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Although we have rediscovered the importance of the pharmacist in the health care system over the past two years, more and more young pharmacy apprentices link their professional future with the pharmaceutical company. What skills may be useful to them? Why is it worth starting work while studying? And why is gathering experience so important in this profession?
Pharmacist’s Dreamwork?
The fact that pharmacy students more and more often do not associate their future with working in a pharmacy, but choose non-schematic career paths, is best evidenced by the results of the survey conducted by Gedeon Richter Polska as part of the “Recipe for Success” program. It is aimed at pharmacy students and supports future pharmacists in taking a step-by-step career path.
To the multiple-choice question “Where would you like to work after graduation?” as much as 61 percent of the surveyed students named a pharmaceutical company. It was followed by clinical trials (24%), a clinical pharmacist (16%) and a cosmetics company (10%). Only 19 percent think about working in a private pharmacy, which after the COVID-10 pandemic has a chance to become a place of health advice. of them. A similar situation applies to a hospital pharmacy (6%).
I agree that during the last two years the pharmacist has been noticed and appreciated, but it is not that Krakow was built right away. According to our nationwide research, during the lockdown, only 11 percent. POZs served patients “face to face”. Taking into account that for many Poles teleportation was insufficient, help was sought from pharmacists in pharmacies. The opening of pharmacies to tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 or vaccination against COVID-19, aimed at relieving the health care system, was the right political decision and a change expected for years to increase the powers and competences of the pharmacist. Only please note that in Poland we have approx. 13 thousand. pharmacies, and at the moment vaccinates approx. 2 thousand. 200. This is not a “common move”. I have the impression that a very large proportion of pharmacy owners are afraid of the new role of the pharmacy as an advisory point. Moreover, unlike in the West, pharmaceutical consultancy is still consultancy for which a pharmacist does not receive any remuneration. If to all my objections we add too few pharmacists on the market, then we still have a long way to run new pharmaceutical care services for patients in Polish pharmacies … – comments PhD farm. Piotr Merks.
The direction of many possibilities
The career of Dr. Piotr Merks is the best proof of the fact that there are many professional paths in pharmacy and it is worth using them to finally find the place and role of your dreams. His CV includes various points on the map and various positions. He started from a Polish pharmacy, and then as a pharmacist and scientist, he gained experience in Australia, Great Britain and Canada, where the social position of the pharmacist is very high. This is evidenced by the anecdote cited by Dr. Merks. When he started his first job in a coastal town in England for Alliance Unichem Ltd., an article was written about him. “Introducing our village pharmacist” in the local newspaper, and the local priest himself came by to say hello.
The words of Dr. Merks correspond to the results of the survey conducted as part of the “Recipe for Success” program. Among the reasons why students do not plan their professional path next to the too early stage of studies, there were: no talks about professional plans at the stage of studies (25%), as well as ignorance of the possibility of working outside the pharmacy (19%), and yet scientific progress has significantly expanded the professional development opportunities for pharmacists. Today not only pharmacies await pharmacy graduates, but also pharmaceutical companies, research laboratories and companies dealing with innovations. Hence, it is so important to acquire skills valued by various employers already at the stage of studies.
The role of pharmacists in the healthcare system is constantly growing. The implementation of the act on the profession of pharmacist has opened completely new doors and development paths for this professional group. Starting from SARS CoV-2 vaccinations, to drug reviews, and finally the possibility of preventive examinations at the pharmacy. This is a huge responsibility and challenge for both current and future pharmacists – says Aneta Grzegorzewska, Corporate Affairs and External Relations Director at Gedeon Richter Polska.
The market offers, the market expects
The fact that education itself is not enough is proved by job offers addressed to pharmacists. The ideal candidate profile currently consists of hard and soft skills, i.e. personality traits and social skills that reflect behavior and relationships in the workplace. The fact that even the best qualifications will not ensure professional success if we lack commitment, a sense of responsibility or a positive attitude towards people and work, emphasizes Agnieszka Zarczuk, deputy director of production and logistics for manufacturing at Gedeon Richter Polska.
Knowledge and practice are one thing, but “soft” skills are extremely important, also in the work of a pharmacist. I know from my own experience that their continuous improvement and development is very important. In pharmacy studies, you do not learn project management, team management or team communication, and it is very important to be able to cooperate in a group, especially if you want to develop. At various levels of a pharmacist’s professional development, the competences I have mentioned are used to a different extent, but it is certain that everyone will find them useful. It is difficult to imagine a manager or director who has problems with communication or managing people. From my own experience, I know that you can develop and get promoted in one workplace. It is important that the employer provides us with such an opportunity, because it is the best investment. You just want to work in such places.
