Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
Owners indicated that this factor rates at 6.40. One must take into consideration that as the owner there is not a higher level in the pharmacy.
A respondent from Florida stated, “I have been a pharmacy owner for 25 years so advancement within my job has not been a priority.” Another respondent from New York looked at this a little differently when they added, “We always try to advance our practice with point-of-care testing (POCT), diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), community health workers (CHWs), immunization services, etc.”
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 this factor in the upper range at 8.15. Considering the role of an owner, this makes a great amount of sense.
A pharmacist from Nebraska provided a very positive response when they stated, “As much as I want to put into leadership development and professional involvement, I am able to take courses or join programs to help build these skills for myself and my team. If I or a team member determine we need to grow in a certain area, we are able to research and assign money for that growth development without jumping through bureaucratic red tape.”
Another from Florida provided a different perspective when they added, “I have been fortunate to have the flexibility to be extremely involved in professional organizations due to owning a pharmacy, so, I have definitely had advancement opportunities through leadership pathways, although not at work.”
An owner from Tennessee indicated, “You have to develop leadership skills, or your business will never thrive. Also, you can expand on professional involvement by interacting with other owners, state pharmacy groups, and lawmakers to make a difference in our practice.”
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 feel that they impact the communities they serve with a rating of 8.23 which is in the upper range.
One respondent from Nebraska provided a detailed response when they indicated, “Every day I leave work with multiple instances of positive community impact. It may be as simple as counseling on a new prescription and seeing the patient calm down as I answer questions or concerns they had about taking the medication or as big as providing immunization clinics to keep our community healthy as a whole. My community knows that I am their resource for all things medical and more accessible than their doctor’s office.” Another respondent from Florida stated, “We are fortunate to be an integral part of this community for 40 years and I have personally been very involved with many community organizations in leadership roles.”
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?]
Independent pharmacy owners rated autonomy as the highest critical factor at 8.48.
One respondent from Florida provided the following, “As the owner I am the final decision maker, although those decisions are not made in a vacuum and are many times team based. It is one of the ‘perks’ of being an owner and does make work life very gratifying because decisions can be made for the best interests of patients.” Another owner from New Hampshire added, “Recent pharmacy graduates are the clinical experts. I strive to allow my pharmacist the autonomy to identify patients needs, to develop a plan, and the time to execute the plan.”
This statement from an owner in Missouri summed it all up, “Owners have all the autonomy they need.”
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?]
Focus was rated in the mid-range at 6.63 meaning that the respondents leverage both tried and true solutions with some focus on the future. Some are concerned that the future focus is being taken away by the time they need to spend on reimbursement through the system.
One respondent from Florida stated, “As an independent pharmacy we are always evolving and innovating because we have to–in order to remain viable. So, I feel like we are always looking to the future and what we can do next. This does not always happen quickly, but it is a non-stop process for us.” Another from Nebraska added, “One of the downfalls of being the pharmacist owner, is that the workflow demands of community pharmacy are often immediate task focused. There are ways to mitigate this. In my own practice, I have built out a cycle-based workflow for both retail and long-term care (LTC) prescription fulfillment, allowing me time to build future forward clinical models, but inevitably some interruptions are still the name of the game.”
One respondent from New York looked at this differently indicated, “Currently our focus is reimbursement to pay salaries and support our business. It takes daily leadership to advance in this economy due to PBM reimbursement issues.”
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 listed prestige as an upper mid-range factor with a rating of 7.71. Some of the respondents equated this to patient satisfaction.
A pharmacist from New York enjoys that they have, “Incredible community support who look up to us as information changes constantly on medication, vaccinations, and drug information.” A different respondent from New York looked more broadly and stated, “This can be whatever you want it to be. Use your doctorate title as much or as little as you want. Join boards, locally, regionally, and nationally. You get to build your own rapport and prestige.”
One additional statement from an owner in New Hampshire summer this up, “You are an extremely visible and appreciated in your community.”
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?]
Independent owners rated this factor in the upper range with a rating of 8.17.
One respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “Being able to help improve the health and lives of our patients is personally fulfilling due to the positive outcomes of our patients and their health.” Another from Virginia added, “I TAKE the time to make sure my patients understand their drugs, their insurance, and their health. I feel a great deal of satisfaction when a patient tells me how much they appreciate my help getting a drug covered or their insurance clarified.”
