Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
Participants rated this factor in the upper range at 8.36, indicating that there are great opportunities
for advancement.
One respondent from Tennessee provided a broad overview, stating, “Faculty advance through the ranks of
Assistant, Associate, and Professor. There is also some potential to apply for administrative roles and
advance in this direction.” Another from Illinois added, “Within pharmacy administration I’d be able to
seek out Associate Dean positions within Student and Academic Affairs based on my experiences within
academia and pharmacy administration.”
Probably the most succinct response from a faculty member in Illinois was: “The university environment
allows for continuous advancement in your discipline.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little advancement opportunities
10 = Great opportunities for advancement
Leadership development/professional involvement
[To what extent does your work allow for the development of leadership skills and
professional involvement in the pharmacy profession?]
Respondents rated leadership and professional involvement as the highest critical factor at 9.36. As
faculty who provide information regarding professional services, public health, policy, administration,
and other roles, they to help student pharmacists become more involved and teach leadership skills.
A respondent from Iowa stated, “Leadership training and opportunities are available in academia. An
interested person can have multiple leadership experiences while working in pharmacy academia.” Another
respondent from Minnesota added, “Academic Pharmacy allows for many, many opportunities to develop one's
leadership skills. I have held elected office in AACP (Section Chair and member of the Board of
Directors), have served on national committees both in AACP and ASHP, chaired a SIG or Advisory Group in
AACP and ASHP, respectively. I am also a Past President of our state's Rural Health Association.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little development of leadership skills and professional involvement
10 = Great opportunities for leadership development and professional
involvement
Community impact
[How much impact does your work have in terms of serving the community?]
Community impact can vary based on the specific role that the faculty member has and their research
areas. Faculty listed this factor in the mid-range, with a rating of 7.21.
One respondent from Illinois stated that they have “[s]ome impact when involved in community outreach
and service events.” Another from Tennessee added, “As part of my faculty assignments, I’m the APhA
Immunization coordinator and so I also supervise our students at many vaccination events. I also serve
as APhA advisor and frequently supervise at various community events. I also serve as an expert for
media appearances when questions are sent to the University that are within my scope (pediatrics,
vaccines, interprofessional education, simulation education).”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little impact
10 = High level of impact
Autonomy
[To what extent does your work allow for autonomy in decision making?]
Autonomy is truly individualized. How one defines this can impact your response. Respondents looked at
having a high level of autonomy with an 8.64 rating.
One respondent from Illinois summarized this for many: “Academia does offer lots of independence and
freedom.” Another from California added, “Academia has a high level of autonomy. This is great for
self-starters with intrinsic motivation. It is not so great for people who really need structured
roles.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Very little low autonomy
10 = High level of autonomy
Focus
[To what extent does your work allow you to be focused on the future versus a focus only on
immediate tasks?]
Most respondents stated that they have a need to look toward the future with a rating of 7.32.
One faculty member from Arizona stated, “Always thinking about future states and future needs of
students.” Another respondent from Alabama added, “Planning for future curriculum and assessment
projects is as important as current teaching responsibilities.” A different Arizona respondent indicated
that “[a]cademia is a mix of current vs future focused. There are day-to-day things that need to be
addressed as a faculty member, especially while actively teaching and coordinating a course to being
future focused in planning for a course, association involvement and committee work, and research.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Immediate tasks only
10 = Tasks focused on the future
Prestige
[To what extent does your work provide professional prestige?]
Respondents rated prestige as the second highest factor in the list. Many discussed the importance of
this in academia and university positions. Some are concerned that this may be diminishing with the
current national discussion on academic institutions.
One respondent from Illinois looked at both sides of this and stated, “I feel that being an academic is
a prestigious job, even if the pay and perks might not be those of someone in a corporate job. Sadly, it
feels like some people in this country don't value higher education anymore.”
