Other Pharmacist Roles: Non-dispensing and/or Work from Home Roles
Many of us desire to use our top-notch expertise as a medication expert to help others in a way that is profitable and flexible. The world outside of work continues to demand more and more of us. There’s a big buzz about creating work/life balance. Work/life balance is having equilibrium where an individual feels they are equally prioritizing the demands of their career responsibilities and of their personal life. More and more companies are in the news offering flexible work hours, the ability to telecommute or work from home, unlimited PTO, paid maternity and paternity leave, in addition to other millennial worker requests such as competitive compensation, comfortable offices, opportunities for growth and advancement and social connections. Pharmacy doesn’t seem to be as progressive in these enhancements or modifications as other industries.
However, there are pharmacy career options that offer remote work, part-time work and/or flexible scheduling. Adding more time into the day by eliminating a commute to and from work can be life-changing. Being able to reduce hours or set your own hours can allow time for personal activities and responsibilities. These careers can be difficult to find and it can be hard to get an initial interview when an opening is available. Some may require brave steps of making your own company or creating your own career. Others may require you to continue your primary job while you begin your own side hustle start-up with hopes of it generating enough income that you can then cut back from your primary job.
Medication Therapy Management
Prescription Approval and/or Remote Order Entry
Prior Authorization Review
Drug Information
Quality Improvement
Medical writing and/or Reviewing Medical Literature
Create your own – Consulting, Pharmacogenetics, Coaching, Entrepreneurship
How do I find one of these positions?
Check out job board websites like Indeed, LinkedIn, SimplyHired and LinkUp. Download their apps and then create alerts to notify you when there is a posting that may match your ideal position. Find out what companies are hiring for positions of interest and create alerts to notify you when those companies post a new position. Review the qualifications, requirements, licenses, certifications and skills the employer is looking for and gain experience and skills in those areas.
Hire a professional to review your resume and cover letter. A candidate with experience and skills but a poor resume may not even be asked to interview. An impressive resume and cover letter are essential! There are individuals and companies that specialize in resume templates, reviews and custom writing for pharmacists. If you think yours could use some improvement check out these services. A simple google search of pharmacist resume service will bring up options. I would recommend using a service dedicated to pharmacists or healthcare professionals.
Network. Network. Network. Network virtually and in person. Places to consider are LinkedIn, local, state and national pharmacist organizations and Facebook groups of interest. A resume and profile can be created and kept up to date on LinkedIn listing experience, education, licenses, certificates, skills and accomplishments. State pharmacist organizations can be a great way to get to know other pharmacists and companies in your region. Many niche pharmacy groups have larger national organizations with committees, meetings, continuing education programs and more opportunities to get involved with pharmacists working in your area of interest all over the country. If you can, volunteer to service on a committee or help with a project. There are Facebook groups for several pharmacist and pharmacy areas of interest. Try searching a topic of interest such as MTM, consulting, etc. and pharmacist. Join any groups that seem interesting or relevant to your pursuits. There is much that can be learned from these groups and it creates a community for discussion, posting jobs, and collaboration.
Be brave, be vulnerable. Try new things, meet new people and put yourself out there.
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