To celebrate American Pharmacists Month, Pharmacy Times® interviewed Kristy Brittain, PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, professor and clinical pharmacy specialist, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and Pamela Mazyck, PharmD, MSCR, BCPS, BCACP, CDE, clinical pharmacy manager, specialty pharmacy, MUSC. Both shared their journeys in the pharmaceutical space and described the evolving responsibilities of pharmacists, highlighting the growing focus on patient-centered services and the integration of technology. Acknowledging pharmacists’ contributions and fostering future professionals in the field is an important way to celebrate American Pharmacists Month, according to both Brittain and Mazyck.
Pharmacy Times: Can you introduce yourself and discuss how you got into the pharmaceutical space?
Kristy Brittain, PharmD, BCPS, CDCES: I'm Christy Britton, and I am a professor and clinical pharmacy specialist at MUSC Health in Charleston, South Carolina. I kind of fell into pharmacy, because I didn't really know what else to do, to be completely honest. I think I was first exposed to a family friend who owned their own pharmacy in my very small rural community, and [I] kind of got to see like what that relationship looked like as being a resource in in that type of setting. And so, I think that's kind of what inspired me and really started me down the path of pharmacy at that point. And for myself, I've been pretty focused on community pharmacy practice, and I think that's probably from some of the earlier influences of myself working at an independent pharmacy, working with Rite Aid—a chain pharmacy back in Pennsylvania—and not necessarily just in the community setting now, but in some of our supportive programs that support patients in the outpatient setting here at MUSC.
Pamela Mazyck, PharmD, MSCR, BCPS, BCACP, CDE: My name is Pamela Mazyck, and I'm currently the clinical pharmacy manager for our specialty pharmacy here at MUSC Health. And I guess in regards to thinking of what inspired me in the role of pharmacy...I actually work at a pharmacy, but originally [I] was just a cashier in the very beginning, and so, seeing patients come up talking to the pharmacist, getting inspired seeing how much education the pharmacist was providing to the patients. Seeing how much the patients actually relied on the pharmacist inspired me to become a pharmacist. Initially, I really did not know exactly what I wanted to do, I just knew that I wanted to do something in health care and definitely wanted to help others. So, I think pharmacy has just been that "golden ticket" for me. Somehow, when I think of other professions or other things that I would want to do or ever aspire to do, they would still relate back to the fact that I would be helping people. So, that's why I know that pharmacy is kind of the career that is in my path and will continue to be in my path for the current, future, and beyond.
I think in regards to specialty pharmacy, as well as clinical pharmacy, which has been my background for several years, I think it's just the idea that we can give so much to others, in regards to thinking of our retail setting and our clinical setting, they mesh so well together that I think it's important that people understand the value that pharmacists bring, regardless to what venue that they're practicing in.
Pharmacy Times: Throughout your career, how have you seen the profession change? Is there anything that is particularly surprising or noteworthy?
Mazyck: In regards to thinking of how the role has changed over the last several years, you can look at it in 2 different phases. I think that from when I originally started in pharmacy, it's changed so much from the mortar and pestle, as far as just getting medications ready for the patients in the retail setting, to the clinical arena, so that's definitely a role expansion for us. Pharmacists, in some states, are recognized as providers, which is definitely different than it was previously. I think pharmacists have helped in regards to looking at preventative care, [such as] administering immunizations, which, again, is totally different one than it was previously. And for me, because I work in specialty pharmacy, that's definitely different because 10 years ago, no one was really thinking of specialty pharmacy or how pharmacists would focus on these high-cost medications. And so, when you think of prior to COVID to where we are now, and think of TeleHealth, that's definitely a difference, where pharmacists were not participating in that venue, either. So, it's just the idea that technology has definitely advanced, and I think our profession in general has been modeling that. I think there's a lot to be seen of how pharmacists will continue to grow and make our profession better.
Brittain: Yeah, I agree with Pam. I think some of the the big things that jumped out to me was even just thinking about specialty pharmacy, if we think about even just probably 10 years ago, that really wasn't even a thing in our practice here at MUSC, so that's definitely grown. And I think what comes with that is, obviously, the expansion from drugs and the options that we have and I think that solidifies our role as pharmacists and my role as an educator of ensuring that our future pharmacists are aware of all of the things. I think it's very complicated, obviously, medical care gets more complicated the more drugs and things that we have on the market, and I think that's been a huge, a huge shift.
