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I've previously written about how proud I am to be a pharmacy professional. I still am. I found it interesting that at a recent meeting, when a group of senior pharmacists were asked what the number one issue facing the profession was, many of them answered "professionalism". Their perception was that pharmacy was not being practiced with the same degree of professionalism as it had been in the past. They commented how the combination of workload pressures, along with the commercialization and push to maximize the bottom line performance metrics, have diminished the professional contact that pharmacists are able to have with their patients. The CBC Marketplace coverage, the College closing a pharmacy on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver, and some high profile, bad pharmacies in the media all contribute to a genuine concern about the loss of professionalism in pharmacy.
On the other hand, I can attest to some of the incredibly professional and high calibre work that is being done by many pharmacy professionals throughout the province. We've all heard about the great work that John Shaske is doing in Gibsons, and about the groundbreaking Pharmacists' Clinic at UBC. Ed Dillon and Doug Malyuk established clinical pharmacy services in BC Emergency departments and Intensive Care Units. Peter Zed carried on the tradition of Emergency Department Pharmacy Services and published the seminal article demonstrating the value of the clinical pharmacist to patients there. Peter continues to lead the profession in his role as Associate Dean of Practice Innovation at UBC. At the April Board meeting, the Board heard from Peter and Barbara Gobis, about an exciting proposal that UBC is developing, to establish pharmacists in primary care positions throughout the province. This is an exciting and forward thinking proposal that has the potential to advance the quality of pharmacy care in the province significantly.
When I think about the contrast between these scenarios, I ask myself whether I should be concerned or excited about the future of the profession. In the end, I have to say that I am excited about the future of the profession!
We have close to 6,000 pharmacists in BC right now, so inevitably there will be some who practice with less professionalism than others. On the other end of the spectrum, we have some outstanding practitioners. We need to support them and follow their lead and not be dragged down by the less than stellar folks at the other end. We need to be proud of the work that we do, individually and collectively. On a daily basis, we need to establish a high standard of professionalism for every patient that we serve; we need to show them that we take pride in our work as pharmacy professionals.
Best,
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