- 4/16/2024
In the pharmacy, there are many decisions to make. Some are easy to make, others are much more difficult. The decisions are not only about patient care; they also include decisions about staffing, inventory management and contracting, and list goes on (and on).
- 4/9/2024
Are you able to inspire and motivate others to do the things that need to be done to get where they want to go? I have had far too many conversations with far too many pharmacists which highlight this struggle. I can recall one pharmacist telling me, "I can't get anyone to do what I want them to do." In another conversation a pharmacist told me "I don't know what to say to my patients."
- 4/2/2024
As you look at your pharmacy team, you may see some cups which are half empty as well as some that are half full. You may even see a cup or two that need a good wash. No matter the individual or collective state of your cups, take a moment to "refill the cups" of your team.
- 2/27/2024
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Some expectation of time was set and not met. We overpromise and under-deliver. This leads to frustration for the people we serve. In the pharmacy, my default wait time I’d tell patients to fill a prescription was 10 minutes. When I was able to produce the prescription in six minutes, the patient was happy. If I took 12 minutes, the patient was unhappy.
- 2/20/2024
You must continue to improve so that you can continue to advance your team on their mission. No one will follow a pharmacy leader promoting outdated philosophies and goals for long.
- 2/13/2024
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of meeting and interacting with thousands of pharmacists. When I first started out, I did not know the rules of the game. Allow me to correct that. When I first started out, I was playing a very small game. I thought the game was to correctly fill a prescription for a patient as quickly as possible. If I did that, I would win.
- 2/1/2024
I have had many negative results as a pharmacist, as a manager, and as a leader. But I learned over time (and you will, too) that those negative results showed me how to improve, as long as I 'got the negative.'
- 1/30/2024
The different perspectives we have acquired through our pharmacy careers bring value to the overall care that can be provided. But we must be willing to share the wisdom we have acquired, and more so, we must be willing to listen to the wisdom being shared so that it can produce the best value.
- 1/23/2024
For some time now, I have been wrestling with this topic of the hope of healthcare. Deep down we all recognize not just the opportunity, but the need for healthcare to improve. How will this happen? Truth be told, there are many pieces that will contribute to the solution. What roles will pharmacists play in this solution? What roles can pharmacists play in this solution?
- 12/26/2023
The beginning of a new year often has people looking hopeful at the possibility of what may be. Yet we know the vast majority of people who set New Year’s resolutions drop them within days or weeks of starting them. And they do this year after year.
- 12/12/2023
Within the world of pharmacy, we must be intentional to show the value that is provided to our patients. In the absence of recognizing the value, a patient can become disengaged with his care.
- 12/5/2023
If your experience is anything like mine, the ability to add value to our patients and customers is a seismic shift! I wish I could say it is just as easy as offering value-add programs, but it not. Adding value is an intentional effort to make a relevant impact in the lives of the patients we serve. Adding value is key to leading patients to better health.
