick Dorich

Yeah. I'm going to hop right on to that. That note about technicians and Christina, I was at a trade show this summer with independent pharmacies, but, you know, had one, you know, pharmacy owner that was talking with us about, hey, we're not able to do some of the things that I want to do for our business, because, you know, he had a lead technician that left and it was no longer at his pharmacy.

00:16:23:13 - 00:16:57:00

Nick Dorich

And, you know, they were trying to do as much as they can. But the technicians are the lifeblood of the pharmacy. We think of pharmacy, and it's what we do for patients and yes, that that is there and that part is always there. But at the same time, you need to make sure that the wheels are always turning and you know, you're going to have a pharmacist or a pharmacist on staff, but for every pharmacist you're having or you need to have, you know, how many technicians they're supporting and handling administrative items, you know, handling billing, you know, drug or, excuse me, prescription intake, doing all of those things and being able to triage effectively.

00:16:57:04 - 00:17:14:23

Nick Dorich

Hey, a patient is coming to the counter. Is it the transaction versus, hey, do we need to have them speak with the pharmacist or go out in front of the OTC aisle and, and help a, a pharmacist help the patient select, you know, the right cough and cold medicine, which is very pertinent. Now, you know, for, for myself, having, just being getting over an illness.

00:17:14:23 - 00:17:35:19

Nick Dorich

Right. Those are all essential aspects, to having pharmacy technicians, as you said, Christine, I think there's a lot of us in this profession that do absolutely view it as a career pathway, and that we want that to really expand more, for those members of our team. Christine, the other item where you started off talking about this, and thinking about, well, hey, what are you going to do in your career?

00:17:35:21 - 00:17:51:21

Nick Dorich

It had me thinking a lot of it's almost like, kids playing soccer, right? Like I'm talking small five year olds when they play soccer, we're just kind of chasing after the ball. It's not playing the game so much, right? It could be very easy for someone to graduate pharmacy school. And hey, I've gotten I'm doing the job I'm going to do the thing.

00:17:52:01 - 00:18:12:07

Nick Dorich

What you're suggesting is that we need to be playing, you know, in this metaphor, we need to be playing a more mature form of soccer, not just following the ball, but thinking ahead. What is it that you want to do and what career path best suits you to take on that sort of role, both for your own development, where you're living, how you want to work and, and, going through for, for some of those aspects.

00:18:12:07 - 00:18:16:02

Nick Dorich

So does that does that metaphor resonate with you here for the description?

00:18:16:04 - 00:18:32:10

Christine Perry

Yeah, absolutely. And I often will ask students like really follow your heart. You know, it's talking to a student a little bit earlier this week. And he had a lot of people in his head. He had his preceptors at his current APPE rotation. And it was kind of he was he was I think, trying to please and take that all.

00:18:32:10 - 00:18:52:05

Christine Perry

And I was like, what do you love to do? What do you really like? And when I really asked that question, he was able to tell me, but there was always still the but because he had so many other people, I said, you need to really follow your heart. You need to look right deep inside and get the know the the noise out and focus on what you're really passionate about.

00:18:52:05 - 00:19:15:19

Christine Perry

And then that's the key. It doesn't matter what someone else would like you to do, but if you're not interested in oncology, that's not the pathway or the setting for you. Right? And if you're if you're, really interested in ambulatory care, then that's the great setting for you. So you've got to kind of find, what makes you happy, where you really be successful and bright, as they say, right?

00:19:15:19 - 00:19:19:04

Christine Perry

You'll enjoy going into your job and making a difference every day.

00:19:19:06 - 00:19:40:17

Nick Dorich

Yeah. So, Christine, moving to our next question and a lot of our conversation, and even when you and I talked about six months ago with this theory in mind, it comes down to what I, I would boil it down to. It's the necessity for us in the pharmacy profession to have a growth mindset. How do we expand what we do, and how are we able to be flexible?

00:19:40:19 - 00:19:57:21

Nick Dorich

Taking that clinical knowledge but expanding to the services we provide and working with patients. As you've spoken about the. Christina, hey, how do you grow in a way that's going to be, most satisfying, most content for you as an individual? How do you go and work into a practice setting and even items? You brought up business considerations.

