 Today I want to thank Dr. Taylor Franklin for participating in this guest post. Many of our Newsletter subscribers have expressed interest in learning more about Independent MTM consulting. Like myself, Dr. Franklin is an independent MTM consultant working for several retail community pharmacies in the northwest Arkansas area.
Taylor Franklin, PharmD works as a Medication Therapy Management Consultant in Fort Smith, AR and the surrounding area. Dr. Franklin graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2014. She successfully implemented new MTM programs at two rotation sites during her P4 year. After graduation, she continues to provide MTM services at these sites and has since began serving other independent pharmacies as well. Since beginning these programs, Dr. Franklin has helped a total of nine pharmacies expand their immunization services, implement adherence programs and improve each store’s Medicare Star Ratings. Dr. Franklin is an active member of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, as well as the American Pharmacists Association. In addition to providing MTM services to patients, Dr. Franklin also trains other pharmacists to provide clinical services through her work as a consultant and as a faculty member for APhA’s Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services certificate program. We are so excited to hear about her journey and the way that she created a career path for herself in a totally new way. She has been an inspiration to me and she continues to pave the way for other MTM consultant pharmacists by offering MTM certification courses through the APhA. How did you begin independently consulting? Taylor: I had a MTM elective rotation during my fourth year of pharmacy school. I worked with a great preceptor who was doing MTM for a couple of stores where she did relief work and I learned how to complete cases in the Outcomes and Mirixa platforms. Two of my later rotations were in independent pharmacies that were not doing MTM at the time. I got them started and they hired me after the month was over to keep up with their cases. After finishing pharmacy school, I began working in a few more independent stores in the area, as well as doing some relief work. What does your normal day look like? Taylor: In the morning I review my cases for the day. I check the patients’ medication histories and look for any potential problems. I meet with patients and perform comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) with them. We address any problems or concerns they have and I give them recommendations on getting the most out of their drug therapy. I spend the time between appointments calling patients to address issues such as non-adherence, contacting prescribers with recommendations, as well as documenting and billing for the services I provide. What does a normal week look like? Taylor: Some of the pharmacies I work for have multiple locations, so for those I have one store that is kind of a home base. I try to visit those stores once per week, so I usually have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the same place each week. This allows for some consistency in my routine and makes scheduling appointments easier. Mondays and Fridays I use to visit the other stores, usually twice per month. I also still do some relief work. What is your favorite part about being an independent consultant? Taylor: I love the flexibility of this job and setting my own hours. I also get to work in lots of different pharmacies so it doesn’t get monotonous. What is your least favorite part about being an independent consultant? Taylor: There are some drawbacks to this type of work. I do contract labor or work as a part-time employee everywhere, so I do not qualify for any full-time benefits. Thankfully I have insurance through my husband’s employer, but I do not have things like an employer 401(k) match, sick leave, paid vacation or holidays. The pay is also less consistent than with a regular full-time job. If stability and routine are the most important things to you in a job, this probably isn’t the best fit. It takes a lot of organization and discipline, but it is definitely worth it to have so much flexibility. What advice would you give to a person wanting to become an independent consultant like you? Taylor: Learn as much as you can and provide a quality service to your patients. You will become an asset and a great resource to your employers. If you’re looking to do this full-time, it may take a while to get there. Another part-time job or relief work can give some stability during the transition. Is there a specific example of a big impact you have made in regards to a single patient's intervention during your MTM consultation? Taylor: I recently met with a patient who was having trouble keeping his blood glucose under control. After discussing his insulin dose, diet, and other factors, I started asking him about adherence. As it turns out, he was using less insulin than he was prescribed and skipping doses because he was in the Medicare coverage gap (donut hole) and he could not afford his copay every month. He gets in the coverage gap every year in June and never gets out, so he struggles with paying for his medications for half of the year. He was using a pen injector for his insulin because that is what the doctor prescribed, but has no problem drawing up his dose with a regular syringe. I requested a switch from his prescriber from insulin pens to vials and this cut his copay about in half while he is in the coverage gap. We also looked at other ways to get his drug costs down, and if his medications stay the same next year, he will not get in the coverage gap until October or November, saving him well over $1000. If we had not met for a comprehensive medication review, this likely would have continued for years. Issues like this often take time to address and patients may not bring them up during a normal visit to pick up prescriptions. It is so beneficial for patients to get one-on-one time with a pharmacist to address their medication issues. Key Takeaways:
Thanks so much to Taylor for sharing her story with us so that other may be inspired to follow their own career path! She is truly a great patient advocate as well as an advocate for the profession of pharmacy. We appreciate her commitment to helping advance the profession of pharmacy and to educating pharmacists on the value of MTM and other clinical services. If you are interested in starting your own pharmacy consulting services, join our [Free] NEWSLETTER for the latest in clinical service opportunities and how to grow your MTM consulting business! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Blair Green Thielemier, PharmD is an independent consultant pharmacist living in Arkansas with her husband and daughter. She is the founder of Pharmapreneur Academy, an online teaching platform where she guides pharmacist-entrepreneurs through the process and barriers of building a pharmacy consulting business. She is the author of How to Build a Pharmacy Consulting Business: Your Rx for Finding Freedom and Loving Your Career, a contributing author for Pharmacy Times and guest host on the Pharmacy Podcast. More information about Dr. Thielemier can be found on her website BTPharmacyConsulting.com
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 How do you get really, really good at your job?
