Category Archives: Practice

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The New Year’s Resolution Post

Of course this site needs one. 2014 is a new year, and with a clean slate, what better time to evaluate what’s been happening and strive to make those changes that have been put off all year? Getting back to the gym 2-3 times a week, learning how to play the guitar, finally getting the house in order…of course all of these things will happen simply because you received a new calendar for Christmas and can’t wait to hang up the January picture.

Therein lies the rub: heightened expectations mean a bigger fall if we don’t achieve our goals. During smoking cessation sessions, one point that resonates is the dreaded ‘quit date’. After relaxing over the holidays, a lot of folks attempt to turn the page by making a New Years’ resolution that often sets the bar beyond what they have the confidence to achieve.

Practicing pharmacy has some parallels. At first blush it may not seem like it but weening ourselves off technical aspects of our jobs involves training of others, trusting of others and the actual letting go. The exacting nature of what we do makes this troublesome as we are so used to being the centre of the dispensary. Giving up any control at all is uncomfortable. Letting others ‘own’ a responsibility means they first have to be shown all aspects of the job then left to their own devices. If it gets screwy, then that ‘owner’ oversees the cleanup and resolution. I’m not at all suggesting that pharmacists don’t maintain an awareness of what’s going on, but as far as a drug distribution assembly-line is concerned, our role is becoming more and more the beginning (assessing appropriateness of therapy) and end of the process (counseling and follow-up). Anything that occurs in between should be evaluated and adjusted by those who are most directly involved. Occasionally this is a pharmacist, but more often than not, technical assistants are capable of running the show. Since this isn’t happening at my site yet, empowering members of my team to ‘own’ more than they have will be a precursor to any clinical goals I set.

Since a smooth workflow is conducive to a lower-stress day, checking prescriptions remains a priority that we balance with the newer clinical services. One of my resolutions is to avoid seeing patient interactions as ‘interruptions’ to the day-to-day workflow and embrace those opportunities to build relationships. Perhaps I can start with this suggestion from a former pharmacy professor:

https://twitter.com/RxDeanMac/status/416466843600044033

Simple, but the question is open-ended and your time commitment is predicated on the answer you receive. Now, truthfully, will I be able to follow my resolution 100% starting Jan 1st? I seriously doubt it in the sense that my routine for the past 12+ years has been largely technical in nature. Currently, checking and dealing with insurance issues takes up a large part of the day. While both provide a satisfactory service to a vast majority of patients, breaking this cycle is not something that comes naturally to my practice. That said, my goal is to take the initiative to invite a patient into an extended interaction each day (as opposed to waiting for it to happen). If wait times increase slightly from time to time because of this initiative and staff messaging to consumers is well-delivered, we can have the cake, and be able to have a nibble or two. I’m confident that performing within our expanded scope of practice will be sustainable, but also realistic and ultimately rewarding.

Stay tuned. I hope to have some wins to report in the near future. I also can’t wait to hear some of yours 😀

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.

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‘Come in Out of the Cold’ – Smoking Cessation Pt 2

Back in July, I wrote a summary of my first workplace smoking cessation presentation:

https://pharmaspire.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/smoking-cessation-and-other-lame-unimaginative-post-titles/

It was such a rewarding experience professionally. At the time, I was getting my feet wet in a new location and wanted to create more of a presence among my fellow employees. The goal was to educate my colleagues on what we can do for them and their families. Perhaps I could present to them a pharmacy service they would be proud of within and outside the walls of the building. Though turnout was low, I still enjoyed the session and wanted to share. I found myself writing this:

‘Here’s hoping the next one, – and yes, there will be a next one :) – , will build off of this and bring the discussion to two more people. If I’m lucky, maybe word of mouth will help the turnout. If I have to do 10 more sessions to help 10 more people, I’ll gladly sign up. As an added bonus, I may even be able to prescribe something for those that ask for help.’

It took almost 6 months, but something funny happened. Unbeknownst to me, people talked about it. At first, -no surprise here-, it was the (non-smoking) leadership of the store that appreciated that we would hold these sessions voluntarily. It certainly had the health-education side covered, but also promoted employee engagement. Anyway, 3 weeks ago an employee approached me in one of the aisles and asked if I could  let them know when I would be holding my next session. One of the attendees had enjoyed it back in the summer and managed to stop smoking. Turns out it was only for a week but it resulted in them settling back into a routine that featured a significant reduction in daily smokes.

That was all it took. As the title suggests, my next session was immediately planned and held the last Tuesday in November after posting signage all over the store common areas (punch-clock, lunch room, bathroom doors, etc). I used the same format as before: over the lunch hour (pepperoni pizza on the menu this time, much to the chagrin of our in-house dietitian :$), I had my co-host and  partner-in-crime on tap for variety, and we rolled out the same presentation.

The story should go something like this:

‘We had 20 people, most were employees but more than a few were family members trying to quit themselves or there to support a loved one. We laughed and cried. The presenters were charming and phenomenal in every way, not to mention well-dressed and extremely humble (hah!). After the discussion, we made a toast to good health and entered a rousing rendition of Kumbayah before they individually booked appointments to develop their care plans.’

Sigh. I want to say the above is mostly true, especially those wily presenters. Time to roll out some bullet points.

– Divide the congregation by 20

– There was a family member who wasn’t quite ready to engage.

– There was no crying…plenty of laughing

– We DID toast to good health. Kumbayah may have to wait for the Christmas party festivities.

– An appointment WAS booked and a care plan is being developed as I type this.

Addiction is intensely personal as both a struggle and a journey. Many choose to battle in their own ways. Some are completely successful while others are not. Only the smoker can ready themselves to quit, and some are never ready. I liked the way this read in the first post:

‘But maybe, just maybe, a few of those folks have really struggled with their attempts to quit and lack any confidence to push through. If I make myself available, and convey that I want to help, perhaps that contact can make a difference.’

One person asked for the session…that person received the session. With pleasure.

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.