Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
Respondents rated opportunities for advancement with a score of 6.55.
One respondent from Wisconsin stated, “I've been promoted twice and also made a lateral move within my
pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) to another department.” Another from Arizonia added, “In my previous role
in pharmacy benefit management, pharmacists are used in a various positions. There is nothing to stop
one from moving up or laterally, if desired.”
A respondent from Ohio with a different perspective indicated, “In my current reporting structure there
is no room for advancement. I would need to look externally for alternate opportunities.” Another
respondent from Virginia added, “Little advancement opportunities.”
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 mid-range with a score of 6.47.
A pharmacist from New Jersey stated, “My company encourages all associates to participate in networking,
mentoring, and is flexible with work hours to attend professional development sessions.” Another from
Minnesota added, “I have to be a leader within my role because I am the only pharmacist in my company.
Alongside leadership, I helped build this position. Because of the flexibility of my schedule, I can
make time for professional involvement, and I am currently on the board of my state pharmacy
association.”
A respondent from Pennsylvania provided a different perspective and indicated, “You are responsible to
find opportunities for leadership and professional development.” Another respondent from Ohio stated,
“If you're not in management and it doesn't add to the bottom line, then it is not encouraged.”
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 does your work have in terms of serving the community?]
Respondent’s rated community impact in the mid-range with a score of 7.19.
A respondent from Ohio provided a unique perspective and stated, “So many patients are confused about
their medications, discharge instructions, and medication list. I save lives and prevent
rehospitalizations through my work. It is incredibly valuable, yet devalued by corporate and, honestly,
the profession as a whole.” Another respondent from Ohio added, “My work is more specific for industry
and health plans to understand spend and utilization trends.”
A pharmacist from Connecticut was brief in their statement about the community they impact, “We work
with the Medicaid population.” Another from Texas added, “Formulary and pharmacy benefit decisions
affect all members.”
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?]
Respondents rated autonomy as the highest critical factor (tied with applying clinical knowledge) for
the group at 7.33.
One pharmacist from Arizonia stated, “As a professional individual contributor, autonomy is part of the
job.” Another from Michigan added, “My supervisors grant me a great deal of latitude in growing my
departmental revenue.” One additional comment provided by a pharmacist from Illinois indicated, “High
level of autonomy. Thankfully I am no longer being micromanaged.”
A pharmacist from Illinois looked at this differently, “The decision making is driven by U.S. Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).”
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?]
The rating for focus was mid-range at 6.49, leaning slightly toward the future.
A respondent from Wisconsin indicated that, “Most of the clinical formulary decisions made are forward
thinking, planning for future market shifts and new product entrants.” A respondent from Arizona added,
“Always forward looking, as the marketplace changes and new drugs are developed and come to market.”
A respondent from Illinois provided a different perspective when they stated, “Always trying to put out
a fire for clients.” Another from Colorado indicated that they are, “Too busy trying to keep up with
that day’s prescription load.”
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 rated prestige with a mid-range score of 6.03.
One respondent from Arizona stated, “I am valued as a professional, individual contributor ,and am
treated as such. This has been demonstrated in my compensation.” A respondent from Minnesota added, “It
is difficult for me to judge the level of prestige I have, but I feel pride in my role.”
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?]
Pharmacists rated this factor in the mid-range with a score of 7.06.
One respondent from Georgia stated, “I get to use my strengths daily and that gives me fulfillment, I
get to grow as well professionally which contributes to my fulfillment.” Another from Arizona added,
“Personal fulfillment came through positive feedback from leaders on my work.”
One pharmacist from Ohio put this bluntly, “Honestly, if my role was eliminated tomorrow I don't think
it would make much difference in the grand scheme of things.” Another from New York added, “This is not
important to management.”
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 rated patient relationships in the low-range with a rating of 2.00.
A respondent from Illinois provided a statement across both relationship questions, “No patient contact.
Client relationships and coworkers’ relationships is part of my job.” Another from Ohio supported this
statement when they added, “No direct patient care.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Coworker/client relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with coworkers or
clients?]
Respondents rated coworker/client relationships in the mid-range at 7.03. This is much higher than the
rating for patient relationships
One pharmacists from Minnesota stated, “I have a team of coworkers I regularly interact with in an
ongoing manner. There are other peer support specialists and nurses that I interact with periodically,
or with whom I may just have a one-time interaction. Another from Arizona added, “I was not in a
client-facing role. Coworker relationships were long-term as collaboration was often required for
project completion.”
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?]
Managed care pharmacists indicated that they spend little time writing and conducting research with a
low-range rating of 3.27.
A respondent from Georgia stated, “We are a data enabled company, and our interventions make for great
topics to research and for publications.” Another respondent from Colorado had a different perspective
and added, “Lots of writing opportunities (monographs, medication use policies, prior authorization
criteria, meeting minutes or agendas) but no research is conducted in my role.”
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?]
This factor was rated at 6.18 by the group, a mid-range response.
One respondent from Illinois stated, “Part of my job is troubleshooting, therefore generating new ideas
is a given.” Another from Texas added, “Innovative thinking is more due to the company you work for.
This position in other companies may not have the same level of innovation.” One additional respondent
from Arizona indicated, “You are encouraged to generate new, innovative ideas, dependent on your role
and desire to pursue.”
On the other side, a respondent from Ohio indicated, “Not in management, so any new ideas/suggestions
for improvement don't go anywhere. I stopped trying to contribute new ideas because I realized this.”
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?]
Pharmacists rated this in the mid-range with a score of 4.91.
A pharmacist from Texas stated, “Team members can operate independently for most tasks.” Another from
Arizona added, “Clients require a team for support, so all these functions come into play during project
collaboration.”
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 rated patient interaction in the low-range at 2.42.
