8 NOVEMBER 2023IN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONBy Andre Harvin, Chief Pharmacy Officer and Vice President Pharmacy Services, Cone HealthPharmacists possess a unique and specialized set of skills that allow them to provide essential services to their communities. They are often considered the first line of defense regarding health care and medications and play a critical role in providing patient care. As the job market evolves, it is becoming increasingly important for pharmacists to understand how their professional identity can be satisfied by the job roles and opportunities available to them. As the COVID pandemic approaches its third year, there is a noticeable and troubling trend in the pharmacy profession. According to a recent LinkedIn survey, there are indications of a mass exodus from the community sector of pharmacy practice. Between 2019 and 2021, there was an increase of 47.3 percent in pharmacists either changing their job role or seeking to make a career change, the greatest noted from the chain retail pharmacy. According to USDL statistics, an estimated fifty-eight percent of US pharmacists are in a retail setting. A great majority in this sector report that they regret their career choice due to the increasing deterioration of working conditions, metrics-driven prioritization, and increasing abuse from the public post-COVID.But is the exodus solely due to the pandemic? Evidence would suggest this phenomenon has been years in the making, but the pandemic certainly accelerated the evolution. The community setting, especially the big box chain pharmacy's working environment, is not conducive to pharmacists fulfilling their professional identity. Community pharmacists should be viewed as the most accessible healthcare providers in the nation, optimally placed for improving the health and wellness of the communities they serve. However, the reality is that they are overworked and understaffed, with little to no time for meaningful interactions with the community. This misalignment of their professional identity from being learned professionals integral to patients' pharmaceutical care to the reality of mechanical prescription dispensers leads to dissatisfaction with their role in the healthcare spectrum. The Struggle for Professional Identity in Pharmacy: A Crisis in the MakingAndre Harvin
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