Tips For New Pharmacist Graduates

Hi, I go by the name Pharm. KC, so its been 5years since I graduated from pharmacy School..

( & about the name of my school, smiles…. Well, my school didn’t pay me to advertise for them, LOL. )

Back to the topic and a short history, hmm... back then in school, it alway felt like eternity, almost like my school was on a different timezone, from planet earth.

Every once in a while, I dreamt of the day, I would finally become a pharmacist graduate and start working.

Because I really gave it my all, the amount of hours I put in studying, experiences at different class levels and all, but now its all history and am grateful to Almighty GOD.

Learning from my mistakes and failures, I wish to share my tips or advice to upcoming pharmacist graduate for a long-term success in you career goal at least.

Embrace Continuous Learning

Look here, dear pharmily, whether you like it or not, change is constant, the pharmacy profession is slowly ever-evolving, with both new medicationzz, regulations and technologies (like that of Pharmorax, which claims to bring in A.I to healthcare).

Hence; 

stay Updated – Subscribe to good reputable blogs and journals like Medscape, Epocrates, epharmily and more, to keep abreast of the latest industry trends.

Attend Conferences – Networking and gaining insights at professional events can enhance your knowledge and expand your professional circle believe me it really helps.

Pursue other skills or certifications - Consider obtaining additional certifications, it mustn’t be related to your career, look at something you fantasize about or just anything that can also boost your career.

FEAR

Both the fear of making a right or wrong decision or the fear of making a mistake.

This has been a huge concern for all pharmacists and especially the new pharmacist graduate.

As much as we all know, FEAR is BAD and at the same time, having FEAR is good ? Ironic right !? Lets just call it the good fear, as this type of fear keeps you in check. it motivates you to put your patient’s safety as your first priority.

While the bad fear, makes you devalue yourself.

An example, when you fall for a bribe by giving out an aborti0n pillz for a sum of money, that you claim will support you for the time been, dear pharm. i.e. bl00dmoney, just so you know. -Am not talking about just the aborti0n pillz here.

Or the fear of the unknown, i.e. settling for a salary which is less than the average pay of a pharmacist in your state, because your afraid of not seeing another job, or for unknown reason or upkeep… sad!

However, there has to be a balance between these two(2) fears and by that I mean, remove the bad fear, as this can affect your productivity.

If fear paralyzes you and causes inability for you to function, take a break and reflect, find what works best for you, also learning from others can be more proficient.

Master Time Management

  Believe it, the workload in pharmacy can be demanding, and stressful, therefore, time management is critical to maintaining efficiency and reducing stress.

Prioritize Tasks: Remember dear, pharmacist graduate, you are not a robot, use tools like task lists or a digital planner to organize your day and tasks at hand.

 Avoid Burnout: Discuss with your employer to Schedule regular breaks during your shift, i.e. if there are none, as this helps you to stay refreshed and focused.

Understand the Business Side of Pharmacy

  Whether you’re working in a community, industry or hospital pharmacy, having a grasp of business operations would give you a competitive edge.

Its OKAY, if you “Don’t Know” somethings, terms or operations, like I said earlier “embrace continuous learning”.

In one of my experience, when I started as an intern, I didn’t know some of the questions thrown at me by doctors, same goes to the retail setting I would be afraid of not knowing the answer to give to patient or customers.

Over time I learnt that, it really does not matter as long as you, continuously learn to understand the business and practical side of pharmacy.

 Focus on this, when understanding the business side of pharmacy.

Learn Inventory Management: Understand stock levels and learn to optimize ordering processes.

Explore Cost Management: Familiarize yourself with insurance and billing processes to support the pharmacy and patients effectively.

Develop Leadership Skills: Over time, As a pharmacist, you may have opportunities to take on managerial roles, so learning these skills early can be advantageous.

Part-Time and Locum

  "Remember, you cant locum you way, to wealth" Your journey as a pharmacist is just beginning. While the road ahead may have its challenges, it’s also filled with opportunities to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

Yes! in a way, it can be tough coming out of school to find a full-time job at times. Especially, if you do not have much experience as a new graduate.

Swallow your pride and just get any work experience, especially in the community setting. If you ask me, from my experience, this would advice this: 

 I hope with my few tips, this may help motivate, and inspire you to achieve your goals. Pls give me a thumbs up my blog post for more tips. What are your experiences?

Please comment below and share your thoughts.