5 Tips for New Pharmacists

The time that you spent in pharmacy school serves as the formative years of your career. Success can be achieved when there are people helping you along your journey, and the support that you got from peers and the institution helped pave the way for you to succeed in your studies.

Now that you have graduated, you might be left wondering how you can be successful in the career path that you chose. As a newbie pharmacist, you might discover that the learning curve can be steep and that the job can be stressful. Do not worry because we have 5 useful tips that will help you transition from being a pharmacy graduate to a successful practitioner.

#1 Treat Everyone with Respect

The first thing that you must learn when you are starting out on your job as a pharmacist is to treat everyone with respect. You might be the brightest student in your class during pharmacy school, but remember that in the real world you are a fledgling pharmacist with no actual experience. So, treating everyone with respect and staying humble can go a long way for a new pharmacist like you.

#2 Take Time to Learn More About the Pharmacy and Services it Provides

Learning is not just confined within the four walls of educational institutions. Even if you are done with your studies and are already practicing your profession, you should take time to learn more. This rings true especially if you were just hired by a pharmacy.

You should learn more about the pharmacy you’re in and the services it provides so that you can offer the best pharmaceutical services to your patients. There are pharmacies that offer various services, and you should have the patience to learn all of them.

Our independent pharmacy offers a wide range of services such as compounding, blister packaging and pharmacogenetic testing. If you are working for an independent pharmacy, you should dedicate some time to familiarize yourself with all the services that it offers.

The customer service and patient experience may be completely different for an independent pharmacy compared to a bigger pharmacy chain.

#3 Do Not Fear Mistakes and Learn From It

Experience is the best teacher, and you will not gain it if you do not learn from your mistakes. Do not be afraid to commit mistakes because it will teach you important things that you will not learn from pharmacy school.

Aside from that, you should also seek advice from more experienced pharmacists. Since they have been in the profession for years, they have probably experienced the problems that you are facing now or will experience in the future. Their advice will help you to continuously grow as a pharmacist.

#4 Be Kind to Patients and Get to Know Them

One of the things that you can do to set you apart from other pharmacists is by providing personalized services to your patients. When you are starting out, you will have a tendency to go by the book and stick to what you have learned from pharmacy school.

However, you should know that you can also communicate with your patients and find out what their needs are. Making patients feel that you listen to them and you provide information with respect will help build trust and a strong patient-pharmacist relationship.

#5 Lead by Example

While you may still have to wait for a few years to lead a team of your own, the leadership skills that you need to do it effectively can be acquired at the present moment. Start building your skills now and when your time comes, lead by being an example to new pharmacists.

Start your career with a pharmacy that provides friendly and professional services. Join our team at Carolina Pharmacy and contact us at 833-697-4276 today.