Q&A: How Pharmacists Find Themselves in Non-Traditional Roles

Ashley Kay Pendrick, PharmD, owner of Prosper Rx Consulting, believes the best way to capitalize on a successful pharmacy career is through self-inflection, the homing in of clinical skills, and gaining an entrepreneurial spirit for financial growth.

“First, [the] big picture is really starting to think about what it is that you enjoy,” Pendrick told Drug Topics. “I'd hate for people to start building something or getting into an area, and then a year, 3 years later, they're not satisfied and it just doesn't align with them. My first advice and tips that I share [is] that you want to reflect internally a lot, as to, what is it that you would wake up and do for free.”

As the owner of Prosper Rx, Pendrick connects a myriad of clinical providers to advocate for and improve health outcomes of patients diagnosed with diseases like diabetes. She recently joined Drug Topics to tell us more about her business, how she was able to step outside of traditional pharmacy roles, and the ways in which prospective pharmacy professionals can find exactly the role they were called to fulfill.

Pendrick's hope for the profession is that pharmacists will one day partner with a practitioner, medical doctor, or [assistive technology professional] in almost every practice. | image credit: Artinun / stock.adobe.com

Learn more about Pendrick’s business ventures in the pharmacy profession and stay tuned for more from our interview as she dives deeper into pharmacists’ roles within the greater health care community.

READ MORE: How the Pharmacist Views Expansion of Clinical Role

Drug Topics: What advice would you give to a pharmacist looking to leave a retail or independent setting and enter a pharmacy consulting or non-traditional pharmacy role?

Ashley Kay Pendrick: First, [the] big picture is really starting to think about what it is that you enjoy. I'd hate for people to start building something or getting into an area, and then a year, 3 years later, they're not satisfied and it just doesn't align with them. My first advice and tips that I share with any of, even [the] business coaches I’m mentoring, I share with them that you want to reflect internally a lot, as to, what is it that you would wake up and do for free. From that, start building your confidence, get out there, showcase your value, document the interactions that you're having, and find what you're enjoying most.

Start getting into some of the billing. I went through a good amount of billing and coding and understanding that. Understand collaborative practice agreements, if that's the area that you're looking [toward], providing actual care and working directly with practices and health systems, if you want more of that autonomy. [It’s also] learning to speak the language of the business or your client. If you're looking to get into consulting or [become] an entrepreneur, you want to think, what is it that people are looking for and struggling with; what's their pain point, and overall, how can you come in and help solve that? What's that transformation look like for them? After they've worked with you, what does it look like after? And if you can't speak to that quite yet, take some time.

You can build and do these things on the side. I shared actually recently, there's some MBA-type programming that's available online for free. There's plenty of options where you want to start putting some time in and really finding out what your strengths are, where you belong. And then start with action. One step, 10 minutes, 20 minutes a day, and I think eventually you'll have something that you'll land in, whether it's through networking or you've built something that you're proud to call your own.

Drug Topics: What are your overall hopes for the profession, and realistically, where do you see it going in the near future?

Ashley Kay Pendrick: Overall, my biggest hope for the profession is for pharmacists to find fulfillment in the work that they're doing. I know that that might seem rainbows and butterflies, but realistically, a lot of us get into becoming a pharmacist, and then we end up finding that we're burnt out, or it's just not in alignment with what we're really feeling called to [do]. I feel like pharmacists are clinical team members, and we're essential in every health system. The PharmD program is a STEM degree. Use it to your heart's desire. Find what works for you and what you enjoy. It's not a shackle or the golden handcuffs, as they say, but really a huge launching pad.

For us, Prosper, and for pharmacists, I do really feel like, if you're looking to move towards more of the clinical autonomy and actually practicing direct patient care, there is a need for it. We're building that right now with the potential for more and more clinical pharmacists needed in these community health hubs, pharmacies, and medical practices. Learn the language of business. And overall, I'm hoping there will be a pharmacist partnered with a practitioner, medical doctor, or [assistive technology professional] in almost every practice. That way we all will see better overall patient care. We'll see an improvement in hospitalizations, disease progression, and preventative health care—what we're all looking for. The future for pharmacists is really bright.

READ MORE: How the Rise in US Pharmacy Deserts Impacts Patients’ Health

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