Being a Pharmacist
"What day are you and Doug both going to be here?" asked Miss Mable. She has been shopping at this store for years before I became pharmacist-manager. On the appointed day, I looked up from the phone and saw Miss Mable approaching the counseling window with a covered dish. It was a yellow cake with pineapple and strawberries on the bottom and a beautiful white icing on top. She's one of a number of our customers who show their appreciation for all we do with cakes, cookies, and other gifts. It makes the frustrations and horrors of the everyday emotional roller coaster of work all worthwhile."We got it!" Claire exclaims as she enters the pharmacy to begin her shift. She's beaming! Thrilled to announce the news that their home loan had been approved and that she and her husband would soon begin construction on their home. They have lived in a travel trailer for nine years. Barely a year before, Claire had come to tears after her evaluation. She told me it was the first honest review she'd ever had and thanked me profusely. Her response made me glad to be back in management.Pearson Drugs in Pineville, LA was my first employer. It was a small independent chain of thirteen stores and taught me important lessons about management, inventory control, and how to make money. My mentor was Carl Landry and I still do things thirty-five years later that he taught me. Most of my years in pharmacy have been in management including several years with the old Eckerd when I was a district manager responsible for as many as thirty stores.
Like many other pharmacists have experienced, the frustrations began to out-weigh the benefits and drew me away for seven years. I went into sales with the world's oldest and largest training company and then a few years with New York Life Insurance Company. During the years of my sabbatical, pharmacy experienced a significant increase in salaries. The law of supply and demand was catching up and it was time for me to take advantage of my education. Eckerd again. In a few years my supervisor gave me my second five year pin. It was liberating to be back behind the counter without the burdens of management. I didn't want to be the one that got the call when the alarm went off in the middle of the night.
By the time Katrina came along and helped my wife and I decide to move to North Carolina, I had moved to Winn Dixie and was working only 36 hours a week. It was as good as being retired! Now, I'm back in management and have been enjoying life in the mountains for over four years. Big box pharmacy lured me into management and it's been great! For the first time in my career, I have enough help to do the job. We have four pharmacists and almost a dozen techs.
I've never been afraid to hire people that do their job better than I. The staff that works with me now is the largest, most experienced and loyal group I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Many problems are dealt with before I get involved. My staff agrees that dealing with the people is my forte and that I'm hard to beat when it comes to schmoozing the customers and blowing smoke. The man who trained me in direct sales often said that I had the ability to inspire trust quickly. It has served me well. This is the highest volume pharmacy I've ever managed. It surprises me sometimes at how many customers I know by name and recognize on sight.
Younger pharmacists with less experience often feel the need to explore other career options and I certainly did as well. My advice is to keep your license current and don't burn any bridges. It could be years before the current shortage is resolved, so I may never retire!
