10 things I learned by taking a break from pharmacy

First off, I get it—why would you want to read about someone who was fortunate enough to take four-and-a-half months off from their pharmacy job of 32 years? Who gets to do that? But bear with me; what I'm about to share should give you some insight into what it is like to feel you’re ok and don’t need recharging. Pharmacy can have a way of slowly taxing more of your time and energy (maybe without you realizing how much) until you step away from it. I was about to find out the magnitude of this effect. One day, after I had sold my pharmacy but had still been working for another year and a half, my wife suggested an extended vacation. Bev had been instrumental in every major decision we made at the pharmacy during the time we owned it. At first, I thought it was a completely crazy idea. There was a lot going on at the pharmacy (that I didn’t own anymore) and the pharmacy world is getting increasingly tough with heavier workloads. I’d be letting everyone down if I stepped back. The staff would be short; the new owners would be thrown into more work on top of what they already had on their plate.Had retirement crossed my mind when I sold my business? Yes, it did. But there was so much more I wanted to accomplish as a pharmacist and staying relevant and up to date would be difficult without working even in a reduced capacity. When I mentioned this to a friend who graduated with me from Dalhousie College of Pharmacy in 1993 he said he found that even working one day a week kept him relevant. Being an educator on pharmacy topics to anyone who will listen is a definite passion of mine. Making regular appearances on the regional CBC phone-in radio program is something I enjoy. Writing is another. Keeping up with daily pharmacy activities was a way to be in the profession enough to be knowledgeable. What was I going to do with this time off? The list grew quickly with very little thought. The third and final book I had been planning to write for the last year still wasn’t close to finishing. My aggressive goal was to get that done mid-summer with some amazing contributions from colleagues. It had also been some time since I have been able to contribute here, on this incredible platform from Canadian Healthcare Network. I am also an Academic Detailer with Dalhousie University which is very rewarding, and am looking forward to continuing with that. There was a family trip planned with kids and grandkids, a wedding with one of them, a high school graduation with another, a smaller trip to some baseball games, rebuilding the back deck and front steps. Some baby-sitting the grand kids was in there, a book signing in Toronto (with more baseball), cleaning out a rec room storage room…and basically much more time with family—a main focus of mine during this time. It took roughly a month to unhook myself from the pharmacy, mostly my own doing. I couldn't resist dropping in, seeing how things were, and fielding questions as they arose from the staff, mostly on compounding and ordering issues; nothing major. Seemed like an easy way to transition into full time off. After the first month, I got a lot accomplished on the home front. You begin to realize the pressure that is off your shoulders simply by not having a work schedule, by not always being needed, or on call as an owner. Don’t get me wrong, deciding to be a pharmacy owner was the single best professional decision I ever made. It was life changing, and I would encourage any young pharmacist out there to strongly consider it. Don’t be put off by the financial burden and personal net worth up front. There’s always a way to partner with an existing owner who is considering getting out. I firmly believe that we need many more independently owned pharmacies making their own impact on their communities. Regardless of the naysaying out there, that will be the foundation of this profession for many years to come. The platform it gave me can never be replaced. And this isn’t a slight against big chain pharmacies—lots of friends who are great pharmacist that work for the chains. You just can’t beat the control level you have over your own pharmacy as an owner, and the public recognizes this.Seeing the pharmacy's new owners at work is enlightening to me. I see the level of energy they can bring to a newly- purchased pharmacy and the fresh new ideas they are eager to unfold. I had the same enthusiasm when I bought the pharmacy. In the end, both they and I needed this jump off the deep end to succeed even more.In a nutshell, after stepping away from my career for a time, I can now confirm what you probably know:Family time suffers when you are an owner, but it also does if you’re not an owner, regardless of how much you deny it. I have no regrets whatsoever on buying a pharmacy, being a pharmacy owner, or selling the pharmacy.All pharmacies have their strengths, but independent ownership is hard to beat.Ironically, memories with your kids and family are best made when they are kids and you have the least amount of time available for it.You will most likely never have the platform that being a pharmacist gives you for publicly promoting health and promoting yourself, so use it as fully as you can, whether you’re an owner or not. Becoming an owner of your own pharmacy magnifies this effect substantially.Pharmacy staff recognize and appreciate compensation in many forms, but real loyalty comes more from seeing hardworking, fair owners who reciprocate appreciation. Real loyalty is hard to buy. The effects of poor mental health become evident in many ways that you may not recognize. Being both proactive and reactive to those effects, for both yourself and your coworkers is essential for a good team.The stress level and lack of family time you accumulate over years of being a pharmacist or owner is something you may not fully realize until you step away from it. This speaks volumes to the dedication we have to this otherwise rewarding profession that makes it difficult to mentally switch gears when you leave work.Introduce yourself to a media contact and take them for a coffee someday and stay in touch with them. There are lots of ways to make an impact using your voice in pharmacy. Nothing beats the free advertising you will get for your pharmacy or your own personal exposure than being the one they can pick up the phone and talk to when needed.Find a niche somewhere in pharmacy and become the person that comes to mind when that topic comes up in public. I still find the pharmacy world a mine field when it comes to staying up to date on current information and retaining it all. Being an expert on one thing, compounding, women’s health, travel health, mental health, addiction, diabetes or any other chronic disease management is super rewarding.Contributing in a scaled back capacity as one day a week in the pharmacy contributes 52 times more than never contributing at all.

10 things I learned by taking a break from pharmacy

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Graham MacKenzie

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