Carolyn Mayer worked as a corporate travel agent for most of her professional career, but after leaving the travel industry to be a stay-at-home mom, she learned about a career in pharmacy. At the age of 53, with a college background in math and science, becoming a pharmacy technician appealed to Mayer, who started working for Kinney Drugs just five years ago.

Contributors: Alex Adams, Pharm.D., Brian Hille and Samantha Thompson, CPhT

Idaho was the first state to allow certified
pharmacy technicians to administer
immunizations — an advanced task that had previously only been permitted for licensed pharmacists.

The problem: pharmacists need time to counsel patients
Research continues to show that when pharmacists spend more time with patients, better patient outcomes can be achieved.¹ But if more time with patients leads to better outcomes, why aren’t more pharmacists doing it?

Can you imagine if healthcare professionals didn’t continue to educate themselves throughout their careers? Tenured individuals would be using dated, and potentially dangerous, methods. Just search the internet for “bizarre medical treatments in history,” and prepare to be amazed at what we once thought were legitimate health practices.

In an increasingly diverse population, healthcare providers continue to face unique situations where culture intersects with healthcare delivery and often impacts outcomes. With a new focus on improving providers’ cultural competence, healthcare systems are deploying educational programs to elevate healthcare professionals’ abilities to connect with patients in a meaningful way, regardless of culture.