My last post was over a month ago. Wow. I could make an excuse about being lazy in the summer, or that I’m spending more time outside, but alas, I am bereft of anything plausible other than that my attention has been elsewhere lately. One such distraction has been biking in my 6th Multiple Sclerosis Bike Tour, which I hope to write a bit about in the near future.

Sunlight can be a blessing for those who work in offices lacking windows. In our case, every time the receiving door opens is an opportunity to check the weather. We all could use a nice little Vitamin D rush in the mid-afternoon, even just to daydream and recharge for the late day push. A number of years ago, a team leader spoke about the importance of natural light in the workplace, and it’s hitting home more now than ever.

This summer is happily flying along and with it, the annual summer vacation crush. Manpower/womanpower is tighter than usual and we try to keep things light by ordering the occasional Friday afternoon pizza and testing the spring & summer demo releases from an in-house Scentsy(TM) consultant (Ed. note: Weathered Leather is not the best aroma for a small office).

So amidst the daily slog, a couple of days ago I found it fitting to be asked where I thought the profession of pharmacy is headed. At a time where I’m covering two roles and am measuring my progress hour by hour to stay on top of clinical responsibilities, this question forced me to think in terms of not just where I saw myself headed in pharmacy, but our path as a collective group. On the spot, my answer was reasonably coherent and built on the theme of professional independence; pharmacists focusing on the assessment of patients instead of treatments alone, becoming more involved in collaborative practice agreements, and building on the confidence gained through prescribing for minor ailments.

Upon reflection, I’m not satisfied with my answer. Being the excessively wordy fellow I happen to be, there wasn’t enough depth in what felt like a superficial soundbite. So I decided to go back and revisit the title of my blog.

PharmAspire was developed because I wanted to write about the pharmacist I aspire to be, in hopes of relating experiences of colleagues. There are many facets to this, and it’s not just one behavior or one skill that I may acquire; it’s more about bringing myself, my personality, my individual style as it were, to the practice of pharmacy. My opportunities will be borne out of my passions (analytics, team-building, communication) and my personal growth as a leader. I’m not sure how it will look but as the tagline reminds me, I would like to practice on my own terms, and describe the journey in my own terms.

Fear not, the blog-holiday is now over. The dog days have taken their bite and it’s time for some new inspiration. September will be here before we know it. New pharmacy students starting a new school year. Flu outbreaks will be the talk early in the fall. So much to dive into…

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.