Ever since I began working at Walgreens more than three years ago as a pharmacy technician I told myself that I would never work in community pharmacy as an actual pharmacist. The reasons may not be well known to the general public, but pharmacy bloggers in the know have published accounts of their personal experiences. The truth is that most pharmacists work in community pharmacies. Unfortunately, the majority of these individuals are not properly engaged with (read: in control of) their professional work spaces let alone the decision-making that you would expect is part of a pharmacist’s job description.
That privilege usually goes to non-pharmacy managerial types with little understanding of the work process in community pharmacy and with even less sympathy for pharmacists’ methods. Of course, there are exceptions to this generalization and there are also pharmacists who know how to negotiate with their employers in order to receive basic amenities (such as restroom breaks, lunch periods, etc). Regardless, community pharmacists haven’t had a unified voice in these matters for a long time.
The story of the modern era is largely about accomplishing goals by getting people together to enact change. In the case of pharmacy there are several professional organizations who identify themselves with precisely this task: being the voice of pharmacists. At least a few people are taking the APhA to task for their lack of attention on the workplace dilemmas that plague the average pharmacist. Instead the APhA is working on the future of pharmacy. Are they to blame? No, the APhA is redefining what it means to be a pharmacist. However, their tunnel vision is preventing them from addressing today’s problems, so maybe they should pass on the mantle for being the premier association for pharmacy professionals.
There are other organizations that pick up where the APhA has dropped the ball. Some are well-established and others are grass-roots ventures striving towards a better reality.
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