According to Agnieszka Zarczuk, soft skills can be successfully developed already at the stage of studies.
There are student organizations at universities that run their own projects and cooperate with external companies. This is the best moment when we can try, test and engage in different ways. Thanks to this, we have a chance to discover what we are best at, what brings us satisfaction and in what direction we want to develop our career. This is the time when we establish relationships, often resulting in employment. Working in a student organization builds relationships, often makes it easier to get an internship and gain first professional experience, and also allows you to manage your career as if you would like it to look like.
Adepts focus on development
The survey shows that 93 percent. of respondents believe that compulsory internships or apprenticeships are needed. Only 7 percent are of the opposite opinion. respondents. Among the reasons why students think that compulsory internships are not needed, young adepts mentioned: lack of practical classes during the internship, orientation towards the pharmacy and no remuneration for work during the internship.
Although pharmacy is a field of study, the study of which takes a lot of time and concentration, as much as 54 percent. of the respondents take part in non-obligatory professional internships, most often organized by pharmaceutical companies, cosmetic companies, pharmacies or laboratories. It only shows that young adepts want to develop, gain experience and increase their attractiveness on the employment market. Unfortunately, most of them (75%) admit that access to internships is still too small.
Pharmacy is an extremely demanding field of study. Learning, regular checking of knowledge and laboratory classes take up most of our time. Nevertheless, you can develop during your studies. If we want to actively participate in university initiatives or look for a career path through internships or apprenticeships, we must first of all be well organized. Combining internship and education is a big challenge, but I know from my own experience that it is possible. At Gedeon Richter Polska, I have the opportunity to develop on many levels, as well as get to know other departments of the company. The labor market has changed a lot over the years. Thanks to the flexibility of the employer, I am able to gain not only knowledge, but also valuable experience, try different things and find what will be the best solution for me. The internship allows you to get to know the industry from the inside and it is a good start for professional development, especially if the employer meets the needs of the employee and supports in this process – says Marta Sopińska, XNUMXth year pharmacy student at the Medical University of Lodz, intern in the communication department Gedeon Richter Poland.
Important for professional development are internship programs addressed to young pharmacy apprentices, as well as employment policy in pharmaceutical companies.
Students need meetings with people working in pharmaceutical companies, as evidenced by the crowds around the company’s stands during events dedicated to future pharmacists. This is often the first contact and a great opportunity to talk live, learn about the company’s operations, what specialists are currently in demand, and what development employers offer. Hence the idea that in this year’s edition of the student support program, the main topic should be a professional career. As part of the XNUMXth edition of “Recipes for Success”, this year we stream with market experts and employees of our company in the form of discussions and workshops. We show you how to look for your first job, create a professional profile, CV. Cooperation with these young, talented people gives us all great satisfaction. We see their enthusiasm and commitment, which drives us to support them even more, adds Joanna Galińska-Zienkiewicz – Senior HR Business Partner at Gedeon Richter Polska.
You have to be proactive
The study also shows sad conclusions – the need for mentoring, which helps young adepts to direct their learning and use their own potential, still goes unnoticed. As much as 78 percent of the respondents believe that teachers at universities do not inform about various professional paths that can be followed after graduating from pharmacy. Even more – 83 percent. of respondents claim that universities do not organize a sufficient number of meetings related to information / counseling on career paths during their studies.
Supporting young pharmacists in discovering their own potential and choosing a career path that is not necessarily obvious are the assumptions of the XNUMXth edition of the “Recipe for Success” program. As part of the campaign, training is conducted for future pharmacists, consultations with professional advisers, but also practitioners whose professional choices show that pharmacy has many names.
We want to support young, talented students in such a way that they can help, create innovations, change the face of pharmacy, and at the same time achieve professional satisfaction. The pharmaceutical business is also responsible for the evolution of the pharmacist profession. This is a great challenge for all of us. We see this huge potential, which is why we are even more involved in this process, giving future pharmacists the tools that really support their development. Although it takes time to implement all these changes in pharmacies, we will consistently continue our activities because we know that it is a benefit not only for the system, but most of all for patients. .