Insider’s perspective
Respondents listed the following critical factors as those being the most important to them. Please note that a factor can rank high based on wanting the factor or wanting to avoid the factor. As an example, some may rank repetitive activities as a top factor as this is something that they want or look to avoid in their practice. The factors listed below are based on the number of respondents that indicated these would be the top five factors they would like to have in a role. Note that there are 25 total critical factors to select from.
Top 5 - first tier
- Leisure and family time (9.6%)
- Ongoing coworker/client relationships (9.6%)
- Collaborating with health professionals (7.7%)
- Repetitive versus variable work (7.7%)
- Autonomy and community impact (both 5.8%)
In addition to the top five factors, the second tier of critical factors is listed below. Note that three of the factors; ongoing coworker/client relationships, collaborating with health professionals, and repetitive versus variable work are listed in both areas. This can be interpreted to mean that for some these factors are in their top five list while for others they are a close second.
Top 5 - second tier
- Collaborating with health professionals (15.4%)
- Ongoing coworker/client relationships (15.4%)
- Application of knowledge (e.g., clinical or scientific) (7.7%)
- Organizational opportunities for advancement (5.8%)
- Repetitive versus variable work (5.8%)
One respondent from South Dakota was blunt when they commented on the factor ongoing coworker/client relationships, “It is important to not be miserable at work every day. It will never be all sunshine and rainbows but being able to work well together carries over to personal life and wellbeing.”
Others commented on the collaboration they have with health professionals, when one participant from North Dakota stated, “You love who you work with, and it feels like coming to work to just hang out and treat some sick people. Makes the role a lot of fun.”
There are many rewarding and challenging experiences in being a clinical pharmacist in the community setting. Twenty-three percent of the respondents indicated that patient care was a rewarding part of the role. One respondent from Arkansas stated, “The most rewarding is providing more cost-effective medication to the patients we serve so that our teams can concentrate on clinical outcomes and meeting the patient where they want to be met through convenience.” Another respondent from Florida added, “Rewarding: curing patients of hepatitis C, providing prep, linking new diagnosed HIV patient to care, treating diabetes patient, networking with the community.”
One the other side, a respondent from South Dakota provided the following challenging areas, “The current state of community pharmacy and the ability to keep operations financially sound.” Another from Illinois was concerned when they stated that it was challenging with, “Limited support when needed most.”
Respondents were asked to select an additional factor from the full list that they consider to be the most important. The following were listed by the group: work schedule 30.3%, pressure 24.2%, job security 18.2%, and self-worth 15.2%. They also listed the expansion of the clinical role as the primary impact for future practice at 27.3%.
Respondents had a variety of responses that they provided as highlights of their career and where they see the future of the role. Several of the responses are listed below.
- “Twenty-five years of having this level of impact. Continuing to be able to grow more. Professional recognition for the work I had done previously to support the role of community pharmacists in providing clinical services.”
- “Continued innovation and adaptation to navigate the complexities faced from regulatory agencies, PBM's, omnichannel patients, and novel new therapies to deliver high quality support to our pharmacy teams and outcomes for our patients.”
- “Representing our state as the president of our pharmacy association.”
- “More clinical work with physicians and more wellness programs led by pharmacists.”
- “New opportunities for pharmacist-provided clinical care in the community.”
Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
When one looks at the store level, there are very little opportunities for advancement past the pharmacist in charge. However, there are many other opportunities in a clinical role as many report into the corporate side. As a group they rated this factor at 6.80.
One respondent from Texas provided the following, “I am now in the corporate space and opportunities are greater than previously when I was working in the field. This is largely due to my location and remote opportunities.” Another from Florida added, “I have reached the highest I can go as the regional pharmacy director and cover all the clinical programs.”
0
1
2
3
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5
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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 this factor in the upper mid-range with a rating of 7.48, indicating that there are opportunities for leadership development/professional involvement.
One respondent from South Dakota stated, “I think the company allows for leadership development and involvement but sometimes doesn't advertise as such with the fear of everyone being gone for state conventions on the same day, etc.” Another from North Dakota indicated, “This is still a fairly new area for pharmacists to be involved in. Therefore, there are many opportunities for position development.”
A respondent from Rhode Island had a different perspective when they added that they are, “currently supported by third party executive coach, didactic leadership development and organizational support of organization membership/engagement.”
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?]
Clinical community pharmacists rated community impact as the highest critical factor that they have with an 8.41 rating.