Another faculty member from Minnesota provided a more detailed look at prestige, stating, “It is always
a pleasure to encounter former students at area, state, and national pharmacy meetings. The prestige of
being a faculty member among other pharmacists, other health care students and providers, the press and
even among legislators, is palpable. There is a downside, as well, the perception that faculty,
especially those who do not actively practice, have their ‘heads in the clouds’."
Finally, one faculty member was very brief in stating, “Society values and honors university
professors.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Provides low prestige
10 = Provides high prestige
Creating value/positive outcomes
[To what extent does your work allow for personal fulfillment through the creation of value
and positive outcomes?]
Respondents enjoy the opportunity to work with student pharmacists on a daily basis. Many highlighted
that they feel positive about their value when they see students become successful in school and after
graduating. They rated this critical factor at an upper-range score of 8.71.
One respondent from Ohio summed this up nicely when they stated, “Seeing the successes of former
students is extremely rewarding.” Another from Florida added, “Training future health care providers is
the most fulfilling thing I can think of.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little extent
10 = High extent
Patient relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with
patients?]
Patient relationships received the second-lowest score of 0.92. This makes sense based on the roles and
responsibilities of the group.
One member from Minnesota stated, “I am not involved in direct patient care.” Another from California
added, “My role has a heavy administrative component, so no face-to-face patient care.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Coworker/client relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with Coworkers or
clients?]
In comparison to patient relationships, respondents are much more involved with coworker and client
relationships, rating this factor at 7.36.
A respondent from Illinois stated that they have “[l]ong relationships with coworkers and shorter
relationships with students/clients.” Another from Iowa added, “Long-term relationships with coworkers
help support ongoing progress in scholarship and teaching. Such relationships allow us to share ups and
downs and can lead to lots of learning. We couldn't do this work without healthy ongoing relationships
with colleagues.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Writing/conducting research
[How often do you engage in writing and/or conducting research?]
SAS academicians rated this factor in the mid-range at 6.54. Responses varied by position; those with
administrative roles indicated having less time for some of these activities.
A respondent from Minnesota stated that they “[e]njoy doing the research, writing papers, and presenting
posters or speaking at national meetings. Do not care much for chasing down the grant dollars to fund my
research activities!”
One the other side of the spectrum, one respondent from Wisconsin succinctly stated, “Ten percent of my
time is dedicated to research/scholarship.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Generating new ideas
[To what degree does your work involve generating new ideas?]
While many do indicate that this is a key part of the role, as a cohort respondents rated generating new
ideas at the mid-range score of 7.39.
One faculty member from Minnesota stated, “You must continue to think about better ways to instruct
students and manage research projects.” Another from California added, “We are required to continually
evaluate our assessment outcomes and then tweak or overhaul what we are doing if there are deficiencies
or gaps. This leads to new ideas.” One more from Wisconsin added, “Innovative teaching types and
approaches are encouraged.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little innovative thinking
10 = High degree of innovative thinking
Supervision/management
[To what extent do you spend your time organizing, managing, or supervising others and/or
business operations?]
The rating of 5.11 puts the group in the middle of the range when it comes to supervision and
management.
One respondent from Arizona indicated that they spend “[s]ome time thinking about how things run, how
faculty and staff and student needs are met.” Another from Tennessee added, “I supervise students
frequently and then assist the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in managing our budget.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Patient interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]
The critical factor related to patient interaction was the lowest rated factor by this group. This does
make sense as most of the faculty are researchers and teaching. Some do have the opportunity for patient
care; however, it is limited in scope.
One respondent from Tennessee provided the following: “I practice at the hospital maybe 20–25
hours/month so very little interaction throughout the month.” Another faculty member from Minnesota
added, “Most of my patient interaction occurs at the weekly 2-hour sessions at our student-run free
clinic.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Public interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with the public?]
Respondents spend a little more time interacting with the public. One respondent from Arizona stated,
“Health fairs, student recruitment, indirectly through state association activity.” Another from
Wisconsin added, “My interactions with the public occur only occasionally when I'm working on a project
that connects to patients or public organizations.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Collaboration
[How often do you work or collaborate with other health professionals or educate other
professionals in your work?]