You do it over and over and over and you get the picture. As you repeat a task, you will find that you become more confident in your ability to complete that task. You become more efficient, you find better ways to do it. When you are used to filling 150 scripts per pharmacist and suddenly your numbers jump to 250 scripts per day, you figure out a way to make it work. Adding clinical services to your pharmacy is sort of like that. But what if you are just not interested in delivering clinical services of any kind? You find a person who is stronger in that area and you allow them to take the reigns while you focus on growing your own strengths. It is my job to identify and help correct workflow issues in the pharmacies that I work with. I help spot "bottle-necked" areas in the workflow and come up with efficient ways to overcome these barriers. It is challenging at times. One idea that may help alleviate workflow issues is to have a dispensing "productivity specialist" pharmacist to use their strengths to fill orders quickly and efficiently. Then to have another clinical "quality specialist" pharmacist to make sure the patients are equipped with the knowledge they need to use their medications safely and effectively. The dispensing pharmacist and the clinical pharmacist: Divide and Conquer? Clinical pharmacy can be tedious as well. You will find that you get asked many of the same questions and most of those questions involve cheaper copays! As you go through more and more comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) you become proficient at communicating succinctly and impact-fully. Can a dispensing pharmacist stop and give a flu shot or complete a comprehensive medication review MTM and keep workflow running smoothly at the same time? No, but we are asking it of them. Should the consulting pharmacist be asked to pause a CMR consultation in order to contact a provider over a dosing error on a waiting prescription order, manage an inventory issue or troubleshoot an insurance claim? No, but we are asking it of them. It makes more sense to have separate job duties for two totally different job descriptions. How does this apply to MTM and independent pharmacy consulting? Think of your dispensing pharmacist as your “productivity specialist” and your consultant pharmacist as your “quality specialist”. Some personalities work better when kept constantly busy, they thrive on excitement, and can easily perform many tasks at once. People with these personalities make for great managers and are amazingly productive with very little resources. For a consultant pharmacist, more suitable personality traits may be great communication skills, being relatable, handling difficult or angry patients and performing a complex single task for long periods of time. For a dispensing pharmacist, they may prefer to take on a leadership role and keep workflow running smoothly to prevent problems before they occur. This is not to say that one specialty of pharmacy is better than another, just that it is ok to identify more with one side or the other. Some pharmacists hate doing MTM and counselling, but for some people it is their passion. So why not allow pharmacists to “choose sides”? Why are we expected to “do it all”? Because we always have. It is time for a grassroots movement in pharmacy, and it can only be accomplished by pharmacists. We have to take a stand for our profession. We have to advocate for ourselves, protect our profession and guide it in the direction that we feel is best for the advancement of pharmacy. If we don’t stand up for ourselves, then who will? If you are interested in starting your own pharmacy consulting services please contact me for a free 30 minute coaching consultation call and join our NEWSLETTER for all of our updated blog posts and news about upcoming courses. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Blair Green Thielemier, PharmD is an independent MTM consultant pharmacist. She is the founder of BT Pharmacy Consulting, LLC. and works with pharmacists to create and build clinical services programs. More information about Dr. Thielemier and BT Pharmacy Consulting can be found on their website at http://btpharmacyconsulting.com  We are so excited to introduce to you a truly inspirational pharmacist!
