Background
An independent community pharmacy may be a single store with a sole proprietor or may consist of several stores owned by an individual or small group. Some independent community pharmacy owners own multiple locations, making it seem like more of a regional chain. Since the stores are owned by an individual or a small private group, they are considered “independent.” In practice, small chains with four or more stores may function much more like a traditional independent community pharmacy rather than a chain, if that is the objective of the owner(s).
Being the manager and/or pharmacist in charge (PIC) in an independent community pharmacy can be extremely rewarding. It provides the opportunity to practice pharmacy in accord with one’s personal style. Changes can be implemented quickly and pharmacists in independent community pharmacy can offer specialty services or fill a niche in the community. Yet, with opportunity come demands–particularly on time. In addition to clinical and traditional pharmacy services, independent pharmacy managers typically get involved to a greater extent in merchandising, marketing, and other general management functions. They oversee the pharmacy technicians and work with all pharmacy staff in setting the tone for patient/customer services.
Management of an independent community pharmacy is usually the duty of the owner. However, in some settings, the manager may be an employee pharmacist and have responsibility for setting the tone/criteria that the staff will follow regarding medications and health-related questions. Depending on the size of the pharmacy, the manager may be the main person to provide clinical services for their patients. The services provided may include medication therapy management (MTM), vaccination services, durable medical supplies, and expertise in specific disease areas such as diabetes, HIV, asthma, and others. Excellent communication skills and an outgoing personality are valuable traits for pharmacists interested in pursuing independent community pharmacy.
Insider’s perspective
Respondents listed the following critical factors as those being the most important to them. Please note that a factor can rank highly 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 who indicated these would be the top five factors they would like to have in a role. Note that there are 25 total critical factors from which to select. Note that two of the factors have similar response percentages.
Top 5 – first tier
- Community impact (22.6%)
- Leisure and family time (12.9%)
- Autonomy (9.7%)
- Repetitive versus variable work (6.5%)
- Ongoing coworker/client relationships (6.5%)
In addition to the top five factors, the second tier of critical factors are listed below. Note that two of the factors; ongoing coworker/client relationships and community impact 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. The list below had numerous factors with the same percentage of respondents indicating that they were a second-tier factor.
Top 5 – second tier
- Compensation (16.1%)
- Ongoing coworker/client relationships (9.7%)
- Community impact (9.7%)
- Organizing/management/supervision of people (6.5%)
- Collaborating with health professionals (6.5%)
One respondent from South Carolina highlighted the importance of their community impact by stating, “Number ONE. I love my community and my customers and want to see them healthy and happy.”
There are many rewarding and challenging experiences in being a manager/PIC in an independent community pharmacy setting. Twenty-six percent of the respondents indicated that patient care was a rewarding part of the role. One respondent from Massachusetts stated that they like, “(the) ability to achieve a positive outcome in our patients and building relationships." Another respondent from Missouri added, “Having patients tell you that your team or you are the best pharmacist they ever had.”
One the other side, 13% indicated that insurance was the most challenging area. A respondent from Florida provided the following, “Most challenging is to get paid from insurance companies.” Another from Georgia supported this statement when they added, “The most challenging times are having to tell a patient that we cannot fill their medication because the insurance is reimbursing us $50 less than our cost for the medication.”
Respondents were asked to select an additional factor from the full list that they consider to be the most important. The following factors were listed by the group: pressure/stress at 29.0%; and geographic work location flexibility, and multiple-task handling both at 9.7%.
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.
- “Just being part of a rural community and health care provider.”
- “Serving our community for 40 years especially during COVID-19 with never shutting down.”
- “Running a successful independent community pharmacy.”
- “Need for pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform.”
- “So many good things, as long as we can get reimbursement issues resolved. New services are fun to implement!”
Critical factors ratings
Opportunities for Advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
Respondents rated this factor mid-range with a 5.06 indicating that there are some opportunities for advancement.
One respondent from Colorado stated, “I could be part owner of the independent pharmacy I work at (but I chose not to).” Another from South Carolina added, “Independent community pharmacy provides better work environment but generally lower salaries, less PTO, and negligible room for advancement.”
One respondent from New Jersey had a different viewpoint when they indicated, “We have several stores, possibility for advancement exists.”
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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 were in the mid-range with a rating of 7.03.
A pharmacist from New Jersey indicated that, “The owners promote leadership and training opportunities.” Another from Florida supported this when they stated, “The owner is open to my suggestions to grow the business and what items to stock.”
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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 indicated a high mid-range rating of 7.77 relative to the impact they have in serving the community.
A respondent from Florida provided a positive outlook when they stated, “Our pharmacy serves an underserved and immigrant population.” Another from Illinois added they are the “Only pharmacy in [a] rural town with affiliated clinic. The next closest is about 13 miles away (independent) and next closest chain pharmacy is about 25 miles away.”
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0 = Little impact
10 = High level of impact
Autonomy
[To what extent does your work allow for autonomy in decision making?]
Respondents rated autonomy in the upper mid-range at 7.97.
One pharmacist from South Carolina summed this up nicely when they said, “Independent setting, in my experience, fosters autonomy and leadership skills. It is almost considered an expectation.” Another from Connecticut simply stated, “It’s only me.”
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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?]
Respondents were mid-range at 6.07 relative to the focus they have, meaning that there is some time to focus on the future.
