The Chair

The life of a retail pharmacist can be daunting some days. There is much expected of our time, and it feels there is never enough time to complete all the tasks required. Many pharmacists, if asked, would express feelings of being burnt out by their job. Over my decade of working as a pharmacist, I have felt and seen a shift in the profession. The most accessible health care professional, with the desire to help patients with their medication and health needs, often now feels jaded by the job. They are losing the part of themselves that led them to become a pharmacist in the first place, their heart.

I have felt this myself, and it was getting bad before my cancer diagnosis. I was questioning if this career was where God wanted me to be. My pharmacy school entrance essay was filled with ideas for wanting to support my community and build relationships with my patients. I wanted to work in collaboration with doctors to ensure the very best care was being provided and find the best way to help patients with their health concerns. Somedays the parts of being a pharmacist I desired to create in my career feel miles away. I was rapidly losing hope in being able to provide the type of care I felt was needed for my patients. I was struggling every day to merge all the corporate expectations with the heart of why I was a pharmacist. What was I still doing all of this for? Who was I really helping day to day? Then I was diagnosed with cancer and forced to step away from my pharmacist’s life for 5 months.

The distance and time gave me the ability to reflect on what I wanted for the rest of my life. If I could change my life going forward, what would that look like? What would my best self need to do better, to love harder, and serve more? I realized I am supposed to continue on as a pharmacist for now but to dispense not only prescriptions for medicine during my days. I need to start giving prescriptions for hope. I have been surprised through this mission to be finding little moments each day to connect with people in a whole new way. The best place I have found to take a moment with someone is when they are sitting in the vaccination chair.

Flu vaccines are a big part of my days currently. With the pandemic still prevalent as we approach flu season, there have been more people than ever before wanting a flu vaccine. A flu vaccine does not take long at all, just a minute or two. In this small window of time, I have been able to have such meaningful moments with people as we sit together outside the pharmacy, near the bakery goods. That is all the time it takes to connect with someone else if we allow ourselves to be present and intentional. When you ask someone how they are doing and really take the time to be empathetic and listen, they will open and allow you to shine the light of God into their day and be a voice of hope.

While sitting in the chair, people have told me about the loss of loved ones. They have opened up about their own cancer journey. I have held hands with people as they shed tears about their health decline. I have talked about their relationship with God. More than one person has amazed me with their closeness to Him and has encouraged and inspired me to talk with God more. These moments where I am allowed to encourage someone else bring such meaning and purpose to my days in the pharmacy. I am learning my role as a pharmacist can be so much more than overseeing medication safety. It is about bringing hope to those who need it, being a source of healing for more than their body. I am not sure what the future has in store for me, but I know I want more of this.