Respondents rated collaboration with other health groups in the mid-range, with a score of 5.93.
A respondent from Iowa stated, “The nature of my scholarship often involves doctors, mid-levels and
others collaborating with pharmacists.” Another from Tennessee added, “I spend a lot of time interacting
with other colleges at our health science center and also regarding student affairs issues as well as
academic requirements for interprofessional education.”
A faculty member from Texas also felt that “[i]nterprofessional education and practice are required of
all pharmacy programs. There is much opportunity collaborating with other health professions.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Family/leisure time
[How much free time do you have for leisure and family activities in your work?]
Family and leisure time is rated at a mid-range score of 6.07. This is somewhat dependent on the
individual school.
One respondent from Arizona provided a more detailed response: “Earned time—learned to set boundaries
and have flexibility to change the rigor of the boundaries and prioritize.”
A respondent from Minnesota had a different take: “Although not in the office on weekends or holidays, I
am often doing work from home during those days.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little free time
10 = Plenty of time for family and leisure activities
Impact on well-being
[To what degree do you impact the well-being of individuals?]
A few respondents were open about the opportunity to impact the well-being of other individuals. They
rated this factor in the mid-range at 6.28.
A respondent from Iowa stated, “Some students, I change their lives for the better. Others won't
remember me 10 minutes after our last class.” Perhaps this is why they rated this factor in the
mid-range.
Another from Minnesota goes the extra mile, stating, “I try my best to accommodate students' school and
work schedules by adjusting assignment deadlines in my elective course, by teaching a Hy-Flex course,
and by having a ‘When the door is open, it's office hours’ policy. I also check in with students by
email when I learn that they are missing school due to illness.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Low degree
10 = High degree
Problem solving
[To what degree do you solve problems with tried-and-true alternatives versus untested
alternatives in your work?]
Respondents rated problem solving in the mid-range, with a score of 5.61. A faculty member from
Tennessee stated, “I think I’m balanced and quickly adapt. I will start with the tried-and-true way, but
if I don’t see quick resolution I’ll pivot to an untested alternative to accomplish the task.”
Another respondent from Iowa added, “My scholarship typically is about piloting new ideas and
approaches. Conversely, my managerial work tends to rely on tried & true approaches.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Tried and true
10 = Untested alternatives
Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]
As the group is diverse in their backgrounds, they rated specialized expertise in the upper mid-range of
7.57.
A faculty member from Kentucky summed this up nicely based on her background when she stated, “As a
faculty member, my expertise is in the social and behavioral sciences and policy studies.” Another from
Illinois added that “[m]ost faculty in my area have a PhD, thus specialized training required.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Generalized
10 = Specialized
Repetition
[To what degree is your work composed of activities and tasks that are highly repetitive
versus highly variable?]
Almost every position in the pharmacy field involves repetition. The respondents provided a mid-range
rating of 6.11 for repetition,
One faulty member from Iowa stated, “It's only as repetitive as I want it to be. Even teaching allows
for changes day by day as you see fit.” Another from Tennessee added, “The things that are variable are
unique individual needs of students. There are of course some general similarities, but each student
often brings unique situations to the table.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Highly repetitive
10 = Highly variable
Applying scientific knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying scientific knowledge in your
work?]
Participants varied in their responses, with application of scientific knowledge receiving a score of
7.14 as compared to 4.18 for application of clinical knowledge.
One respondent from California stated, “More applied in terms of scholarly work.” Another from Tennessee
differentiated the type of work they do: “When teaching classes or working on scholarship and research,
I am using scientific and clinical knowledge.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Applying clinical knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying clinical knowledge in your
work?]
As noted above, the group rated application of scientific knowledge more highly than application of
clinical knowledge, which they scored at 4.18.
