Disclaimer: I’m a little harsh on prescribers in this piece. First off, if you’re a prescriber reading this, I can pretty much guarantee it isn’t about you! Second, I acknowledge that medicine is nuanced and complex and that reasonable people can disagree on a decision. This is really intended more as an analysis and critic of the pharmacy profession instead of a rebuke on prescribers. Keep that in mind as you read.
I’ve just completed two months at my new job as Administrator of the Dent County Health Center. I’m happy to report that I wake up each day truly excited to go to work. It’s amazing how much more enjoyable life is and how much less the little things bother you when you’re at the right job. Three months ago, I was apprehensive about changing careers and giving up a position at the Lake that I also loved, but I am certain I made the right decision. Leading the Health Center is a new challenge every day that utilizes many of my skills that have been dormant during my pharmacy career; including public speaking, marketing, technology, immunizations, business administration, and leadership. Though, as my employees will attest, I still have a lot to learn.
I haven’t really spent much time thinking about why this job was so much different than my previous jobs, until today. I was chatting with our IT consultant as he was helping us install some new hardware in the office when he asked me, “Well, have you regretted your decision to come here yet?”
Without hesitation, I answered in the negative, “No regrets whatsoever. I really love coming to work here.”
“Tired of counting pills?” he asked.
I considered it for a second. I’ve never been a huge fan of the drug distribution aspect of pharmacy, but that wasn’t what had driven me away from the profession.
“No, that’s not it.” I paused again as I struggled to think of a succinct way to explain it. It was hard to condense 7 years of experience as a pharmacist into a bite-size conversational chunk. Then, it came to me.
“Being a pharmacist is a lot like being an Air Traffic Controller… with no control. Where half the pilots have their radios turned off and the other half just radio back and say ‘Thanks for the warning, but I’ll fly as I please, thank you.'”
I was surprised at how true this analogy was. That was pretty much the end of our polite discussion about it at the office, but it stuck with me all day. I felt like it deserved a little further exploration.
