Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
Respondents were mid-range in their response (6.26) to opportunities for advancement. Many of the
state professional organizations do not have many positions and for many pharmacists, they are in
leadership roles within the organization with a very small ladder to the top. This does differ for
large national/international groups who have a variety of positions available to pharmacists.
One respondent from Tennessee provided a detailed example of opportunities when they stated, “Advancement looks a bit different in state pharmacy association management. For pharmacist staff, there are basically two tiers: Director and CEO/Executive Director. So, advancement at the state level really only occurs if you move into a CEO position. However, transitioning to a national association may provide additional levels of professional advancement. There are ample opportunities for professional development, though, as hosting and attending conferences is a standard part of this role.”
Another from Rhode Island added, “There are opportunities for promotions based on merit as well as
opportunities to step up when individuals leave or retire. The trajectory can lead to being the CEO
of the association.”
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 in this group rated leadership development/professional involvement as the highest rated factor with 9.03. They feel that the opportunities in this field are excellent. A respondent from Illinois stated, “...expanding my expertise and merging it with my experience in pharmacy practice allowed me to lead others toward working with pharmacy and pharmacists in expanding our practice roles.”
Another respondent from Rhode Island looked broadly at the opportunities and feels that “Working in an association provides constant exposure to members of the profession and professionals outside of pharmacy so you are always involved in the profession. Although we often work in the background, association professionals are also the face of the profession in industry-wide meetings, committees, advisory groups, etc. Many members see association staff as leaders.”
One practitioner from Maryland summed it up this way, “I developed leadership skills not by achieving any particular position but by observation on what works, learning throughout the years and the importance of supporting and listening to front line workers, very willing to change not for change’s sake but to improve based on collective ideas, sound strategic plans and patient centered mission and vision.”
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 is your work in terms of serving the community?]
Respondents rated this at the upper mid-range at 7.90.
One respondent from Tennessee felt that, “the impact is less direct than it would be for a frontline
pharmacy. Our work at the association indirectly serves the community by supporting pharmacy
professionals on the back end.” Another respondent from Tennessee looked at this differently, “Depends
how you look at it. I would say my work mostly serves the profession of pharmacy. That can be
extrapolated to serving the community, but as far as direct impact goes there is little community
engagement from association staff.”
Another association management person from Virginia added, “Community in association management can mean a number of things—the association's members, those other groups that the association works and collaborates with, and the general public. There is an enormous amount of time spent working to serve the association's members and other groups.”
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?]
Many of the respondents indicated that they do report through a Board of Directors and provided a high
mid-range rating of 7.66.
A respondent from Kentucky stated that, “I am allowed a lot of autonomy in this position. I usually take
ideas and act on them instead of coming up with the ideas myself.” Another Maryland added, “My board is
very flexible on allowing me to work independently and know my decisions are for the best of the
organization.”
One respondent from Tennessee summed it up this way, “Day-to-day tasks and projects allow for high level
of autonomy. However, our Board of Directors must approve many of our larger initiatives, strategic
plan, budgets, etc.”
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?]
With a rating of 7.00 participants must look at both immediate tasks and future focus. This is not
uncommon in positions that provide a broad impact on the profession.
One respondent from Kansas stated, “I'm lucky in that my immediate tasks are focused on the future of
pharmacy, so it still feels impactful.” Another from Rhode Island stated, “This is a constant balance in
association work. We are always looking ahead to new trends that can impact the profession, but we also
do a lot of work in the here and now to solve current problems.”
A respondent from Virginia provides a rathe detailed response, “Future Focus is extremely pertinent for
all associations as they need to ensure that they stay relevant for their members and their
organization's mission. The strategic plan of the association should be a forward focus document that
provides planning for the anticipated needs for the organization and its members. There is a balance
that comes with working on current programs and priorities with those that are needed for the future.“
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?]
Prestige can be looked at in many ways and can be based on influence, success, respect, and other areas.
The group rated this as a 7.19 – mid-range response.
One respondent from Rhode Island indicated, “As an association professional, I believe my work presents a high level of prestige. We collaborate with individuals and organizations all over the country (and sometimes the world) and represent the voice of pharmacy. The ability to be seen and heard as a leader contributes to that prestige.” Another respondent from Illinois listed, “I have worked 45 years to garner professional respect and historical expertise. This will last as long as all the professional organizations continue to include those of us seasonal experts–I am starting to feel some age discrimination even though I have always been and remain an early adapter.”
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?]
Responses to this factor were in the upper range at 8.03. One of the roles of an association staff person is to drive positive outcomes for the profession.
One respondent from Illinois put this bluntly, “I have created and nurtured my path and journey to
always include value, worth, and personal fulfillment…you may never be recognized for your
contributions!” Another from Maryland indicated, “…it brings me a lot of joy to be able to bring
non-dispensing income opportunities to pharmacists.”