One respondent from Massachusetts stated, “I'm more public health focused which is less clinical but
does draw from a clinical foundation.” Another respondent from Iowa was rather succinct, stating, “I am
a researcher and do not practice.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Parental leave
[To what extent does your work setting offer parental leave opportunities?]
Most respondents are aware that parental leave exists. However, some are not in a position to need this
benefit. This may be why the rating is mid-range at 6.54.
One respondent from Wyoming simply stated, “Not applicable.” Another from Arizona said that they
“[d]on't really know, think there are some, and not a parent.”
On the other side, a faculty member from Illinois added, “Parental leave for childbirth/adoption is 3
months for either sex.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Limited opportunities
10 = Unlimited opportunities
Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]
Compensation is truly an individual decision. Many factors can play into the decision, including
location, other funding, consulting opportunities, and research grants, to name a few. This factor
received a mid-range score of 6.50, indicating that many feel additional compensation would be helpful.
One respondent from Tennessee stated,: “Depending on (the) institution, you may feel well compensated.
At my institution I am not well compensated (nor was I at my previous institution).” Another from
Minnesota added, “The administrative stipend received does not really correlate with the amount of work
performed. My overall salary is on the other hand fair and consistent with the hours worked.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not well compensated
10 = Well compensated
Benefit package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]
Most universities offer a competitive benefit package. One respondent from Illinois put it plainly:
“Excellent plan benefits.” Another from Massachusetts added, “Very good benefits but as costs increase,
more cost shifting to me has occurred.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very Comprehensive
Advice for students
Respondents had a variety of comments regarding advice for student pharmacists on this career path,
including:
- "Great flexibility and work/life continuum; have to love teaching/mentoring students."
- "It's very hard work but very rewarding."
- "Take advantage of all of the opportunities you are afforded during pharmacy school! You never know
in what area of pharmacy you will land!"
- "Work on communication skills. Practicing medicine does not happen in a vacuum; it happens when lots
of people with unique skills come together to create positive changes for patients."
In addition, respondents provided information on what they see as the future of the practice area. Their
comments are below.
- "Creating more programs for multidisciplinary students to better understand health policy."
- "For future areas of practice, I see them being more patient focused and less on the physical
dispensing side of things. But there will still need to be pharmacists involved with dispensing for
patient safety."
- "More automation and customization for patient care."
- "A lot of change and adaptability—the need to be innovative in education delivery."
- "For the future of academic pharmacy, I see being an example for future generations of pharmacists
and encouraging the new generations to take hold of the profession."
Professional organizations
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)
675 North Washington Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-2600 | www.amcp.org
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603-3446
(312) 664-3575 | www.acpe-accredit.org
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
1400 Crystal Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 739-2330 | www.aacp.org
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881
(703) 556-0650 | www.aaps.org
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)
8055 O Street, Suite S113, Lincoln, NE 68510
(402) 476-1677 | www.aapp.org
American College of Apothecaries (ACA)
2830 Summer Oaks Drive, Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 383-8119 | www.acainfo.org
American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
13000 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66215-4530
(913) 492-3311 | www.accp.com
American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE)
11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 360A-105, Fairfax, VA 22030
(571) 404-0471 | www.afpenet.org
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 628-4410 | www.pharmacist.com
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)
1240 North Pitt Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-1300 | www.ascp.com
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814
(866) 279-0681 | www.ashp.org
Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 946-5026 | www.bpsweb.org
Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA)
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(877) 467-2791 | www.hoparx.org
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)
2530 Professional Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23235
(804) 285-4431 | www.naspa.us
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
1600 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 391-4406 | www.nabp.pharmacy
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
1776 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 549-3001 | www.nacds.org
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
300 New Jersey Ave, NW, #900, Washington, DC 20001
(703) 842.0122 | www.naspnet.org
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8200 | www.ncpa.org
National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA)
10810 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 102-965, Phoenix, AZ 85028
(480) 405-9291 | www.nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
670 Maine Avenue, SW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20024
(202) 835-3400 | www.phrma.org