00:19:57:21 - 00:20:12:01

Nick Dorich

So, you know, when it comes to developing and honing that growth mindset, you know, how important to that is, is that for a new pharmacist? And are there ways that you would recommend that folks can cultivate that as they go throughout their career?

00:20:12:03 - 00:20:31:08

Christine Perry

Yeah, I think, you know, if you're going to enter a career in health care, there are going to be medical advances, right? New ways to take care of patients, new medications that are coming into but in the future. So that is part of, the profession that we have decided to do in being in health care.

00:20:31:14 - 00:20:53:20

Christine Perry

I try and take a tiered approach, as I continue to learn, the first thing I, I look at is to make sure that I’m staying on top of the areas where I have expertise. So for me, I have focused on my CEs this year, on vaccines, and the GOP1s. Right. That's what's hot in, in, you know, direct patient care.

00:20:53:22 - 00:21:21:09

Christine Perry

That's what they're concerned about. So I want to make sure, as an expert in those areas that I'm completely at the top of what the new, standards are. Then I try and approach areas where I need some development or or I need to refresh. So again, for me this year I did a CE on cannabis. So I'm up to date on that and make sure that I'm actually asking those questions of patients who are coming in, right, because I get to understand the toxicology there.

00:21:21:09 - 00:21:40:16

Christine Perry

And right goes into that. And then, I think a lot of patients I've been seeing with Crohn's, IBS, and rheumatology, so I needed to refresh there. So I've been trying to focus some additional CEs. And then the last thing I would encourage all of your listeners to do is, is not to forget professional development. Again, back to that leadership there.

00:21:40:20 - 00:21:59:24

Christine Perry

So, this year I did a CE on new areas to precept. Right. So now I'm right now I'm a I'm a grandmother, right. I'm another generation. What is happening in today's colleges? What are the new things there as I am precepting and working with students, what are some of the new ways to approach them? What do I need to know.

00:21:59:24 - 00:22:23:18

Christine Perry

So I did one of those CEs. So I think that your your listeners or pharmacists in general, right, is looking at different options of ways that you can stay up to date and continue to grow in your profession. There's obviously CE programs right where required to do that and get that done for the board. I think there's also a lot of virtual events, a lot of Zoom events that you can go on through.

00:22:23:18 - 00:22:45:12

Christine Perry

Many pharmacy associations, our colleges of pharmacy have speakers. I think I've always enjoyed doing those things. Got so much out of it. There's also Ted talks. I've done a lot of DEI education in in doing some Ted talks. So those are some things that I've looked at recently. There's LinkedIn learnings. I really like those. And I've done a lot of them there.

00:22:45:12 - 00:23:13:14

Christine Perry

I've even done some certificate courses through LinkedIn. And I think, again, experts in the field, they bring them on to their site and you're able to to learn and take it. And you can do it on your own time. What works for you, you know, in between our very busy schedule. So there's a lot of ways where you can get full clinical development, but also other ways are going to build your professional skills and ways for you to impact the people around you, better ways to approach patients or work with your team.

00:23:13:14 - 00:23:20:17

Christine Perry

So I think all of those are you have to weigh them all equally and put in the time to develop yourself overall.

00:23:20:19 - 00:23:35:13

Nick Dorich

It's funny you mentioned the LinkedIn learning I've got it prioritized list of about ten courses that I want to try to go through over the course of, hey, you know, the next few months. And part of it, Christine, is, hey, I'm going to watch football on Sundays. Well, maybe I can spend at least an hour before 1 p.m. kickoff, you know, to go through.

00:23:35:13 - 00:23:53:15

Nick Dorich

And if I'm going to sit down for three hours to watch a game and enjoy it, I gotta make sure I'm working on my brain first. You know, it's that it's that little reward or incentive, to have that part covered. So any little way we can chip on that, chip away at that is great. Now. Absolutely. Before we finalize here and wrap up, I do want to ask kind of one bonus question.

00:23:53:17 - 00:24:13:15

Nick Dorich

And this was also an idea that you and I discussed, you know, months ago and thinking about, hey, the pharmacy profession in particularly, you know, we've we've seen it. You certainly see it from the standpoint of, you know, you work for a group that is a large employer of many pharmacies. We see it just from online discourse as it relates to pharmacy, is that, you know, it is a stressful job right now, especially on the front lines.

