Career Mirror -- by Mark Sproxton

Audrey Flegel says communication skills are imperative for pharmacists.

Seated across a small table from a 20-something young man, the woman in a white lab coat leans back and smiles. The hushed tones of serious discussion immediately switch to laughter. Standing up, the pharmacist gives the man a friendly wave and quickly heads behind the counter. One counselling session down, many more to go. Other than when they need to spend one-on-one time with patients, retail grocery pharmacists remain in constant motion.

"The public looks to pharmacists to answer their questions," says Audrey Flegel, pharmacy manager with Calgary Co-op. "As a pharmacist you are front-line and centre and respected. They rely on the information you're giving." That means pharmacists are privy to many confidential details of peoples' health and must maintain a high level of responsibility and professionalism. "You've got to be aware there's a strong image associated with being a pharmacist," Flegel said. "You are a respected member of the health team."

Being a part of a health team was always a dream of Flegel's who considered a couple of different career options. "Because I was interested in medicine and working with people, I knew pharmacy was an area of interest for me." After a pharmacy-based work study, her decision was final and later completed her pharmacy degree from the University of Saskatchewan. After graduating she worked the required number of apprenticeship hours and wrote and passed the provincial licensing exams.

When she moved to Alberta, however, she had to write another provincial licensing exam after working her required apprenticeship here. "When I moved to Alberta, I had to write Alberta specific law exams," she said. "Different provinces have different licences." After that process was completed she joined Calgary Co-op in 1987 as a pharmacist and has worked as a pharmacy manager since 1993 thoroughly enjoying her role.

"Knowing you can talk to someone and actually work to help them resolve a health issue, that's rewarding," she said. "I like the way pharmacy is turning. You're talking more about a total health picture. You are using more of your (knowledge) and applying it practically. That's different from what it was a few years ago."

As in any type of work, not everything is perfect. Unlike pharmacists who work in hospitals, retail pharmacists don't have access to peoples' health records. "From a retail standpoint, you're missing information that helps you understand this patient's whole health picture simply because you're removed from where that information flow is. That's a bit frustrating." Work volumes may also mean pharmacists can't spend as much time as they like providing information as some pharmacies process 300 to 400 prescriptions a day.

While pharmacists may be able to use more of their trained skills, the hours of work available remain the same. And that means all the time. Some pharmacies are open 24 hours, and many are open evenings and weekends requiring pharmacists to be working during those times. A typical shift for a pharmacist could include making calls to doctor's offices, dispensing medications, counselling patients, verifying and checking medications and labels prepared by a pharmacy technician, providing information on over-the-counter products, answering phone calls, and possibly entering patient or billing information into the computer.

In addition to strong communication skills, Flegel said pharmacists should be well organized and able to prioritize tasks quickly. "You have to be really adaptable. A relaxed personality is (good). You will do better than those who are not." A pharmacist entering the workforce can look to earn around $60,000 or more to start and may have the opportunity to work part-time.

"The world of pharmacy is largely information driven," Flegel said. "If you're thinking of going into pharmacy you have to be comfortable talking to people. The consumer has changed. They have become more informed and want answers. They want clarity and more information. They come to us to get that. It's a good choice for a profession."