Society represents our patients and we must meet their expectations. Patients must feel that they can get more from their pharmacist than they can from a computer healthcare database. We need to demonstrate the unique value a pharmacist can provide. This will require a concerted effort by all pharmacists. Internal professional issues are also compromising our future.
Pharmacists seem to be becoming increasingly apathetic.
We need a new energy in the profession, to generate new ideas and interest. We must become increasingly involved in professional issues. In this process we must develop new leaders for the profession. Professional fragmentation contributes to our ineffectiveness by diluting our leadership and energy, and wasting our financial resources. Disagreement among pharmacists from different practice settings leads to breakdowns in communication and lack of discussion of the important issues facing our profession.