The new pharmacy work force must be able to work with members of the health care team to communicate to their team and to organizational leaders the fundamental incompatibility between productivity and safety. In addition to communicating the problem, they must also be able to communicate a solution. Knowledge about drugs and drug therapy is expanding rapidly. Pharmaceutical care requires more experience with patient care than is normally obtained during an academic program. PharmD program preceptors are needed.
Pharmacists seek upward mobility within pharmacy through residencies.
The pharmacy staff selection process has evolved from one in which the ability to execute independent projects was especially valued in 1994 to one in which the ability to work with other health care professionals was more valued in 1997. 2,4 Consultant pharmacists can contribute to the evolution of the hiring process by instilling communication-based skills in pharmacy residents. Residents who are trained to deal with staff shortages and recognize the tradeoffs involved in productivity versus safety will have the communication skills necessary to work in interdependent professional teams under the influence of managed care. In 1989, Hepler and Strand s concept of pharmaceutical care created a mission for the profession of pharmacy. More than a decade later, pharmacists are recognized widely for their role in making pharmacotherapy successful, both in terms of overall health care outcomes and patients quality of life.