And then I'd say the other big thing...in the time of my career, and kind of now what I see that I'm teaching are kind of incoming pharmacy students, future pharmacists, is really centered around the idea of that patient-centered care, and I think it's this delicate balance between what do the guidelines say, what are the right meds that a patient needs to be on, and us really taking that role of getting the patient's buy in, because we know that if they're not on board with what we're wanting to do, or what the plan is, that they're not going to be able to do that, or there may be so many barriers that they have in place that would prevent them from doing that. So, I think we have a lot of services and things that we think about and that we build to, hopefully, address those barriers. But I do think it's very much a very different shift than maybe 15, 20 years ago, where it was like, "Well, this is it, this is what you take, this is what you do, because this is what our guidelines say." And I think it's very much more focused on the patient now, and in that very person-centered model.
Pharmacy Times: In your opinion, what is the most rewarding part about being a pharmacist?
Brittain: For me, the most rewarding thing is getting people, providing them with education and hopefully allowing them to become advocates for themselves. I think health care is very hard to navigate, I think we can see that within our own experiences, or within our own family experiences, and so, really trying to find ways that we can remove barriers, provide education, and understanding appropriate education...I mean, I think there's a lot of different sources that our patients can look at, but making sure that they're reputable. I think, to me, that's probably one of the big focuses that I think about.
Mazyck: Some things that are rewarding...is definitely the patient impact that we have. I mean, it is so rewarding to see how we take a patient who's had difficulties, either with their diabetes, or they're having difficulty with financial assistance, and we make a difference in that we're providing them with education—like Kristy said—or we're able to help them navigate the world of PBMs and copay cards...and then that they have actually taken ownership for their health, because they're able to actually afford their medications, or they truly understand their medications. And when they come back to you and they tell you what a difference you've made in their life, or what a difference you've done for their health care it just makes a difference. And then when you look at caregivers, and a lot of times, [we] may forget that the caregiver is the one who also needs assistance, they are the ones who still need to understand, and so, it's just very rewarding in order to be able to see what we can do.
And then, I think for pharmacy in general, it's such an ongoing education process for us as pharmacists. Every day, I think we learn something different, whether it's something about our patient or just some educational topic, but we're having a continuous learning situation in regards to pharmacy. So, I think that that's very rewarding.
Lastly, health promotion. When we see pharmacists who are giving those vaccines, we see pharmacists who are on the front lines [during COVID], it's just that we're saying that we promote health and that we'll do whatever we can to help our patients.
Pharmacy Times: What does the value of the pharmacist mean to you personally, and to the industry?
Mazyck: Personally, it's the fact that we are so accessible to all of our patients that we feel that we can be relied on, and so, I think it gives us that satisfaction, that gratitude to know that patients are able to come to us no matter what their situation is. Sometimes we can't necessarily solve it, but we can be that liaison between the patient and their provider, so it's definitely a value in regards to seeing what we can do for patients. We provide them with education and support, and a lot of times, it's even just a comprehensive type of care model that we can give them if they're coming to see us for multiple different reasons. I think just in general, pharmacy is that "golden ticket" for patients, if they are able to connect to their pharmacist in a different light than just maybe going to pick up their medications, but being able to get that education that we can give them.
Brittain: From a value perspective personally...is just trying to make an impact and change and make somebody else's life better. I think every pharmacist, regardless of what role they're in, is really, really contributing to that. And when I teach about the pharmacist patient care process to my students...I say there's all these careers and things that you can do, but ultimately at the end of the day, they all support that, whether you're the one that's doing the direct patient care, or you're designing a drug that we're going to use, or helping to ensure or remove barriers so that we can get that drug to that said patient. I think that's really important for pharmacists to think about...having that connection back to [the] patient is, I think, important for everybody, regardless of what practice they're in.
And I think that pharmacists are doing a great job of really demonstrating their value through so many different avenues and I think it's a constant struggle that we kind of come up against a lot of barriers from reimbursement models, provider status...I will say, I think every team of health care professionals needs a pharmacist, and if you understand the value of what a pharmacist is, they also want a pharmacist on the team. And so, I think we just have to continue to show the value that we can bring to our teams, to our health care systems, to our pharmacies, and whatever that might look like.