Here is our interview with a retail MTM consultant pharmacist, Alan Tanabe. He stepped up to take the lead in his pharmacy's MTM program and helped the Meijer chain of pharmacies be recognized as one of the best MTM programs of any retail chain in the country. He is active on LinkedIn giving tips and contributing to discussions. He is very passionate about pharmacy's opportunity to serve patients through MTM and clinical services. Alan Tanabe graduated from Ferris State University with a Bachelors in Science for Pharmacy in 1991, and is currently enrolled as a student in the Non-Traditional Pharm D. program at the University of Colorado, Denver (expected to complete in 2016). He has worked at Meijer Pharmacy since 1989. We are featuring Alan here so that he can share the story of how he found his passion for clinical services in a retail setting. We appreciate him sharing his story in order to inspire other pharmacists and help them grow in their careers. How did you begin offering MTM services? Alan: I believe that our company started with offering Mirixa MTM services in 2006, and shortly after (Meijer pharmacies) contracted with Outcomes. We didn't have many assigned cases at that time, and MTM was still a very new concept, at least for me. I felt like I fumbled my way through it at first, not exactly knowing what was expected of me, but was able to complete cases. Then around 2010, our Clinical Services Pharmacist approached me and asked me to take on a more active role as an MTM pharmacist. At the time I didn't really understand why she chose me as I didn't exactly feel like I was an expert with MTM, but I agreed to try my best. A lot of MTM at that time was self-taught, and with practice and experience not only did my MTM skills improve, but I discovered that I really enjoyed working MTM and recognized the potential impact that it could have on patient care and the profession of pharmacy. Fast forward to today, and it is very clear how important MTM is, and will continue to be, for pharmacy and the patients we serve. What does your day consist of? Alan: I work in a community pharmacy setting, so a lot of my day consists of filling and checking prescriptions, patient counseling, communicating with prescribers, being a preceptor for IPPE and APPE students, and other duties associated with community pharmacy. I generally have one full day per week to devote to MTM. However, as I've become more experienced with MTM, I've found that I can usually work some MTM activity into most days. I know that some pharmacists feel that they do not have time to do MTM work as we are already so busy. However, MTM is not solely working up comprehensive medication reviews and conducting them with patients. MTM also includes activities that many of us are already doing on a daily basis such as recognizing gaps in therapies, recognizing and addressing non-adherence, addressing patient concerns regarding adverse effects, finding cost-effective opportunities for our patients, and many other aspects. Once you realize this and gain some experience, incorporating MTM into your daily work does not seem so difficult. What does a normal week look like? Alan: Focusing on my "MTM day", I spend the majority of that day assisting some of our other stores with their cases. I make calls to assigned patients for various reasons, such as performing adherence checks or following up with their medications to assess responses. If the patient is targeted for a CMR, I first look for reasons to speak with the patient. For example, if I notice that the patient recently experienced a change in dose or medication, or if the patient is overdue to refill a medication, that gives me a good reason to talk to the patient and creates a nice segue for asking the patient to update their medication profile with us so we can assess their responses to therapy and address any questions or concerns (instead of using the term CMR). I also spend some time communicating with physician offices, making recommendations if I notice gaps in therapies or the use of potentially inappropriate medications such as BEERs drugs for our older patients. Other times I have the opportunity to be a trainer for other pharmacists and interns, to show them effective ways of incorporating MTM into their daily work. What is your favorite part about doing MTM? Alan: There are a couple of things I really enjoy. Of course it is rewarding to see when your efforts result in better outcomes for our patients, and it does help reinforce the relationship between patient and pharmacist. I also really enjoy showing students/interns just how involved MTM work can be and the impact that it can have. Although the topic of MTM is now discussed in schools, many students seem surprised just how expansive the services can be. What is your least favorite part about doing MTM? Alan: Even though MTM has been around for about 10 years, the concept of pharmacists taking the initiative to address patient therapy is still very foreign to many people. It can be frustrating when you receive the response "That's my doctor's job...I will discuss it with him/her." However, don't get too discouraged. MTM is becoming more accepted by other health professionals and can become a more regular practice with their patients. What advice would you give to a person wanting to begin offering clinical services like MTM? Alan: If MTM is new to you, it would be advisable to look for opportunities for introduction training, such as through APhA. After that, communicate with other pharmacists who are active with MTM and ask them to share their advice and experiences with you. Learn tips about what has worked well for other pharmacists. Also, make sure that you are familiar with current therapy guidelines (e.g. JNC8, ASCVD, ADA, etc...) which will help you assess patient response to therapy as well as identify opportunities for additional RPh-initiated claims. Is there an example of a big impact you have made in regards to a single patient's intervention during an MTM consultation? Alan: One example of a pretty big impact an MTM consultation had on a patient was when I conducting a CMR, a patient was already taking trazodone for sleep and depression, but was having suboptimal responses. Through interviewing, I found out that she was also experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence and some nerve pain, but wasn't being treated pharmacologically for those symptoms (except for some occasional NSAID use for the pain). I told her that I had an idea of an agent that may be able to help her with each of these symptoms & that I would discuss it with her physician. I suggested to the physician to discontinue to trazodone and try nortriptyline, hoping that it would give her better relief of her insomnia, depression and nerve pain, but also the anticholinergic activity may improve her urinary incontinence. The physician agreed to try it. Some months later, that patient came to the pharmacy counter to thank me for the service and my suggestion as it was successful in improving each of her symptoms with minimal adverse effects. Takeaway points:
Thanks again to Alan for not only being a great patient advocate, but a great advocate for the profession of pharmacy.  I am writing this for those pharmacists that may not be familiar with the process of setting up a business. I definitely do not claim to be an expert in the subject, but I am sharing my journey to save others from learning everything "the hard way".