A respondent from South Dakota summed this up well when they stated, “Community has high impact, and the organization promotes volunteering and getting involved in the community as well.” Another respondent from Illinois added that they, “provide a large variety of community education, mentorship, and outreach.”
A respondent from California looked at this a little differently when they said, “We are a part of the community, so we serve the most vulnerable.”
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?]
How one looks at autonomy is different for each person. In clinical practice this may include decision making on medications and types of patient care. Respondents rated this factor an 8.02 which falls into a high-range response.
A clinical pharmacist from Illinois looked at this two ways when they stated, “TEN for decision making with patients - ONE for decision making regarding pharmacy improvements.” A respondent from Arizona added, “Autonomy is expected withing a highly diversified interprofessional workflow.”
Another from South Dakota supported this when they indicated, “My regional chain has some "policies" but allows a lot of autonomy to individual locations.”
0
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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?]
Focus was rated mid-range factor with a score of 6.75. This indicated a slight lean-to task that looks at the future.
A respondent from Georgia provided the following thoughts, “Many committees and roles with students/residents but high degree of focus on current patients.” Another respondent from Florida had a different perspective when they added, “Immediate tasks prioritized and only staffed for immediate clinical responsibilities, anything future oriented likely has to be completed on my own time.”
A Minnesota clinical pharmacist stated, “In a regional support role, there is much more of a long-game play versus task driven.”
0
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2
3
4
5
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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 in the mid-range with a 6.80 indicating moderate prestige in their role. One respondent from Florida indicated, “Pharmacists are well respected and relied upon by practicing physicians for recommendations on medications and dosing.”
0
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3
4
5
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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 were mixed on this factor with a mid-range rating of 7.40
A respondent from Illinois had views on how this is looked at by different groups when they stated, “Working with my clinical team gives me a fulfillment of 10 because it allows me to perform near the top of my license. Pharmacy leadership cares little about this and would rather have me verifying orders and doing discharge deliveries which is not at the top of my license.” A pharmacist from Minnesota explained they are, “Able to impact pharmacists on my team which drives outcomes for their patients.”
0
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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 differ for many respondents. Overall, the group rated this factor at 4.24, which is in the low mid-range.
One respondent from Florida provided information for this and the next factor when they stated, “Relationships with physicians, nursing, and other pharmacy staff are positive and well-developed.” A different respondent from Illinois in acute care listed the following, “(In) acute care, long-term relationships with patients are difficult.”
0
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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?]
This factor was rated as the second highest by this group with a high-range rating of 8.39 indicating that many coworker/client relationships are long-term.
A respondent from California stated that, “over one third of my employees have been here 25-years or more, which adds to the relationships that we all have.”
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?]
Thie factor rates as the second lowest with a rating of 3.83. Many of the respondents indicated that they spend little time writing or conducting research.
A respondent from Illinois indicated they “Usually (provide) one medication use evaluation and continuing education program per year, and one resident research project every other year.” Another from Louisiana added that this type of work is related to “Resident projects.”
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 were positive when looking at generating new ideas with a high-mid-range rating at 7.20.
One respondent from Florida indicated this was a key aspect to their role when they stated, “This is one of my primary roles, finding new ways for pharmacy to help support the clinic and medical staff.” A different respondent in the same state added, “generating new ideas is encouraged but limited room for implementation on an institutional level due to resource allocation and restriction by owning company.”
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?]
This group is mid-range in their roles in supervision and management or other business operations. The rating for the factor was 6.44.
A respondent from North Dakota indicated that “Other than a pharmacy technician/intern that helps with med-recs we really don't supervise others.” Another from Illinois added this applies to “Pharmacy students and residents.” On a positive note, one respondent from Florida stated, “I have two residents and three clinical pharmacists. I am working on building our services to have up to nine pharmacists.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
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7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Patient interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]
Patient interaction is in the lower mid-range with a rating of 4.06.
One respondent from Rhode Island provided the following when they highlighted their role is in, “Internal operations–limited exposure to front line.” Another from Massachusetts just stated this is limited to “Vaccine clinics.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
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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?]
Public interaction was rated the lowest of all critical factors at 3.22.
There were limited comments on this factor including one from South Dakota when they stated their role is “Currently more ‘administrative’ which impacts public interaction.”
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 this factor as 6.45, which is mid-range.
