Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2023
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Pharmacy Administration
First Advisor
Erin Holmes
Second Advisor
Joseph Dikun
Third Advisor
Kim Adcock
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Background: Over the years, community pharmacy practice has expanded and increased the number of responsibilities pharmacists must manage. Tasks such as managing the pharmacy, counseling patients, and administering vaccines are among the duties that pharmacists must carry out. The recent Covid-19 pandemic placed a significant strain on the retail pharmacy work environment and acted as an obstacle to the jobs of community pharmacists. Recent pharmacy graduates are often thrown into this variable work environment, and it seems that there is limited literature regarding the preparedness that they feel in this area of pharmacy work.
Objectives: To uncover the level of preparedness recent University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy graduates brought into retail pharmacy and how much support they received from their respective companies.
Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional, descriptive design by means of conducting in-depth interviews with recently graduated pharmacists.
Results: Many of the recent graduates felt equipped to handle the clinical aspects of retail pharmacy. A solid foundation in drug knowledge, counseling patients, and utilizing drug resources were among the skillsets that many of the pharmacists felt they were prepared for. Contrarily, many pharmacists felt that they were not prepared for the business side of the job and would have preferred less of a push toward clinical pharmacy. Resolving insurance complications and handling patient conflict were two areas of difficulty that several of the pharmacists brought to light. Regarding company support, the level of support the pharmacists received depended highly on the availability of store leadership.
Conclusion: There is an ongoing conversation on what should and can realistically be included in a pharmacy curriculum. Adjustments towards providing adequate resources for retail pharmacy have been applied under the current LandShaRx curriculum. But one of the best ways to prepare for retail pharmacy, as expressed by the pharmacists in both the previous and current curriculum, is by gaining real world exposure prior to graduation.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Jessica Marlee, "The Great Transition: A Qualitative Examination of the Transition from Pharmacy Student to Pharmacist" (2023). Honors Theses. 2997.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2997
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