One owner from California was very direct when they indicated that, “You see the results of your efforts.”
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?]
Respondents ranked patient relationships as the second highest critical factor for this group at 8.42. Most look to the ongoing relationship with patients as being long-term.
A pharmacist from Virginia summed this up for many of the respondents when they stated, “I love my relationships with my patients and coworkers. This is a hard job and can be stressful at times but when your patients and coworkers can tell you really care, they are forgiving when you make mistakes and are understanding when things do not go exactly as planned. In my pharmacy, communication is KEY! We make a point to personally communicate to the patients and each other.”
Another respondent from Florida stated, “Having been in business for 40 years we have longevity in the community, therefore longevity with patients (including several generations of family members) and we are very blessed to have many employees who have worked with us for 20+ years.”
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?]
Participants rated this factor in the upper range with 8.13, slightly lower than the patient relationships that they have.
An owner from New York indicated that they, “Hear from old interns all the time, sometimes to just say hello and sometimes with a question. Again, with patients we fill many prescriptions for three generations of family members.” Another from Tennessee added, “I have patients that I have been serving for over twenty years. My Coworkers have become a family!”
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?]
Writing/conducting research was the lowest rated factor in the group at 1.42. Based on the roles of the owner, many are focused on the community they are serving.
One respondent from Florida indicated, “This is not something that I want to focus on myself. You could dedicate as much time in this as you are interested in.” Another from Nebraska had a different viewpoint and stated, “We are a PGY1 Community-based Pharmacy Residency site, so we typically have a research project each year. Beyond that, I personally do not do much writing or research, beyond writing for a local quarterly medical publication.”
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 mid-range relative to generating new ideas with a rating of 7.04.
One owner from Pennsylvania indicated, “you constantly have to develop new ideas, or you go out of business.” Another from New York added, “if you’re not moving forward you are standing still, and no one ever won a race standing still.”
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?]
Supervision/management is rated at 7.88, meaning that most of the owners are involved in this activity. One respondent from Michigan stated, “In the name of owning and operating a community pharmacy, this is what it entails. If you have no desire to do these things, community pharmacy may not be for you.” Another from New York added, “Half my time is spent running the business and half filling prescriptions and working with patients.”
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?]
Respondents were mid-range in their response to how much time they spend interacting with patients with a rating of 6.58.
A respondent from Nebraska summed this up nicely when they stated, “I enjoy direct patient care and working with the public. I have built my practice to do just that.” Another from Florida added, “Although my role is largely supervisory, I support my team and I am very accessible during the day, so I do interact with patients for at least part of every workday.”
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 rated slightly lower than patients with a rating of 6.21.
One owner from New Hampshire mentioned, “It's up to the individual pharmacist how much involvement they want to have with the public, but the opportunity is there.” A pharmacist from New York added an interesting perspective when they stated, “Since we are the LAST independent community pharmacy in our county, we are relied on for comments and explaining ongoing problems or questions.”
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?]
Collaboration with other health professions rated mid-range at 5.58.
One respondent from Florida indicated, “I work closely with other healthcare professionals in my community, and I am almost daily in touch with at least one local health professional via text or phone.” Another from Nebraska added, “I am communicating with other health care providers on a daily basis regarding patient care and clarification. I make it a priority to interact and educate other health care providers in both formal and informal settings in regard to our ability to care for our shared patients.”
An owner from New York was very straight forward and stated, “I would like more collaboration of patient care.”
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 varied on the factor of family/leisure time with a rating of 4.46.
One respondent from Nebraska feels that “the flexibility of being able to choose when and how you have coverage for time off is up to you and the availability of coverage pharmacists [have] in your area. Build a contact list for planned and unplanned days off as you choose.” Another owner from New Hampshire agreed when they stated, “With the level of pharmacist overlap and coverage in independent community pharmacy, it is possible to have family and leisure time.”
However, others looked at this differently as some agreed with the statement from a different pharmacist in Nebraska, “As owner it seems to be 24 hours, 7 days a week.”
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 were upper mid-range with a rating of 7.79 for their impact on the well-being of individuals.
One respondent from Virginia indicated how their patients show their gratitude for help; “I gauge this by what my patients tell me. I feel very happy when a patient goes out of their way to stop and tells me how much they appreciate the time we spend helping them navigate their healthcare. We always have some type of baked good, or donuts brought in as thank you and I feel like that is because we are making a positive impact on our patients and community.” Another from Pennsylvania indicated that, “Our natural programs positively impact all our clients/patients.”
