With recent job cuts in major retail chains jeopardizing community pharmacists’ job security and increasing workload, it is no wonder that many pharmacists are considering a career switch to a different pharmacy environment. After all, we all want to feel valued, utilize our skills, and stay well compensated for all the efforts we put in. Although I have not made this transition myself, I have seen others succeed or fail in this endeavor. I have also interviewed some of the candidates in previous management roles I have held myself as a pharmacist with 20 years of experience in acute and long-term acute care settings.
There are a variety of transferable skill sets and desirable traits that a community pharmacist can offer in a hospital pharmacy. Learning to strengthen and harness these skills is crucial to making the successful career transition from retail to a hospital pharmacy.
- The ability to multitask with efficiency: As a retail pharmacist, you are probably used to phones ringing off the hook, checking multiple prescriptions in a short period of time, and answering customer questions. Hospital pharmacy operations are no different in that respect, as you have to be able to process orders, check prepared intravenous (IV) therapies or unit dose fill lists for automated dispensing machines, and answer questions from the nursing units throughout your shift. The days can be hectic or slow, but you've got it down and you know how to stay organized and on top of things. Productivity and accuracy all play a role no matter where you work. The bonus is that although you have to ensure that the drugs are charged correctly, you don't have to worry about insurance issues or rejections at all if the drug is on hospital formulary.
- Providing drug information to customers: In retail pharmacies, giving a patient some basic details on their new prescription was a job requirement but could be declined by the customer. Because hopefully not all customers declined it, nearly all pharmacists have acquired the skills to communicate in a professional and informative manner. You know your top drugs and their key considerations and warnings. These are the same drugs that you may be dispensing in a hospital setting, but rather than a patient, you are now communicating with a nurse on the floor or a patient waiting to be discharged with a high-risk medication. The added learning curve is the inclusion of IV medications that you may need to brush up on, and if so, every hospital has online resources such as Lexicomp or Micromedex.
- Physician interactions and communication: If you have been a community pharmacist for any number of years, you have received prescriptions over the phone, deciphered paper scripts, called for clarification, or had physicians upset over prior authorization requirements or refill requests. In other words, you have mastered communication with difficult clients and have learned to keep the workflow going. You are now prepared to take the call in the hospital from a physician asking about an alternative medication for a patient with an allergy or asking about a drug interaction warning and its relative severity.
- Clinical skills: While you are completing your continuing education requirements to get the license, you also have to stay on top of new drugs that you get in the retail pharmacy. You are keeping your clinical skills current by learning new things and new therapeutic developments.Make sure to highlight that in your interview process. Hospital pharmacy directors or managers want to know whether you are keeping abreast of new guidelines for chronic diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure, and whether you are showing interest in the advancement of patient care. After all, we all want to remain relevant and well-versed in the current therapeutic landscape so that the medicines we check or verify are safe for the patient and are delivered in correct doses based on the patient’s age, organ function, or comorbidities.
- Teamwork: Community pharmacists have worked with pharmacy technicians, cashiers, store clerks, district managers, and other personnel. In the hospital setting, you will also work with pharmacy technicians, a buyer, and management. Your goal is to reflect the company values and promote service excellence. Teams are essential to any employment, and you are always evaluated on your ability to get along with others and show courtesy, respect, willingness to go the extra mile, and reliability.
- Flexibility: For retail pharmacists, chances are that you have worked morning or afternoon shifts throughout your career. For most entry-level hospital positions, you will be expected to rotate shifts and, in some cases, to work night shifts. Although you want to be honest about your limitations, showing your flexibility allows you to be considered for a hospital staff pharmacist position. Unlike retail stores, hospitals are open 24/7, including holidays and weekends, and all staff pharmacists participate in assigned rotations with preferences given based on seniority. Flexibility means also being able to adjust to changing priorities or using your resources wisely, which has often come into play recently with drug shortages. In smaller hospitals, you will be expected to perform technician tasks due to limited staffing or lack of backup staff, and again, retail pharmacists have experience with that if you ever had someone call off sick. Adaptability is a trait that you can always elaborate on during interviews as it comes into play in any job.
Other Considerations
Don't be discouraged if you apply and never hear from a hospital pharmacy manager. There are still barriers to climb with being considered for a job with no hospital experience, but some community and small hospitals are starting to invite applicants with no experience. Try connecting to hiring managers on LinkedIn or even making a phone call. If you have a friend who is a pharmacist in a health system, they may be able to refer you as well.
About the Author
Helen Feinstein, PharmD, BCPS, MBA, has been in clinical pharmacy and pharmacy management for a combined 20 years, primarily in small, rural, or community hospitals; long-term acute care facilities; and corrections. She gained unique perspectives in all of her multiple positions and interacted with colleagues from the technician to the C-suite level. She has also formed consulting ventures and provided expert medical witness consultations. Her most recent position was as a clinical manager at a community hospital in West Virginia, and she is currently in the process of starting a new contract position as a clinical support pharmacist for a government program.
When writing a cover letter, discuss why you would be a good fit for the organization and incorporate some of the aforementioned skills if they are your strengths. You can always talk about your hospital rotations and what you learned from them, then state why you chose to originally pursue retail.Sometimes, a good way to get your foot in the door is to apply for a per diem or part-time position to gain the knowledge and the skills that you need to succeed.
Nevertheless, just like in any setting, some workplaces are dysfunctional and staffing schedules are intense. You may be alone during an evening shift while experiencing burnout; you may have limited training; or you may have a demanding supervisor dealing with their own challenges. However, chances are that with perseverance, good relationship-building, and motivation to succeed, you will find a good balance and satisfaction that may have eluded you in your previous environment. Don't be afraid to ask questions and be yourself, and always be aware that sometimes jobs are offered not only on the basis of skills but also approachability and existing connections.