One respondent from Minnesota stated, “The majority of my time is spent having virtual (video or
telephonic) visits 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?]
Respondents rated public interaction the lowest in the group at 1.79.
One respondent from Ohio looked at interactions differently and stated, “I specifically structured my
career so that I do not have to interact with patients or the general public.” Another from Arizona
agreed and said, “I was not in a patient or public facing role.”
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 collaboration in the mid-range with a rating of 6.15.
A respondent from Minnesota indicated, “Throughout the last 10 months, I have given 3 clinical
presentations to nurse practitioners.” Another from Ohio added that, “I collaborate with pharmacists,
but they are not in the trenches in the clinical sense.” A respondent from Colorado stated,
“Collaboration and education with other health professionals was ongoing. The extent of which would
depend on your specific role.”
One respondent from Maryland expressed a concern about collaboration and continuity when they stated, “I
send patient call summary notes with specific recommendations to patients' PCPs and relevant
specialists. I do not receive their responses or get any updates on the patient. I simply move on to the
next patient and another department takes care of these things.”
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?]
Family/leisure time is rated mid-range with a score of 6.85.
One respondent from Georgia stated, “Work life balance is a key to thriving as a high impact leader, you
have to be able to recharge from the demands on the day. Another from Minnesota added, “I have a young
family, and I greatly appreciate having a schedule that allows for family time. I work from home so I
can get my kids to and from the bus stop during my work hours. I can choose when to take my lunch break,
and I may use that time for leisure or family activities.”
Another pharmacist from Arizona indicated that, “There was quite a bit of flexibility in my 40-hour per
week role, as long as all tasks were completed and client issues addressed.”
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?]
Pharmacists rated their ability to impact the well-being of others at 6.79.
A respondent from Minnesota wrote that, “Many individuals I have worked with have shared how having a
pharmacist listen to them about their medication concerns has been very meaningful and improved their
well-being.” Another respondent from New Jersey discussed what could be done in the workplace to impact
well-being and stated, “Well-being could be impacted by lowering the burden of prior authorizations,
copay reductions, and a robust formulary.”
One additional comment was provided from a respondent in Georgia, “As a leader, I have to cultivate a
healthy, thriving workplace.”
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 rated problem solving with a mid-range score of 6.12.
A respondent from Georgia stated, “For the most part, we are trailblazers forging new horizons, but I
can use past experiences to navigate them.” However, another from Colorado added, “We have to always
follow the standard operation procedures.”
Another respondent from Arizona felt that, “Problem-solving is ongoing and a large part of the job.”
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?]
Expertise was also rated mid-range at 6.80 by the managed care respondents.
One pharmacist from Ohio expressed concern that, “Unfortunately, generalization and knowledge of health
system navigation do not seem to be valued at this time by our profession as a whole.” Another from
Texas listed a few of the areas that they leverage their expertise, “formulary management, pharmacy
benefit management, actuary and financial impact analysis.”
A pharmacist from Wisconsin highlighted, “About half of my team is residency trained. The other started
at other departments within our PBM before transferring to this department.”
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 the amount of repetition in their roles was in the mid-range with a score of 5.80.
One respondent from Arizona stated, “About 50/50 repetitive vs variable.” Another respondent from
Minnesota indicated that they, “Have a few different common patient visit types that are repeated each
week. The extent to how much time I spend on each visit type varies from week to week, but overall,
these visit types are repetitive.”
Another respondent from New Jersey added “I enjoy how diverse my patient conversations around different
hospitalization stays were and the variety of problems I helped patients understand and address.”
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?]
Applying scientific knowledge was rated mid-range with a rating of 5.60.
One respondent from Ohio stated, “One of my favorite parts of being a pharmacist is applying my
knowledge to help patients.”
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?]
Applying clinical knowledge was rated the highest factor by this group at 7.33 (tied with autonomy).
A respondent from Arizona stated that, “Clinical knowledge is used ongoing; scientific knowledge, less
so.” Another from Texas supported this when they indicated that, “clinical knowledge required for
formulary and management (decisions).”
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?]
Pharmacists rated the opportunity for parental leave in the mid-range with a rating of 6.72.
One respondent from Wisconsin listed what is provided, “Four-week paid parental leave per child.”
Another respondent from Pennsylvania added, “(This) depends on the company, working remotely also
bridges the gap.”
Not all respondents leverage this benefit as one respondent from Nevada simply stated, “N/A.”
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?]
The respondents rated compensation at 6.79, leaning slightly to being well compensated.
One pharmacist from Ohio expressed concern related to compensation when they stated, “In the 4 years I
have worked at the call center, they have taken away past bonuses and never given me a raise.” Another
from Illinois supported this by adding, “Salaries are stagnant, new graduates are willing to accept
whatever offer is given to them.”
Another respondent from Texas stated, “Compensated more for my director role, but working more. I'm
earning less per hour than as a pharmacist with normal hours.”
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?]
The overall benefit package was rated at 6.82.
One respondent from Texas listed, “Standard dental and vision. Great medical. Other benefits are
unclear.” Another from Minnesota stated that they do not leverage the benefits, “N/A because I receive
benefits through my spouse.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very Comprehensive
Advice for student pharmacists
Respondents provided advice across several areas and what the future brings. A total of 16.2% of the
managed care pharmacists indicated that they see growth in this area moving forward. Information from
several of the pharmacists is listed below:
- “Growth into other clinical programs.”
- “Many more opportunities and practice settings. My choices were hospital or retail when I
graduated.”
- “Reimbursements for pharmacists services and products will continue to play a major role.”
- “Hope there is more innovation in outpatient pharmacy because accessible care and
understanding/assistance in navigating the U.S. health care system is so needed right now.”
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