Pharmacy Times: How are you celebrating American Pharmacists Month? How might you encourage others to get involved/celebrate?
Mazyck: It's so ironic that you asked this question, because I am one of the co-coordinators for our Pharmacy Week here at MUSC. Over the years, we've definitely evolved our process for Pharmacy Week as well as [American] Pharmacist Month, I think it's an awesome opportunity for us just to highlight all the awesome individuals here at our institution, but also just across the entire US within the pharmacy profession as a whole.
For MUSC, what we typically do is a wide variety of different things. Our MUSC campus is located in Charleston, South Carolina, but we have several different regional health care systems that are also under our umbrella, so we have gone to more of a virtual aspect [when] celebrating [these events] so that we can ensure that everybody has an equal opportunity to participate. But some of the activities that we typically do—of course, we like to celebrate with food, who doesn't like to celebrate with food?—but we do have different things throughout each day, where people can have treats, snacks, [we] make sure that at least 1 day out of the whole week that every staff member does have lunch. We do virtual games, usually 2 to 3 different games throughout the day, so that regardless of whatever shift anyone is working, they have the ability to log in to play and they are able to receive prizes. We ensure that every staff member does get some sort of Pharmacy Week souvenir, and we also send out daily pharmacy trivia as well as brain teasers. We just try to have an opportunity where everyone at least gets to have some camaraderie with others within the department, so that we can try to "celebrate" ourselves, but then we also try to target our media here at MUSC so that they can get things broadcasted, so that the whole institution does know that this is National Pharmacy Week, as well as [American] Pharmacist Month. And then, we're just hopeful that other care team members, as they see us in the hallway that they will say, "Hey, you're doing a good job!" or that they can acknowledge what we bring to the table, but in turn, that we do the same for them when it's their national recognition.
Key Takeaways
- The Evolving Role of Pharmacists: Both Kristy Brittain and Pamela Mazyck highlight how the profession has expanded from traditional roles to include clinical services, specialty pharmacy, and patient-centered care. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in preventative care, immunizations, and managing complex therapies, reflecting their growing importance in health care.
- Patient Education and Advocacy: Both pharmacists emphasize the significance of educating patients to become advocates for their own health. They find the most rewarding part of their job is empowering patients with the knowledge and resources to navigate their care and improve health outcomes.
- Recognition and Celebration of Pharmacy: During American Pharmacists Month, they share the importance of celebrating pharmacists and their impact on health care. They encourage fostering future professionals in pharmacy and acknowledge the ongoing dedication of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Brittain: Yes, absolutely. I think Pam and her group have done such a great job with being able to grow how we celebrate pharmacy here, and not only for our pharmacists, but our pharmacy technicians and all of our other staff. I know from the college's perspective, this is also a really good time for us to be reflective on what a lot of our colleagues have been, the successes that they've had, the impacts that they can make within their communities. We share a lot of stories, because I think stories carry such great weight when we think about the role of the pharmacist. And I think for me, personally, it's also about celebrating the pharmacists who support me and my family in the work that they do, and so, making sure that we're just taking an opportunity to thank those individuals that often are going the extra mile for us, and sometimes we're [maybe] not even aware of all of the things that our pharmacist does to support us. So, I think that's something that I plan to do here in October, and obviously celebrate all of the colleagues as well.
Pharmacy Times: Any final or closing thoughts?
Brittain: I think the other thing that's really helpful to reflect on when we're in this this time of year and in this month, and as pharmacists and our other pharmacy colleagues are being kind of called, we think about all of the efforts with flu vaccination and a lot of different efforts is, I think, just continuing to share the word with other future pharmacists. You know, we need to continue to develop that pipeline, and I think sharing things like this, like of the reasons of what inspires us and what we get to do every day are really helpful. So, thank you for celebrating pharmacy.
Mazyck: To add to that, I would like to say thank you to all of our fellow pharmacists and technicians. I mean, everyone goes above and beyond all year long, just like Kristy said, and I want to say thank you. I want everyone to realize what an awesome profession that pharmacy is, we definitely are the medication experts, and we believe in patient safety and education, and there's just so many things and so many avenues that people can take if they're ever interested in the career of pharmacy. So, again, thank you to everyone, and then we appreciate being able to do all that we do for everyone.