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 mid-range in their rating of problem solving with a 5.63.
A respondent from Florida highlighted the importance of tried-and-true solutions and when they may look at untested alternatives, “I definitely believe in a team-based problem-solving approach. I seek input from my team because many times their ideas are better than mine or we can work through a problem together. I am not a fan of untested alternatives, but if innovation seems like a good choice we will try it. If we fail, we can try again.” Another practitioner from New York supported this though when they added, “if it is not broke...but if it is it might take something new to fix it. This is where having the freedom to act is crucial.”
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?]
Respondents rated the factor expertise at 5.83, meaning that they use both general and specialized information.
One respondent from Nebraska felt that this was a challenging factor to think about as they stated, “This is a tough question. Independent community pharmacy specializes in the general practice of pharmacy! Yes, the work is general in most cases, but you can niche down when and where you want to. I am drawn to diabetes care and specialize in DSMES, so I niche down on those patient interactions specifically. If you like cardiology, focus on that. If you like pulmonary, do that.” Another respondent from New Jersey had a different thought and added, “It’s very general, all specialty items are routed away from us on a daily basis.”
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 indicated that they are mid-range with a 5.79 rating on repetition. Some mention that most of the roles have repetitive features; however, each one may differ when working with patients, the public, or other health care providers.
One owner from Tennessee mentioned, “There are repetitive steps in filling prescriptions. But each patient is unique and therefore present with different issues.” Another from New York supported this when they stated, “The act of filling a rx may be repetitive but the patients certainly aren't.”
A pharmacist from Virginia really looked at the variability when they indicated, “There is always something different to keep you on your toes, the more you interact with your patients the more variety you will get in your day.”
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 were mid-range in their response to applying scientific knowledge with a rating of 5.63, slightly lower than the response to application of clinical knowledge.
An owner from Nebraska stated, “If you are practicing as a pharmacist in any setting, I hope you are applying both, your scientific and clinical knowledge, to each and every interaction you have or at the very least in gaining continuing education.”
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?]
It makes sense that respondents listed the application of clinical knowledge at a higher rating versus scientific knowledge with a rating of 6.33.
One respondent from Florida splits the application across both areas when they stated, “My science knowledge is used more in our compounding area, however, our clinical knowledge is used in every area of patient care that we provide, so it is definitely utilized more.” Another respondent from Virginia indicated, “As a community pharmacy, I cannot say we use much scientific knowledge. We do think through the mechanism of action to help decide if an interaction is likely to be an issue for a specific patient. I do feel like we use clinical knowledge regularly when dealing with drug utilization reviews (DURs) and comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) for our patients.”
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?]
Several respondents indicated that this no longer applies to them. Overall, the group rated the factor at 4.92.
One respondent from Tennessee stated, “I am the owner, so I must hire someone to give me any time off.” Another from Virginia added, “I am a small independent pharmacy, I only have seven employees, and I pay them very well by the hour. I just am not able to pay much in the way of benefits. My employees are aware of this when they are hired.”
A pharmacy owner from Pennsylvania stated this straightforwardly, “I allow time off when needed for parental needs.”
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 a tough area to balance for owners of an independent community pharmacy as this differs based on how one evaluates overall compensation: salary versus full income compensation. Overall, the group rated this factor at 5.78.
One owner from Tennessee stated, “There are fringe benefits when owning that do not equate to the amount of your salary. In that, I feel well compensated.” Another from Nebraska looked at this differently when they commented, “Owning a pharmacy is currently a struggle due to the lack of insurance reimbursement.”
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?]
Participants rated this factor in the low mid-range with a rating of 4.00.
One owner from Nebraska stated, “This is the most difficult part of independent community pharmacy. Paid benefits like health insurance, etc. are expensive and hard to come by for a setting with few employees.” Another owner from Virginia added, “I pay a more than competitive hourly wage but have no real benefit package other than a happy workplace.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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:
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“You will be surprised at the number of opportunities you will have to make a lasting difference in people's lives.”
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“More being part of the health care team.”
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“Increase in primary care services for patients.”
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“Hopefully more independent pharmacies will be able to survive with legislative changes.”
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“Community independent practice has wonderful new opportunities for increased positive impact on public health.”
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