An additional respondent from Rhode Island added, “Value and outcomes are a little different in the
association world than the direct patient care world. The work we do has a longer runway and we don't
always have instant gratification. But knowing that we helped make a profession-wide change for the
better or even just impacting one member's ability to do their job better creates value and positive
outcomes.“
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 is the second lowest rated factor for this group at 0.56. This makes a great deal
of sense based on the roles and who they communicate with regularly. The next factor rating of 8.50 for
coworker and client relationships is quite different.
One respondent Kansas from indicated, “No direct patient care opportunities unless I pick up shifts somewhere, but my job relies on developing and maintaining relationships with pharmacies and partners.” Another respondent from Rhode Island provided a more detailed response when they stated, “In association management, we do not work with patients directly. However, we work with other association professionals and industry leaders longitudinally both on short- and long-term projects. There are individuals I met during my fellowship who I still work with today despite all of us changing jobs and companies.”
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?]
Respondents rated this factor as the second highest for the profile at 8.50. Considering the roles and activities that they complete on an ongoing basis, working with others is a key to success.
A respondent from Oklahoma stated, “I do not work directly with patients, but I am developing long-term relationships with my coworkers and "clients" (community pharmacists and their staff).” Another from Kentucky added, “Do not work directly with patients but I work closely with other pharmacists and my coworkers.”
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?]
This factor varies tremendously with the specific role of the association pharmacist. For some writing is part of the role as for others they are more involved with the research side which may explain the mid-range rating of 6.16.
One respondent from Rhode Island indicated, “I do a lot of writing in my role. Most of it is writing one-page resources, website and newsletter content, white papers, and emails. We usually partner with an academic institution to help with any research we'd like to conduct.” Another from Tennessee stated, “I write for our journal and provide professional communications. I do not do research, but other association professionals do.”
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?]
Respondents consider their role to include leveraging innovative thinking in generating new ideas with a rating of 8.03, a high-range score.
A respondent from Maryland stated, “I try whenever possible to discuss new ideas. That has been me all my career. Sometimes it is heard, many times it is not. Pharmacists as a whole like things to stay the same.” Another respondent from Washington agreed when they added, “Association management requires innovative thinking in all staff and volunteer leaders. We must be able to envision a future to work towards.”
One respondent from Rhode Island looked at this as the role that they have when they indicated, “This is
almost 100% my role. I am constantly reimagining ways of delivering content to members, thinking of ways
to present new ideas and information to them, and anticipating the next challenges the profession will
face.”
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?]
Respondents rated this factor as mid-range (6.22) as part of their role may include supervision and
management dependent on the size of the organization.
One respondent from Tennessee sated, "I do a lot of project management and have to be organized to keep
up with all my meetings and deadlines. I precept students but I do not have any direct reports. However,
I do work closely with our volunteer leaders and manage them as a core part of my job."
Another respondent from Illinois added, “Sometime herding cats and sometimes CYA, the young ones need to
know that it takes time to move anything forward and you may fail at first which is the best learning.”
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?]
It would be expected that association management practitioners rate patient interaction as their lowest factor. What is interesting is that this factor scores a 0.00 – meaning not one respondent felt they spend time interacting with patients for their role. One respondent from Rhode Island summed this up succinctly for all the respondents, “I never interact with patients.”
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?]
Interacting with the public was rated a little higher although still in the low-range at 2.94.
One respondent from Kansas stated, “We are trying to move in public circles more often to help share the
benefits of pharmacy with the public and other professions. Pharmacy has been too insular for too long.”
Another from Illinois added, “What I live for is listening and helping patients and the public.”
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?]
This is an important factor to many in this group. With a rating of 7.34, respondents indicated that they spend a great deal of time collaborating with others.
A respondent from Rhode Island said that, “A large part of my role is to create and coordinate education for our members. This involves collaborating with many professionals to ensure the content is valuable and practical.” Another respondent from Kansas added, “Attempting to increase this amount of time to benefit the profession!”
A respondent from Illinois looked at this slightly differently when they stated, “…together—join
non-pharmacy organizations.”
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?]
Respondents are mid-range when looking at the amount of time they have for family and leisure activities rating this a 6.94.
An Oklahoma respondent stated, “My work allows me to have a part-time schedule of approximately 0.75 FTE
with flexibility in work hours when needed.” Another from Rhode Island added, “I work a typical M-F 9-5
schedule most days. However, there are sometimes evening and weekend obligations based on a variety of
conferences and events I attend.”
A respondent from Tennessee provided the following, “Since there is no direct patient care, there are
few severe consequences for taking time off, delaying a project, etc. My work has a 9-5, M-F, holidays
off, PTO always approved type of schedule. Associations can also establish a hybrid or fully remote
working environment.”
Finally, a respondent from Maryland expressed her thoughts as she indicated, “I have it because I make sure I have it. Working as a mom of four kids I learned how to do this.”
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?]
Respondents rated this factor mid-range with a 6.16. Some respondents indicated that they are not sure
how this may be measured in the people they interact with.
