Critical Factors 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?]
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 work 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 professions.
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 an 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
Co-worker / Client Relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with co-workers or
clients?]
Respondents rated this factor as the second highest for the profile at 8.50. Considering the roles and
activates that they complete on an on-going 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 co-workers 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
co-workers.”
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-rage 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 form Maryland stated, “I try whenever possible to discuss new ideas. That has been me all
my career. Sometimes it is heard, many time 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 indicate that they
spend a great deal of time collaborating with others.
A respondent from Rhode Island indicated 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 actives
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 4 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.”
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 on
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 Washington DC 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 vs national with a mid-range score of
5.19.
A respondent from Washington stated that, “Our organization supports parental leave. In addition, we
have a hybrid work model that provides some flexibility as needed.” A different respondents from
Kentucky 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-rage 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 are 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 retail 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, 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
2530 Professional Road, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-285-4431 Fax: 804-612-6555
(571) 404-0471 | www.afpenet.org
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
2530 Professional Road, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-285-4431 Fax: 804-612-6555
(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