When I began looking into starting an independent MTM consulting business, I imagined that to start a business correctly you really needed an MBA. I wasted a lot of time researching, going to seminars and browsing the Small Business Association website and googling "how to write a business plan?". Although one can argue that no time spent in learning is wasted, I cannot help, but feel that I could have been helping more patients had I not spent this time in what I call my "information-gathering phase". My expertise is in pharmacy, so I wasted too much time trying to become an expert in business before I felt comfortable actually launching my business. I attended a business class at my local community college that was geared towards brick and mortar product-based businesses. I felt overwhelmed and even more confused as I left the classroom. Did I really need a business plan if I did not plan to seek financing, was a one-woman show with no employees and "sold" a service-based product? No. I just wasted a lot of time, because I didn't believe in myself. I thought that I had to be an expert in business, to run a business. So to become an expert in business, I began listening to every business podcast that I could find, naturally. Most were geared towards online marketing and really opened my eyes all the information that can be made available on the internet. This is when I decided that I needed a website. Back to the community college I went and spent another evening learning how to build my own website, so BT Pharmacy Consulting (the website) was born. Am I making your head spin yet? Then I decided that since I had a name, I needed business cards and marketing flyers (of course!). So I had some professional head shots taken and had marketing materials made up. To date I believe that I have only given out 1 business card EVER and it was to my lawyer (I am getting to him). I do have some very beautiful business cards if anyone would ever like one, but in today's world, you really just need a great LinkedIn profile. So I went and created my LinkedIn profile, but I STILL was not a business owner. Sighs.... Which brings me to the next phase of my round-about journey to becoming a business owner...the LLC. The only actual piece that is REQUIRED to become a business owner. An actual company! Should I have thought of this much sooner? Probably. Thankfully, I came to my senses and decided that I did not need to go back to law school in order to set up my LLC or become an accountant to file for an EIN (tax ID number). I finally made the step that I should have made before ever creating a website, business card, marketing flyer, etc.... My lawyer and I created an LLC! And it only took about a week and two 1 hour meetings! The majority of my time was wasted on trying to become an expert in all these things that did not make any difference. It is a bit embarrassing when I think of all the time I have wasted researching: reading about business plans online, attending webinars and business seminars, and listening to podcasts. Although I will say that now that I have some business knowledge, I still kind of enjoy listening to the business podcasts. Please don't expect me to apply for any MBA programs anytime soon, however! My hope in sharing my story is to explain how the creation of my local independent consulting business grew into this website. Now our mission is to inspire and guide other pharmacists in their careers and businesses. And save others from the same mistakes! If you are interested in starting your own consulting services please contact me for a free 30 minute coaching consultation call and join our NEWSLETTER for all of our updated blog posts and news about upcoming courses. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Blair Green Thielemier, PharmD is an independent MTM consultant pharmacist. She is the founder of BT Pharmacy Consulting, LLC. and works with pharmacists to create and build clinical services programs. More information about Dr. Thielemier and BT Pharmacy Consulting can be found on their website at http://btpharmacyconsulting.com  There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the subject of MTM certifications and licenses. We will attempt to clear up the confusion with this handy Cheat Sheet.