One respondent from Nebraska stated, “This probably varies by the daily script volume. Higher volume would require ‘check machine’ pharmacist that will not get time to focus on future tasks or pharmacy development.”
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0 = Immediate tasks only
10 = Tasks focused on the future
Prestige
[To what extent does your work provide professional prestige?]
Prestige is truly held by the individual. Overall respondents rated this factor at 6.80–a moderate level of prestige.
One respondent from Nebraska provided a positive statement when they indicated, “Prescribers come to me for help with what medications to use and the doses to use.”
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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 on the mid-range with a rating of 7.38 for this factor.
A pharmacist manager from South Carolina stated, “My work allows for plenty of opportunities for personal fulfillment, but I would advise graduating pharmacists that one needs to make an effort themselves to pursue these moments.”
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0 = Little extent
10 = High extent
Patient relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with patients?]
Patient relationships were the second highest rated factor at 8.38, an upper-range response.
A respondent from New York stated, “Worked 28 years in same place and still going strong.” Another from Alabama looked at this broadly and indicated that, “Developing trust with your employees is critical, ultimately they help you set the tone of your ability to service and enjoy your customers/patients. You will have to appreciate them to have them support you.”
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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 that this factor is the highest for the group with an 8.56 rating indicating that most relationships are longer term.
A pharmacist from Connecticut indicated, “...important I’m friends with nurses.” Another from Missouri added, “Good relations make happier workdays.”
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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?]
As could be expected, independent community pharmacy managers/PICs do not spend much time writing or conducting research as the rating is 0.96, which is the lowest for the group.
There were no comments provided by the respondents about this factor.
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0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Generating new ideas
[To what degree does your work involve generating new ideas?]
Respondents were mid-range in their work in generating new ideas with a rating of 5.86.
One respondent from Nebraska felt that “Generating creative ideas to solve problems keep my job interesting.” Another from Connecticut simply stated, “I try.”
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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 indicated that they spend time in a supervision/management role more often than not with a rating of 6.75.
A Connecticut respondent indicated that they are, “Pretty self-sufficient.”
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0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Patient interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]
Respondents do spend time interacting with patients and rate the factor at 6.41.
One respondent from Missouri felt that the environment was helpful when they stated, “Working in a rural area is a plus.”
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0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Public interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with the public?]
Respondents do interact with the public but to a lesser degree than patients rating the factor at 5.89.
A respondent from New Jersey stated that, “You have to love the public and people.” Another respondent from Mississippi was succinct and indicated that public interaction is, “Needed and enjoyed.”
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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 were mid-range with a rating of 6.12 regarding collaboration.
One respondent from Missouri commented, “Also good to talk to the physicians.”
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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 in how much free time they have with a rating of 5.88.
One respondent from Louisianna put this bluntly, “You have Sundays.”
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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 their impact on well-being in the upper range with an 8.04 rating.
One practitioner from Missouri was emphatic when they stated that their impact on well-being is, “Important to retain good employees.”
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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 in their rating of problem solving with a score of 5.85.
Perhaps one of the issues is how one defines problem solving as noted by a respondent from Colorado who stated, “Honestly I'm not even sure what tried and true vs untested means.”
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0 = Tried and true
10 = Untested alternatives
Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]
Pharmacists indicated that they are mid-range relative to their expertise–meaning that they use both generalized and specialized information.
One respondent from Georgia indicated that they use their expertise in, “Creating a positive outcome for my patients.”
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0 = Generalized
10 = Specialized
Repetition
[To what degree is your work composed of activities and tasks that are highly repetitive versus highly variable?]
Pharmacists were mid-range with a score of 4.96 regarding repetition.
One respondent comically stated at times they feel they are in the movie, “Groundhog Day.”
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0 = Highly repetitive
10 = Highly variable
Applying scientific knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying scientific knowledge in your work?]
Respondents were mid-range regarding the application of scientific knowledge with a rating of 5.27.
One respondent from New Jersey indicated that applying scientific knowledge allows them to, “help people improve their health.”
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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?]
Respondents indicated that the application of clinical knowledge has a lightly higher rating at 5.96.
One respondent from Missouri indicated that applying clinical knowledge is related to the importance of, “interaction with patients.” Another from Florida added they enjoy, “applying clinical knowledge.”
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0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Parental leave
[To what extent does your work setting offer parental leave opportunities?]
This factor was rated at the lower mid-range at 4.50.
Most indicated that the insurance/benefits plans they have do not provide much parental leave although one from Wisconsin stated that they are in a pharmacy, “with only 6 employees—all of us have insurance thru our spouse.”
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0 = Limited opportunities
10 = Unlimited opportunities
Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]
Respondents indicated that they are at the high mid-range with a 6.92.
A respondent from South Carolina stated, “Salary is important but take time to relax and enjoy your life.”
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0 = Not well compensated
10 = Well compensated
Benefit package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]
Respondents rated the benefits package that they have in the lower mid-range at 4.38.
One pharmacist from Florida was blunt when they stated, “I have no health benefits.” This was supported by several other respondents.
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0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very comprehensive
Advice for student pharmacists
Practitioners’ advice to student pharmacists 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.
- “Embrace the challenges ahead and fight for your independence.”
- “Remember why you like your job–Every day!”
- “Stay up to date on your knowledge, you have to enjoy interacting with patients and you have to think of innovate ways to serve the community.”
- “Promoting more well-being services.”
- “So many good things, as long as we can get reimbursement issues resolved. New services are fun to implement!”
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 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