By Laura Gordon
Public Member of the BPS Board of Directors
I’m not a pharmacist. Not even close. But I’m pharmacy’s biggest fan.
Many years ago, previous Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) Executive Director, Bill Ellis, convinced me I needed to be part of the pharmacy family. At the time, I was a young executive at a public relations agency, and although I worked in healthcare communications, I struggled a bit to understand what I had to offer in the midst of so many highly skilled pharmacists. But I agreed to serve on the American Pharmacists Association Foundation Board of Directors. Years later, I’m now completing my final year on the BPS Board of Directors. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- People pursue pharmacy careers for many different secondary reasons, but without exception, their primary reason is to help people. That magical combination of deep intelligence and compassion may be rare in the general population, but it is commonplace among pharmacists.
- There is no more accessible healthcare provider than a pharmacist. Whether you work in a community pharmacy, an outpatient clinic or a hospital, people seek out pharmacists for advice. Many pharmacists I know say this is one of the most rewarding parts of their career- and it definitely keeps them on their toes!
- The amount of knowledge in a pharmacist’s head would astound most patients, and staying up to date is an ongoing journey. Pharmacists can’t afford to let new information pass them by; patients are counting on their knowledge, and they trust pharmacists to help.
- Pharmacists have long been unsung heroes, but fortunately, that’s beginning to change. To make the most of their knowledge and skills, pharmacists have been fighting for years for recognition of their expanding role within the healthcare system. Today, pharmacists provide (and are reimbursed for) counseling and caring for people across disease states and settings.
So why is a humble healthcare communicator writing about all of this?
As a public member serving on the BPS Board of Directors for the past six years, I’ve been privileged to hear firsthand the stories of why pharmacists choose to become BPS Board Certified. It’s not an easy task; it involves preparation, and more preparation – and success doesn’t always happen the first time around. But the result is true professional excellence. Pride. Respect from colleagues and patients. And the confidence to advise and support patients in a million different ways, from acute settings to chronic care, from older adults to infants. Becoming board certified also inspires pharmacists to seek new responsibilities with their employers, or even pursue a new path for which certification opened the door. It’s been an honor to learn about the value of board certification, and an honor as a BPS Board member to help communicate its benefits.
As I conclude my time with the BPS Board at the end of this year, I encourage all who read this to find a way to get involved. Pharmacists who join the board can play an important role in shaping certification and promoting its value. Public members – whether from other healthcare professions or other industries like my own – provide important fresh perspectives and expand support for the profession by sharing its value within their own circles. Either way, it’s a role you won’t regret. And I’ll be cheering from the sidelines!