Cheat Sheet: The only special certification/license you MUST have in order to complete MTM services is:
That is it. NO OTHER CERTIFICATION/LICENSE IS REQUIRED. There are plenty of CE programs, masters programs, certification courses, national board of pharmacy certifications, etc touting their value, but in reality you DO NOT NEED CERTIFICATION TO BEGIN OFFERING MTM. NOTE: You do have to be "employed by" a licensed pharmacy in order to be sent patients needing MTM services. Employed by can mean that your are a W-2 or a W-9 employee, but in my experience W-2 employees are more common and less likely to be considered "outside sources" by Mirixa and OutcomesMTM. The value of a course/program/certification. Will courses help refresh your clinical knowledge? Absolutely. Will they teach about starting an independent pharmacy consulting business? Probably not. Most of these courses are designed to refresh your clinical skills, remind you of treatment guidelines, give you a general knowledge of MTM consulting, teach basic communication skills and provide a piece of paper that does not mean a thing (and maybe a few live CE hours). Some states may require you to have a special license to be a "consultant pharmacist". At the time of this writing, no states to our knowledge required a special license to offer MTM services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certainly do not either. Special licensing is not in the CMS requirements because they want ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ADDING BARRIERS TO PATIENT CARE; THEY WANT MORE PHARMACISTS OFFERING CLINICAL SERVICES. There may be some value in getting a special license to operate as a consultant pharmacist or even licensing your business as a non-dispensing pharmacy in your state of residency. Is it the first step? No. So what is recommended? First start with the basic Advice for Independent Consultants, then read the 7 Steps to MTM Consulting. Once you get a few pharmacies interested in your services, gain some MTM experience, even it you have to do it for free. Please, make sure you enjoy MTM first, then (and only then) should you think about getting additional certifications or licenses to help further your career. As with any new product or service you offer as a business, make sure there is a market for it before investing any time or money into it. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to start thinking about business practices such as getting a return on your investment and market interest. We harp on networking, but it is more than a buzzword. Networking is how you test the market. Its how you find the path of least resistance. Its how you save yourself from reinventing the wheel. Its meeting colleagues that have already paved the way! Networking and a great attitude will get you far. If you truly have a passion for clinical pharmacy services, do not let the lack of a certification hold you back. Once you have completed a few MTM services, first decide if you enjoy it and want to pursue it, then get in touch with us here at BT Pharmacy Consulting and we can help point you in the right direction. If you felt that this article was helpful, please sign up for our Newsletter for emails with our most up-to-date content! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Blair Green Thielemier, PharmD is an independent clinical consultant pharmacist living and working in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. Dr. Thielemier is committed to helping advance the practice of pharmacy through providing training and guiding implementation of new clinical services in community pharmacy. You can visit the BT Consulting website at http://btpharmacyconsulting.com  "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step" - Dr. Martin Luther King Have you heard someone speak or write about all the excellent benefits of MTM, but wondered, "Ok, that is all great pie-in-the-sky ideology, but what is the ABSOLUTE FIRST STEP?"
Well today my colleagues, we will examine what first steps you should take to get started offering MTM services. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "In 2014, almost 20% of MTM programs use expanded eligibility requirements beyond CMS’ minimum requirements." That is projected to grow more and more each year and create more opportunities for MTM services than ever before. Now is the time to act, but what is that ABSOLUTE FIRST STEPS? These 7 Steps are variations on how to take the very first steps into offering MTM or other clinical services: 1. Contract with OutcomesMTM and Mirixa. If you currently work in a retail setting, go to OutcomesMTM and get your pharmacy contracted with them if it is not already. The same goes for Mirixa. Do not worry about the other platforms yet and do not worry about private pay models yet. They can come later, the focus is to get your pharmacy contracted and do it NOW! 2. Gain experience doing MTM. If you do not currently work in a retail setting, you need to reach out to your network. You may remember that friend from pharmacy school that opened their own independent pharmacy. Reach out to them, chances are if they run and staff their own pharmacy, they may need help in offering clinical services. 3. Get certified in MTM and immunizations. Go to APhA's website and find your state chapter, they most likely will offer a very basic and general course on MTM certification. Getting certified is not a requirement for offering MTM, but if you have never been exposed to MTM at all, it may be a good place for you to begin. The certification courses offered are for very general knowledge and will most likely not be as detailed as the posts contained on this site. 4. Volunteer to gain experience. Offer to help others run immunization clinics, health fair booths, precept for students in a local college of pharmacy, join a committee, etc. Get your name out there and build that network. You may find a student that is able to train you on MTM! If you have never done an MTM consultation, ask to shadow someone that offers MTM at their pharmacy. Most likely, others will be more than happy to help you, as most pharmacists enjoy teaching others and sharing their knowledge. You never know unless you ask. 5. Find a mentor. Another example of utilizing your network is finding a mentor who can show you the ropes. If you do not know anyone in your immediate area offering clinical services, get yourself a profile on LinkedIn and connect with someone. Connecting with other pharmacists to learn more about their skillset is a valuable tool. Find out how others are providing value to their patients. 