One respondent from Oklahoma stated, “I'm hopeful that those I interact with are positively impacted and
leave our meetings with an improved well-being. However, I have no idea how to quantify that.” Another
from Kansas had a different perspective when they added, “Sometimes I generate a lot more work for other
pharmacists, so guessing that negatively impacts them, but hopefully the work benefits their pharmacies
and the profession in the long run, so it feels good.”
Another from Tennessee felt that, “Personally not much. We do have a well-being manager though at the
association who does that full time.”
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 were varied on their rating of this factor with a 5.94; however, the range included every choice available.
From one perspective, a respondent from New Jersey stated, “I tend to stick to what's worked for other
people.” From the other perspective a respondent from Kansas added, “Lots of try it and find out when
developing new practice innovations. Have to learn to accept failure when (not if) it happens.”
A respondent from Rhode Island leverages both sides of the factor as they indicated, “I'm always trying
to think outside of the box to share information with members. There are some things that have worked
for 50+ years and there are new things we are trying to see what might work. It's fun to have the
freedom to be creative and problem solve from different angles.”
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?]
Association management respondents rated this factor mid-range with a 6.19. Again, participants are at both ends of the spectrum.
A respondent from Tennessee indicated that you, “Can come into an association position with general skills, but they aren't the skills you learn in pharmacy school. It also takes at least a year on the job to feel like you understand everything about the association. Nonprofits are a different world.” Another from the District of Columbia stated, “I work on a variety of different topics and would not consider myself an "expert" in any one area. In association management, you do need to have some project management and communication skills.”
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?]
Respondents rated repetition a mid-range 6.50. A respondent from Virginia stated that, “Every day is
different. I have a weekly newsletter that I write and some standing meetings but I’m always doing
something new.” This was corroborated by a different respondent from Tennessee when they indicated, “No
two days look alike. We have an annual cycle of certain activities, but we are always tweaking our
processes.”
Finally, a respondent from Rhode Island concluded that, “Association work is highly variable. There is
always something new that we're working on and no two days are alike. There are some similarities in the
way we might tackle any given project, but the work is ever-changing.”
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?]
Respondents place themselves in the lower mid-range at 4.56 based on applying scientific knowledge. This
is a higher rating than the next factor of applying clinical knowledge (3.78).
A statement by a respondent from Rhode Island summed this up when they stated, “I need basic clinical
and scientific knowledge to serve as a foundation for my work, but I'm not often applying it.”
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 in the above factor, respondents rated application of clinical knowledge as 3.78 – a low range
rating.
This was summed up by the following statement by a respondent from Tennessee, “None in this role in
particular.”
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?]
Parental leave varies based on the type of organization state versus national with a mid-range score of
5.19.
A respondent from the state of Washington indicated that, “Our organization supports parental leave. In addition, we have a hybrid work model that provides some flexibility as needed.” A respondent from Kentucky’s take on this factor was quite different when they indicated that they have, “PTO available, no dedicated parental leave policy.”
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?]
As one would think, there is a wide variety of compensation when looking at state and national associations, as well as how large the memberships are. In general, participants rated this mid-range at 6.31, indicating that they have some room for improvement in this area.
A respondent from Rhode Island stated, “My work never stops and there is always more to be done.
Financially, I feel fairly compensated. Given the late nights and weekend work, it would be nice to be
compensated for the extra time.” Another respondent from Maryland felt it was important to, “.... give
non-compensated time at this point while the organization grows.”
A respondent from Tennessee looked at this wholistically and state that, “I feel decently compensated because I came into a small nonprofit association knowing that it doesn't pay the same as an average pharmacist job. However, the benefits of being able to take off work with no hassles, having a standard schedule, and flexibility are worth it for me. We do not always get raises or bonuses in this type of work.” A different respondent from Tennessee supported this thought as they feel their, “...compensation is far less than that of a community pharmacist, but I love what I do and have never felt burnt out, so it's worth it to me.”
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?]
Survey participants rated their benefit packages as being mid-range with a rating of 5.18.
One respondent from Washington indicated that they receive, “PTO, health/vision/dental/life insurance, 401k match, hybrid work options, professional development stipend, etc.” Another respondent from Tennessee added, “Volunteer time off, PTO, paid holidays, work pays for health insurance premium, we have staff outings, raises, etc.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very Comprehensive
Advice for student pharmacists
Practitioners’ advice to students varied across many areas – all which looked at ways to gain additional
information in this area as well as looking forward to the future. Below is a partial list of advice.
- “Get involved in a student organization and run for a leadership position. Invest in going to a
state and/or national conference to network with association staff and volunteers.”
- “Try it out - seek an experiential opportunity or internship at a state or national pharmacy
association.”
- “Say yes to a broad variety of experiences and opportunities. You never know when a project or skill
will be essential to the next step in your career.”
- “Work hard, embrace change, and mentor others.”
- “Build a solid foundation and accumulate varied experiences to help you build a strong and reputable
personal brand.”
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