By: Kate Croegaert, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy,\u00a0Pharm.D. Candidate c\/o 2013<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Kate Croegaert is a PharmD Candidate (Class of 2013) and the current President of the Rho Chi Delta Chapter at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.\u00a0 \u00a0She believes in the importance of advancing the profession of pharmacy and promoting innovative practices within the profession.\u00a0 We would like to thank Associate Dean, Dr. Bernard Sorofman, for connecting us to Mrs. Croegaert.<\/i><\/p>\n
The role of the pharmacist is undergoing significant changes; the focus of pharmacy practice is shifting from dispensing medication to providing patient-centered care. \u00a0In the past, the volume of prescriptions filled has driven profits in pharmacy. \u00a0This focus will evolve into a quality driven system, with incentives for both doctors and pharmacists determined by the caliber of care that they provide to patients. \u00a0As the role of the pharmacist evolves, it is imperative for future practitioners to embrace these new aspects of the profession and to promote their progression.<\/p>\n
Along with a more value-based ideology, pharmacists will increase their integration with the healthcare team. \u00a0Past methods of practice have segregated pharmacists from other healthcare practitioners. \u00a0This future care model emphasizes multidisciplinary teamwork, where pharmacists will work with others to help provide the best possible patient care. \u00a0This type of partnership will not only improve patient outcomes, but will also help to prevent medication errors and medication side effects, as well as cut down on healthcare costs.\u00a0 Pharmacists will play vital roles in these synergistic relationships because of the profound therapeutic knowledge they can offer to promote patient care and safety. \u00a0New insurance models will also help to foster the development of a collaborative environment.<\/p>\n
Pharmacists must be devoted to continuous learning in order to excel in these current and future roles. \u00a0The pharmaceutical field is ever changing; there are constantly new drug therapies and discoveries. \u00a0Only a small portion of the knowledge that we obtain comes from our pharmacy education. \u00a0The majority of our pharmaceutical knowledge comes from on-the-job training and educational experiences, such as residency programs and mentorship opportunities. \u00a0As future and current healthcare practitioners, we have the responsibility to remain up-to-date with the most current clinical guidelines and innovations.<\/p>\n
So, how can a student pharmacist be successful in these future roles and show commitment to life-long learning? \u00a0Well, assimilating into these new duties requires pharmacists to prove that they are medication therapy experts. \u00a0One can build a strong knowledge base and develop his or herself professionally by continuing education opportunities, involvement in professional organizations, residency experiences, and mentorship.\u00a0 These types of professional development and life-long learning display commitment to the profession; they can help build trusting relationships with other practitioners.<\/p>\n
An optimal opportunity for pharmacy students to prepare themselves for future practice is to complete a residency program. \u00a0Completion of a pharmacy practice residency provides invaluable learning opportunities.\u00a0 Residency programs allow the PharmD graduate to expand on clinical knowledge and learn to pharmacy practice in a clinical setting. \u00a0A general postgraduate year one (PGY-1) residency provides the opportunity to experience multiple types of pharmacy practice.\u00a0 This helps the pharmacy resident develop passion for specific areas of pharmacy. \u00a0Not only does a residency program permit students to sharpen pharmaceutical care skills, but it also opens opportunities in advanced practice settings. \u00a0Completion of a PGY-1 residency can lead to the opportunity to complete a PGY-2 specialty residency. \u00a0Specialty residencies in areas such as oncology, pediatrics, or pharmacy management (among many others) allow pharmacists to focus on preferred areas. \u00a0The detailed skills acquired in these residencies prepare pharmacists to provide better care to patients and more effectively collaborate with other medical professionals within the field.<\/p>\n
Involvement in professional or state pharmacy organizations is another way to be on the forefront of professional changes. \u00a0Being a member of these pharmacy organizations provides networking opportunities with colleagues and offers pharmacists a voice in matters that affect their profession. \u00a0In addition to providing pharmacists with professional opportunities, these organizations allow pharmacists to utilize their knowledge and experiences to advance their profession.<\/p>\n
Mentorship and continuing education opportunities prepare pharmacists for future career roles. \u00a0Teamwork with other healthcare practitioners not only promotes better patient care, but also allows providers to learn from one another. \u00a0Working with another pharmacy or medical expert requires a thorough understanding of different topics, which challenges pharmacists to be \u201con top of their game.\u201d \u00a0This type of mentorship also provides new outlooks on topics or patient care strategies that were unrealized when working alone.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt the pharmacy profession is evolving into a more patient-centered practice. \u00a0There will be greater focus on the value and quality of care, and partnerships with other healthcare practitioners will be vital.\u00a0 Acknowledging these changes and adjusting to new roles will allow for greater professional success and better patient care. \u00a0Pharmacists have the exciting opportunity to prepare for these changing roles through completion of a residency program, involvement in professional organizations, and collaboration and mentorship with other healthcare providers. \u00a0These professional development opportunities come with the responsibility to improve one\u2019s skills through life-long learning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By: Kate Croegaert, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy,\u00a0Pharm.D. Candidate c\/o 2013 – Kate Croegaert is a PharmD Candidate (Class of 2013) and the current President of the Rho Chi Delta Chapter at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.\u00a0 \u00a0She believes in the importance of advancing the profession of pharmacy and promoting innovative practices…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,8],"tags":[343,1566,38,13,2227,314,2251,14,363,968,1625,19,2230,12,11,34,37,187,33,453,1161,623,696,1061],"class_list":["post-386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-advice-opinions","tag-and","tag-complete","tag-dean","tag-drug","tag-ebola-virus-disease","tag-for","tag-guidelines","tag-medication","tag-of","tag-one","tag-or","tag-patient","tag-pharmaceutical","tag-pharmacist","tag-pharmacy","tag-residency","tag-resident","tag-side","tag-student","tag-system","tag-therapy","tag-type","tag-types","tag-with"],"views":892,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}