6. Information gather. Sign up for as many APhA, OutcomesMTM, Mirixa, CMS and newsletters like ours, that have to do with MTM as you can find. If you want to learn more about a subject, the easiest way to do so is to have tons of information emailed directly to your inbox on a daily basis! 7. Network. Did I mention how important LinkedIn is? If networking and connecting have not been stressed enough, let me clarify. YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE TOOL. Not in a sleazy, salesperson kind of way, but as in reaching out to reach people, making real connections and providing a mutually beneficial relationship. Your clinical skills are like any other dynamic relationship, they need to be nurtured and attended to, the more attention you give that relationship, the more it will grow. Maybe it will take several months to get everything put together. Maybe you will not be able to see a return on your time investment for several more months. I assure you based on the projections for growth of MTM and clinical services in the future, your sacrifice WILL BE WORTH IT. If you felt that this article was helpful, please sign up for our Newsletter for emails with our most up-to-date content! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Blair Green Thielemier, PharmD is an independent clinical consultant pharmacist living and working in the Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. Dr. Thielemier is committed to helping advance the practice of pharmacy through providing training and guiding implementation of new clinical services in community pharmacy. You can visit the BT Consulting website at http://btpharmacyconsulting.com  "Change begets change. Nothing propagates so fast." - Charles Dickens Change is inevitable but instead of resisting it, what if you saw every change as a new opportunity?
A job loss becomes an opportunity to find a more suitable position or to learn a new skill. A new position finds you meeting a new friends or finding a mentor. Changing Medicare reimbursement opens the door for a flood of new opportunities for pharmacists seeking a different direction in their careers. In a changing environment, the time is now to find the more suitable position, find a mentor, and create the job of your dreams. The world is changing and the practice of pharmacy is no different. Alluding to these changes in The Millennial Pharmacy, we may attempt to anticipate these changes and be proactive. The pharmacist of tomorrow may be doing less dispensing-related activities than ever due to improvements in technology and offering more clinical services to increase patient interaction. Looking at a pharmacists' career over the past 50 years, imagine how much has changed! Could a pharmacist today describe the process of e-scripts and PBMs to a pharmacist of my great-grandfathers generation? How would you describe e-scripts to someone with no concept of the internet or email? Probably not, but one thing my great-grandfather would have understood was taking care of the patient is first and foremost. The one piece of advice that I can personally give after the job loss I recently wrote about is to BE ADAPTIVE. Maybe your perfect career in the practice of pharmacy has yet to be created. So what better time to create it for yourself than the present? There is a fascinating book out named The End of Jobs. The author describes this new period in history as the Age of Entrepreneurship. The book is premised on the idea that first land and kings, then money and banks, then leverage and large corporations have each had their moment of power. The early 2000s begins the Age of Entrepreneurship so here we are on the cusp of the entrepreneur holding all the cards! Small companies, even "solopreneur" owned companies are popping up everywhere you look, including independent pharmacist consultants! With companies like Facebook and LinkedIn leading the way in networking and marketing, the game is changing and quickly adaptable companies are beginning to crush slow-to-implement large corporations. Large corporations are full of red-tape and protocols that makes change difficult. But when you own your own business, you can make your own rules and do as you see fit. Not to say that owning your own business is not a ton of work, but it is a rewarding, fulfilling DIFFERENT kind of work. When you are achieving your dreams and creating your dream job you feel that passion for pharmacy reignite within you and it feels REALLY GREAT. So if you may be interested in creating your own independent consulting business on the side or are interested in help getting started offering new clinical services in your existing practice, we are here to help. Take this ever changing landscape and be adaptive and quick to implement and you will reap the rewards! If you felt that this article was helpful, please sign up for our Newsletter for emails with our most up-to-date content! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Blair Green Thielemier, PharmD is an independent clinical consultant pharmacist living and working in the Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. Dr. Thielemier is committed to helping advance the practice of pharmacy through providing training and guiding implementation of new clinical services in community pharmacy. You can visit the BT Consulting website at http://btpharmacyconsulting.com |
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