By Amanda Awe, PharmD and Pharmacy Product Specialist
A look at specialty pharmacy from the other side of the counter.
Last month marked 10 years since earning my PharmD. If you had told then me where now me would end up a decade in, I would have called your bluff. Confession: there was a time when anything business-related basically repelled me. I have never been as nervous in my academic career than I was going into the final exam for the introductory business class required for our degree. When classmates of mine mused of their corporate dream careers in pharmacy, I literally thought, “But why?”
Here’s the thing: the perspective I gained from jumping from one job to the next (each one less cringeworthy than the last) gave me a uniquely buildable experience. Retail chain, Independent, Compounding, Mail-Order, Home Infusion, Specialty, Managed Care: what all of these positions had in common was what I learned and was able to then apply. Family and friends would comment on my meandering path, but I just never felt like I belonged anywhere.
Luckily, I came close a couple of times, which sparked a period of self-examination and reflection on the pharmacist I wanted to become. Eventually I came across the book Indispensable by Alex Barker, PharmD, which inspired me to discern where my zone of genius was: where the intersection of my skills, passions and opportunities lies.
I had long been fascinated with the power of technology to transform both the patient and provider experiences – especially within specialty pharmacy. And when I reflected on the times I felt most engaged, unequivocally, it was when I was problem solving and dreaming up ways of transforming modern pharmacy operations. So, I simply began searching for career openings in the healthcare technology space and ended up meeting with the Product and Sales Leaders at VPL. The more I heard about the role they were creating, the more I knew I was at the intersection Dr. Barker wrote about in his book. My own personal zone of genius. This was a chance to be valued for both my ideas and my credentials.
In this new role, I get to use technology to solve problems for pharmacists. Our pharmacy solution – VPL TrajectRx, is a clinically-minded prescription shipping solution, tracking and compliance platform that was developed by and with specialty pharmacists in mind. By modernizing the prescription shipping process and thus increasing patient access to critical medications, TrajectRx is simultaneously improving the health of populations, improving the patient experience, reducing costs, improving the provider experience; all of which most healthcare economists refer to as the quad aim initiative. At the end of the day, I am partnering with other pharmacists, who like me, are choosing to apply their passion and skillset to improve patient care.
In a recent employee spotlight published by TrellisRx, a specialty pharmacist described her role as the “unicorn job” of her dreams, and let me tell you, this resonated for me.
If being a specialty pharmacist is a unicorn job, I’d go as far as to say that specialty pharmacy is a unicorn industry, and VPL is on a mission to make that industry even better.
If shipping medications is a part of your workflow, TrajectRx can help. For additional information, check out our webinar: Modernize Your Prescription Delivery and read our Kettering Health success story.
Interested in seeing our pharmacy solution in action? Schedule a demo and we’ll be in touch shortly after.
