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Maintaining Your Community Pharmacy Independence

Posted by Matt Coakley on Tue, May 07, 2013 @ 09:22 AM


Owning a pharmacy or being a community pharmacist can be demanding of your time, attention and energy. A community pharmacist once told us that these are the three most scarce resources people have.community pharmacy independence Understanding this, and the subsequent implications, can help you better understand what you need to do to optimize the management of these three resources.

The premise behind this concept is simple: the better you manage these resources, the more time, attention and energy you have to focus on the imporant things in your life. Constant focus on managing and refining these resources leads to even more of these resources. This will eventually transform your pharmacy life to one of abundance rather than scarcity.

Imagine this: you have all the time in the world to do the things that you value the most (either in the pharmacy or personally). Focusing on managing these three resources can lead to this, and ultimately to community pharmacy independence.

Community pharmacy independence is the point where you are managing your time, attention and energy so well that you can focus on the things that will make your pharmacy successful well into the future. Most community pharmacy owners we discuss this with tell us that this would be a dream situation to be in. Our belief is that the success of community pharmacy in general will be tied directly to more community pharmacists and owners grasping this concept (and sooner rather than later).

With all this being said, below are three tips that can help you start thinking about community pharmacy independence.

  1. Put your goals in writing: We have a saying at Waypoint that a dream is something in your head and a goal is something written  on paper. If community pharmacy independence is something you want to achieve, then write it down. You have a higher probability of achieving it this way. One more point: writing it down is half the equation. The other half is reviewing it on a regular basis. One pharmacy owner laminated his goals and put them in his shower so he could review them every morning.

  2. Learn Time Management Skills: In Joel Osteen's book Become a Better You, he discusses the fact that you are never too old to learn something new or to challenge yourself. Too many community pharmacy owners tell us they feel their time has come and gone. We simply refuse to believe this. We think your time to shine is here and now. Setting an example by being willing to learn a new skill that helps the pharmacy be viable for years to come can be empowering to your staff and the community.

  3. Take care of yourself: Yeadon Smith, a health coach from Take Shape for Life, has a few tips that he recommends doing to maximize energy during the day. Having enough energy is vital to the long term success of your pharmacy. The first tip is to eat breakfast (break the fast of sleeping) in the morning. The second tip is to drink water (especially before meals because it helps suppress appetite and you will eat less). The third tip is to learn what makes you sleep well (turning off the television, smart phone or computer is a great start).

Many pharmacist and pharmacy owners are already implementing these concepts. If you happen to be one who has not thought much about these opportunities, then please understand that this is a tranformative process. It will not happen overnight and there may be some bumps and bruises along the way. It will probably be similar to when you first bought your pharmacy or entered the pharmacy world. You learned as you went along and certain things became easier over time. If you decide this is the route you want to go, then please stick with it. The success of community pharmacy may be at stake.

Request the Community  Pharmacist Time Optimizer

Where does this wisdom come from?

The content of this blog is inspired and substantiated by our experience helping independent community pharmacists enjoy financial independence during and after their life in pharmacy. When a pharmacist reaches out to us for information and help, we endeavor to give them as much free value as is possible. In addition to providing educational and strategic planning tools (like the Community Pharmacist Time Optimizer), we invite qualified pharmacists into our formal discovery process.

The first step of the process is completing The Inspired Goals Workshop. This 90-minute session enables us to deliver a detailed and personal Inspired Independence Blueprint. The blueprint provides a personalized roadmap for achieving your goals and enables you to fully understand the value of joining The Inspired Independence Program.

If you wish to learn more about any aspect of our work, the free value we offer, or to be considered for The Inspired Goals Workshop, visit our web site at www.waypointus.com or call 843.873.4420 and ask for Ben or Matt Coakley.

At Waypoint Pharmacy Advisors, we take care of you!

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Topics: community pharmacy owner, community pharmacy independence