00:24:13:17 - 00:24:33:04

Nick Dorich

From a for a variety of reasons. It is a, you know, profession that is, you know, been kind of under attack from a lot of different, a lot of different ways. And that can lend itself to some degree of a negativity spiral. But part of the conversation that you and I had months ago was that, you know, yes, there are challenges and some of them are new challenges and some of them are pretty severe.

00:24:33:06 - 00:25:10:03

Nick Dorich

However, we can't lose sight of the positive and the opportunity that is presented for pharmacy as we go forward and that, you know, we need to be able to, not disregard or ignore negatives, but we keep them keeping them in mind. But we do need to positively attack these new opportunities going forward. So with that in mind, is there, and I'm sure there are lots of things, but is there one thing about the future of pharmacy that you are most excited about as you look into your, you know, your crystal ball and as you talk with new practitioners or students that are going to be soon become our fellow practicing pharmacists.

00:25:10:05 - 00:25:37:19

Christine Perry

Yeah. So I think the scope of practice that we are seeing right now and our ability to, become prescribers, do more things around test to treat, I think that is what's most exciting. You know, I've spent most of my career in a more of dispensing role and as a vaccinator, I think today's practitioners really going to spend their time, as a vaccinator and as a prescriber.

00:25:37:19 - 00:26:04:22

Christine Perry

And I think that's what's most exciting for me in Massachusetts. We got approval this year to do hormonal contraception prescribing. So that's actually the next course that I'm going to be taking. So, so me, myself can be certified in that and be able to provide those type of services. So I think when those things open up in your state, I think we have to really run towards it and, take the opportunity to become a specialist there.

00:26:04:22 - 00:26:26:21

Christine Perry

And we also have to advocate. So I think that would be the second. The second thing, right, is once we have this, that certification, we must advocate because patients really do not know the scope of what a pharmacist can do. How we can help them. We all know this. You know, this information. We're often the health care practitioner that is in their community.

00:26:26:21 - 00:26:54:02

Christine Perry

We're certainly the most accessible, especially for our community based practitioners. So we do have to advocate and let them know that this is not just a place where they're getting their medications, but it's a place where they can also, get more services. So we've seen through the pandemic what happens when we really, I think, overrun the hospitals and I think hospitals are going back to not treating everything, but maybe focusing on critical care.

00:26:54:05 - 00:27:15:01

Christine Perry

So we've seen a shift in a lot of the acute care moving back into the community, whether that is walk ins or that's in your community pharmacy or different type of in store clinics. So pharmacies really are able to impact that. It's not just vaccines, but there's over other services that we're going to be able to help patients with and take care of them for more of acute perspective.

00:27:15:01 - 00:27:21:24

Christine Perry

So that's what really has me excited right now. And I am seeking out all of those different, opportunities.

00:27:22:01 - 00:27:38:05

Nick Dorich

That's great Christine, and thank you. I personally really look forward to that as an opportunity for pharmacy. I know when I went into pharmacy school, I went in to pharmacy school, much like yourself as a high school student who was, hey, I got to help patients and talk with them about their medications. I get to talk to people all day and help them with their health care.

00:27:38:08 - 00:27:56:12

Nick Dorich

That's why I went into pharmacy, and certainly I didn't know anybody in pharmacy per se. At that point in time. I thought it was just the medication dispensing, but I became enamored with these are all the potential opportunities for pharmacy. And I think you and I and others know that that's been a little bit slower, going than we would hope, in fact.

00:27:56:14 - 00:28:18:23

Nick Dorich

But it is work in progress. And as we these opportunities come up, we do need to seize the opportunity. With that, and as we wrap up here, I do want to give you kind of just one final opportunity, to just provide a message to your fellow pharmacist and to those in the profession, especially. Right now at the time that we're recording, it's the start of flu shot season or to start a flu, flu season even.

00:28:19:00 - 00:28:33:20

Nick Dorich

And but this is a time right now where as we go forward, there's a lot of opportunity for pharmacy. So do you have any, you know, well-wishes, words of encouragement, or just other, you know, points of advice that you would provide for our fellow, you know, pharmacist and pharmacy technicians.

