From the Past President

Stephen F. Eckel, PharmD, MHA, BCPS

The Certainty of Uncertainty Providing Opportunities for NCAP

Both within health care and in society in general, change is happening all around us. People are making decisions in order to improve a system or to fix a broken one, and others constantly argue about the benefit of the proposed changes. Tension and conflict seem to be all around us, mostly because one person does not believe another’s stated direction is the best for their self-interests or common good. While none of us know the future, we can be certain of its uncertainty. We all recognize that change is happening in health care and that some will thrive as a result of the change and others will be placed on the defensive. Some groups will have the opportunities to expand their professional scope of practice, while others will be left defending their areas of responsibility. How can pharmacy respond in the midst of this change so that we can thrive and not have to be defensive? I believe that if pharmacists in North Carolina take these certain steps, we will be able to create the future we desire.

1. Have a shared vision of pharmacy. Do we truly believe that we can add value to the patient care process? Are our daily actions in the work place consistent with what we say to others about what they should be doing? While we have all been trained in dispensing medications, our future practice models cannot have this as their sole or primary activity. We are the medication experts, and this separates us from other mid-level practitioners. We need to take responsibility for the medication needs of patients with chronic disease states and comprehensively manage their medications as a major focus of our patient care activities. It is important that all pharmacists believe this and work to make it a reality, no matter the practice site.

2. Desire to work together. There are many diverse practice settings that employ pharmacists across North Carolina. These settings range from critically ill patients to ambulating ones, from prisons to nursing homes. While we desire to optimize our own work settings to make it the best work place possible, we also like to connect and network with pharmacists across similar work settings. However, we cannot stop there. We need to connect and network with pharmacists across the diversity of all practice settings. Each of us has knowledge and experiences that can benefit others, and we can definitely learn from each other’s unique perspectives. Until we make these connections and have a desire to learn from others, and strive to collaborate, we will continue in our professional silos and limit our opportunities to advance our profession collectively.

3. Recognize our employers are not always focused on advancing the profession of pharmacy. Because of the changes in health care, most of us work for large corporate organizations, no matter the practice setting. While this has many advantages, there are also limitations to it. Each of these corporations needs to have a sustainable business model while achieving its mission. While this can be good at times, it can also interfere with advancing the profession of pharmacy. It is incumbent that each employee gives their best to their workplace and employer. They also have to recognize the limitations on what their employer can accomplish. Thus, there needs to be collaborations outside of the corporation to ensure that professional advances continue, even when the business model currently does not support it.

The only place where these steps can be actualized in North Carolina is through NCAP. Not only does this merged organization provide a shared vision of pharmacy, it also allows for networking among diverse colleagues to occur. Because it only has a mission to advance the practice of pharmacy, it will not make decisions that are in opposition to this goal. While it recognizes the need for sustainable business models, it will not only pursue activities that are already proven, but also try new initiatives. NCAP will always do what is best for the patient and the profession as a whole. I firmly believe that if North Carolina pharmacy got behind and actively involved in NCAP, it could create certainty out of uncertainty for pharmacy and move us toward the professional future that we all desire. Please join me in this journey and help us take the best care of patients that we can. They certainly need this from us, and we are best able to deliver it. I would appreciate any insights and experiences you might have on this perspective. You can let me know what you think by email at seckel@unc.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at @stepheneckel.