One clinical pharmacist from Florida stated, “60–70% of my daily responsibilities are collaborating with nursing/physicians on medication management; and long-term projects focused on physician and nursing education.” Another respondent from Arkansas added their collaboration is in the areas of, “Pharmacy and therapeutics committee, in-service training, and new hire training.” A respondent from South Dakota looked at this differently, saying, “We write up standard operating procedures and educate nurses and physicians on a monthly basis, or whenever a new process is being rolled out.”
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 were mid-range with a rating of 5.63 relative to this factor.
One clinical pharmacist from South Dakota indicated that this, “Depends on the day.” Another respondent from Florida tries to make this happen as they stated, “Purposely make an effort to include for hobbies/family in daily life.”
0
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3
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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?]
Pharmacists that responded to this critical factor indicate that they do have a modest impact on the well-being of individuals with a rating of 7.15.
A respondent from Minnesota stated they impact well-being by “Supporting my pharmacists and store teams.” Another from Massachusetts stated that they “Lead a large team–accountable to ensure they have a suitable work environment.”
A pharmacist from South Dakota feels that “the wellbeing of my pharmacists’ rests on my shoulders and work hard to try to make their work lives as conducive to good wellbeing as possible.”
0
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2
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5
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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 mid-range with a 5.55 rating for problem solving.
A respondent from Forida summed this up when they stated, “Lots of problem solving in terms of technology; occasionally problem solving in terms of patient care with challenging cases.” A Minnesota clinical pharmacists added, “Always trying new things, ahead of the curve.”
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0 = Tried and true
10 = Untested alternatives
Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]
Pharmacists rated this factor at 6.50, leaning slightly to the specialized side.
A respondent in emergency care from North Dakota stated, “It takes a lot of training to be ‘good’ but since anyone can come in with any problem it is difficult to be both highly specialized without keeping a little bit of your generalist education.” Another respondent from Massachusetts added, “Tops skills are problem solving-assessment-decision making-influence.”
0
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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 were again mid-range with a 5.90 rating regarding repetition.
One clinical pharmacist from Arkansas indicated that they have a “lot of double documentation. Daily responsibilities are the same but day-to-day priorities can vary depending on criticality of patients.” Another from Massachusetts added, “Every day is an adventure.”
0
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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?]
The application of scientific knowledge was rated slightly lower than scientific knowledge with a 5.56. Respondents did not provide any specific comments on this factor.
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?]
Application of clinical knowledge was slightly higher than scientific knowledge with a rating of 6.90.
A respondent from Florida stated, “Application of guideline/evidence-based medicine through multidisciplinary rounds and medication management.” Another from South Dakota added, “My position generally has little clinical interaction anymore, so I feel I have lost some of the skills needed here and often involve others on these tasks now.”
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 has a mid-range rating of 5.76. Many indicated that this does not apply to them.
One respondent from Florida stated, “Not relevant to me but coworkers have had to take full FMLA leave; company provides bare minimum.” Another from Illinois added, “Decent parental leave opportunities.”
0
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2
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5
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7
8
9
10
0 = Limited opportunities
10 = Unlimited opportunities
Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]
Respondents rated compensation in the high mid-range with a rating of 7.00.
One pharmacist from Florida provided a different perspective as they indicated, “Pay grade based on tenure/seniority, not necessarily effort or contribution—this causes some frustration with younger, more clinically involved pharmacists.” Another from Rhode Island felt that they were “Highly compensated for a pharmacist—in line with executive compensation.”
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2
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5
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7
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9
10
0 = Not well compensated
10 = Well compensated
Benefit package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]
Respondents felt that they the benefit package is somewhat comprehensive with a rating of 7.16. The one comment that summed this up for many was that “the reduction of benefits like (not covering) GLP1 happens every year.”
0
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5
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8
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10
0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very Comprehensive
Advice for student pharmacists
Practitioners’ advice to student pharmacists varied across many areas—all of 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.
- “There are plenty of various options in pharmacy—make sure you're comfortable with all of the tasks in your role.”
- “New opportunities for pharmacist-provided clinical care in the community.”
- “Continued innovation and adaptation to navigate the complexities faced from regulatory agencies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), omnichannel patients, and novel new therapies to deliver high quality support to our pharmacy teams and outcomes for our patients.”
- “Keep an open mind and network professionally, you never know what new opportunities may present themselves.”
- “How absolutely great community practice is—the impact level is 100%.”
- “You need to enjoy always learning and keep a humble attitude on what you do and especially what you do not know.”
- “The best advice I can give is to be open to different opportunities.”
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