00:28:33:22 - 00:28:52:09

Christine Perry

So working in health care, I like to think only the strong survive per se. Right. And and you have to have a real passion for it because we're especially those of us that are direct patient facing and work with the public. It's a it's a challenging area. Whether you are in nursing, you're in medical, you're in pharmacy.

00:28:52:09 - 00:29:14:02

Christine Perry

So that's the setting that I've chosen. And I always will reflect back on the positives. And I know that if I wasn't there that day. Right. Or I know by being there the difference that I make. So I go home at the end of the day. Not that anybody had to tell me I did a good job. I know I made a difference, right?

00:29:14:02 - 00:29:36:05

Christine Perry

And I know I think four days of clinics next week I'm going to be out at vaccine clinic. So it's going to be 12 hour days. And I'm thrilled to be there because I know I'm going to be saving lives. I know I'm going to be protecting them. I'm going to be protecting their family, protecting their community. I'm going to have students there that never have given a vaccine.

00:29:36:05 - 00:29:55:09

Christine Perry

They've just completed their training. Right. So we're going to walk them through. And by the end of the day, they are going to be an expert in providing vaccines and really be able to take care of the patient. So it's something thrilling. And I think we always have to remember that even when the long days, you know, that you are really making a difference.

00:29:55:09 - 00:30:17:18

Christine Perry

And I think that's where I'm passionate about the profession 40 plus years later, right. And loving what I do, loving the impact that I can make. And even though my name is most likely going to be called out about a thousand times in a day, I know that I'm helping my team. I'm making a difference, and across the board.

00:30:17:18 - 00:30:26:03

Christine Perry

So yeah, it will be tiring at the end of the day, but but, I'm really professionally satisfied, in what I'm doing.

00:30:26:05 - 00:30:41:10

Nick Dorich

Yeah. I love to hear that message, Christine. And I think that's where a lot of us, in this pharmacy profession, whether it's pharmacist or pharmacy technicians as well, we're all part of the team that's there. And we already had talked about how it's necessary for all of us to be on that same beat. But there is a pos...

00:30:41:10 - 00:30:58:02

Nick Dorich

There is a great road ahead for pharmacy, and I know I'm looking forward to it. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts here to to highlight the things that get you most excited about this. And we're looking forward to a lot of great things to happen to, to happen in this pharmacy profession so that we can keep, as you said, we can keep helping people, we can keep saving people.

00:30:58:07 - 00:31:19:18

Nick Dorich

And that for us in this pharmacy profession that we're maintaining our professional satisfaction, contentedness. And, doing great things here. Christine, with that, that does mean we have wrapped up today's interview, and I thank you immensely for taking some time out of your day to share, you know, these recommendations, this positive, and your just experience and look ahead into to the world of pharmacy.

00:31:19:20 - 00:31:30:22

Nick Dorich

Before we go, if folks want to reach out to you, if they want to connect with you, is there a way they that they can contact you? And then anything else you would just like to, to note here? Before we wrap up.

00:31:30:24 - 00:31:52:03

Christine Perry

Sure. Absolutely. So I would welcome any of your listeners to connect with me on LinkedIn. Christine Perry, RPh, and I do a lot of professional development. I do career, development, a lot of interviewing skills, on my site. So, I welcome anybody to follow with me. Connect there, send me a DM if there's any questions that they have.

00:31:52:03 - 00:31:54:21

Christine Perry

I'd love to, to reach out and work with them.

00:31:54:23 - 00:32:19:15

Nick Dorich

Yeah. As someone who is personally taking courses with Christine as it relates to professional development, residency, interview, all those kind of things like that, or I can give it my ten out of ten recommendation as well. So, from that aspect. So Christine, thank you again very much for joining us today. Thank you for all your contributions, to pharmacy and developing, our past, current and future leaders in this profession so that we can continue serving patients.

00:32:19:17 - 00:32:33:03

Nick Dorich

But for our audience, that does mean we have now wrapped up today's episode. So we do thank you for joining us. We hope you listen to our next episode of the Quality Corner Show. And before we go, we have one final message from the PQS team.

00:32:33:05 - 00:32:54:19

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00:32:54:21 - 00:33:14:10

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00:33:14:12 - 00:33:16:24

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