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Sound academic knowledge alone may not translate into a successful career in pharmacy. The choices we make and the way we approach our responsibilities are also important factors. As new graduates endeavor to find their footing in the swirling tide of the world’s uncertainties, guidance from experienced colleagues can be invaluable. What follows are some pointers learned from life.

Philosophy

• Put your commitment to public service
• Do not judge yourself by your GPA
• If your goals are worthy, the sky’s the limit

Planning

• Identify a distinct area of pharmacy
• Draw up a five-year professional life plan
• Remember that planning is crucial to future success

Practice

• Choose an employment schedule
• Clinical provider services
• Watch your spending
• Pay attention to the pharmacy practice laws of your state
• Be conversant with PHI and controlled substance regulations
• As a pharmacy manager

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia,… has issued a position statement recognising that complementary medicines may have a role in the management or treatment of some conditions and that pharmacists are ideally placed to help consumers make informed decisions on their use…. complementary medicines may be used as an adjunctive therapy with conventional medicines, provided there is evidence to support their use…. PSA strongly encourages all consumers considering taking complementary medicines to first consult their pharmacist for sound, evidence-based advice."… PSA does not support the sale of homeopathy products in pharmacy.

Paul Greenall, senior vice president of strategy and business development at McKesson Corporation, talks about how he sees the role of the pharmacist changing in the next few years.

California’s pharmacists would be required to provide prescription drug labels or medication instructions in five languages besides English under a bill passed unanimously…by California lawmakers…AB 1073, will be sent to Gov…Brown for his signature…Upon request from patients or their caregivers, pharmacists would need to provide medication instructions in Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean, the most common languages in California after English. The instructions could be on prescription labels or in patient handouts...

The hard truth about pharmacists is that as a breed, we are far more efficient at managing things than we are at managing people. Most pharmacy managers are shuffled into the job without qualifications or training, and too often, without the desire to take on the role at all. So what’s a well-intentioned, poorly managed pharmacist to do?...I’ve figured out that your relationship with your manager must be bi-directional; you need to manage your manager, just as your manager manages you. Here are a few things I’ve learned about the fine art of managing up.

• Know what you need
• Make your intentions clear
• Give and take
• Get over it and move on
• Don’t act your age
• Know when to walk away

A hard drumbeat of FDA complaints against more than two dozen companies in India for quality violations has affected 39 drugmaking facilities, creating an avalanche of remedial work that could take years and is steadily driving up medicine costs in the United States…FT (Financial Times) said it counted 6 Indian drugmakers that had manufacturing sites hauled up by the FDA…encompassing 27 companies…spate of massive product recalls.

Kristene Diggins, MBA, manager of professional practice at MinuteClinic, and Contemporary Clinic Editorial Board member, talks about some dynamic trends in diabetes management.

APhM is celebrated annually during October and serves to promote pharmacists as medication experts, an integral member of the health care team, and directly involved in patient care. APhM aims to educate the public, policy makers and other health care professionals about the role pharmacists play in the reduction of overall health care costs and the safe and effective management of medications. Pharmacists have a significant role in assessing patients’ medication management in patients and referring them to physicians.s a time to educate your patients, motivate your staff, and engage and inspire your community to "Know Your Pharmacists, Know Your Medicine."

Smith's stores will hold open interviews Tuesday, September 15, for all veterans and their family members, looking to fill about 250 positions in its area stores (Reno). Nationwide, The Kroger Co. is hiring to fill an estimated 20,000 permanent positions in its supermarket divisions.

Empathy is neither sympathy nor compassion,...It is also not feeling sorry for a patient…In medical interviewing, being empathic means listening to the total communication—words, feelings, and gestures—and letting the patient know that you are really hearing what he or she is saying,..Empathy can create better relationships with patients and lead to better therapeutic outcomes.

Here are 5 ways pharmacists can show empathy toward patients:

1. Show respect to receive respect.
2. Encourage patients to express themselves.
3. Put yourself in the patient’s shoes.
4. Recognize and address patients’ fears.
5. Use interchangeable and additive responses.