10 Main Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Supervising Pharmacist
10 Things You’ll Want to Know Before Becoming a Supervising Pharmacist
So you want to become a supervising pharmacist? Here are ten things you’ll want to know before going into the field.
You’ve developed a responsible career as a pharmacist over the past few years. You know the ins and outs of running daily operations at a typical pharmacy. You’re ready to take the next step in your career.
There are a lot of ins and outs to navigate when advancing to a better position in any industry. Especially when it comes to supervisory roles, the increase in responsibilities is something to take seriously.
Still, you feel that you are ready to be moved. You want to become a supervising pharmacist, and you’re in luck. These days, supervising pharmacists in Ireland average a healthy salary of €62,925 in a single year.
First, there are going to be a few things you need to consider. The good news is that you’ve come to the right place by reading this article. Below are detailed ten things you should know before becoming a supervising pharmacist.
1. Understand the Role of the Position
First and foremost, it should be obvious to research as much about your potential new position as you can. You need to know what kind of responsibilities you’re going to have. These sorts of tasks are going to affect your daily life in a variety of ways, after all.
Becoming a supervising pharmacist in Ireland comes with a lot of those responsibilities. In addition, that role is going to have a flexible interpretation, depending on the needs of each specific pharmacy.
The good news is that there is some overall concept related to the position to help guide you. According to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, a “supervising pharmacist is the person responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the pharmacy.”
Every pharmacy is going to be different, which you’ll notice when applying. With that definition, though, you’ll at least know the ultimate goal of the position. For that reason, it’s just as important to really research the differences in expectations at each location.
2. Know That You’re Still Not Totally in Charge
No matter what, this position is one of authority. Supervising a team of pharmacists takes many skills in leadership. You’ll continue to develop those leadership qualities throughout the remainder of your career.
Still, the supervising pharmacist answers to someone with even more authority. Ireland’s Pharmacy Act in 2007 determines that this role reports to the superintendent pharmacist.
While the supervising pharmacist oversees daily operations, he or she needs an outlined policy as a guideline. The superintendent pharmacist oversees the pharmacy’s administration and policy as a whole.
3. Successful Management Requires Organizational Skills
As with any industry’s management positions, you’ll need to make sure you’re well-organized. A supervising pharmacist won’t have time to spare for misplacements or mistakes. He or she will need to work efficiently in order to put out fires during daily operations.
If you struggle with organizational skills, that’s okay. It’s important, though, to put in the effort to get better in that regard. Developing an efficient system of the organization serves more than purpose. Not only will it make you a more productive worker, but it will also set a good example to your supporting employees.
4. It’s a Good Idea to Continue to Stay Informed
It’s clear that you believe that advancing in your career is a worthy goal. It’s likely, then, that this won’t be the only sort of promotion you’ll be chasing in your life. There is the higher role of superintendent pharmacist to aim for, after all.
In order to continue advancing in your professional life, you need to keep educating yourself. You need to recognize that there will always be something new you could learn about the pharmaceutical industry. In other words, there’s always something that could profit your professional growth.
Keep up with regular publications of the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. Follow appropriate blogs, too. In fact, we encourage you to check out and follow our blog to continue to keep yourself informed on the medical industry in Ireland as a whole.
5. Delegate to and Trust Your Employees
A major part of your success as a supervising pharmacist will have to do with your interactions with your team of fellow pharmacists. Their success in the workplace depends on your supervision. Your success as their supervisor depends on your ability to delegate to them efficiently.
As an overseer, you’ll need to understand the big picture when it comes to business operations. Your workers are unique individuals, so it’s a good idea to play their strengths. The balance between the entire team’s skillsets will be on your shoulders.
6. Be Familiar with Legal Regulations in the Pharmaceutical Industry
It’s not only important to have knowledge of the best business practices in the pharmaceutical industry. You need to have a solid understanding of legal regulations regarding it, too.
This might take some legitimate education on your part, but that’s okay. Investing in such will be worth your while. Running a pharmacy can run some serious legal risks on your part if you act ignorant of the law.
7. You Can’t Forget About Your Health and Wellness
It’s no secret that working in a supervisory role comes with many challenges you have yet to face. It’s one thing to be a successful worker with clearly defined expectations. As a supervising pharmacist, though, you’ll be somewhat expected to fill in the gaps at your pharmacy.
These gaps aren’t always predictable, so you’ll have to be flexible in your work expectations. A lot of times, unfortunately, this unpredictability causes serious stress. Supervisory roles aren’t always easy.
To that end, you need to make sure you are taking care of your mental and physical health on a regular basis. You can perform well in this role without ruining your wellness as an individual. There is no point in working that hard at a position if you’re simply going to collapse at the end of every day.
Do your best to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance will go a long way in ensuring you can keep up for an extended time.
8. Be an Approachable Leader and Mentor
Once you successfully delegate to your new employees, overseeing them should be breezy. Your only goal at that point is to stay positive and approachable. You have to put out fires when they appear, but otherwise, focus on keeping your team happy.
It’s up to you to make sure each employee has the resources and motivation they need to succeed. This requires communication skills that accomplish both productivity and genuine comradery.
Reward employees when they do a job well, and only privately critique those who need guidance. Celebrate successes to prove your dedication to their meaningful positions. In doing so, you will cultivate trust and loyalty throughout the entire team.
9. You’ll Have to Market Yourself Accordingly When Applying
Now that you are getting a better understanding of the position, you’re thinking of the application process. It’s a good idea to prepare for in advance. It’s going to take a lot of work to market yourself as a qualified supervising pharmacist.
Perhaps the role is becoming available in your current pharmacy. Perhaps you’re looking to move to an entirely new city while you advance your position. Either way, you’ll need to start with a proper resume.
Do the research required to draft a professional-looking, engaging resume that really shows off your experience and skills. If you need to, you can even hire someone who professionally reviews and edits them. Maybe they can even design you some savvy business cards.
Business cards can come in handy when networking in person, which you should do if you can. If your local area has meetups or networking events related to the pharmaceutical industry, do your best to attend. Meeting these professionals could open up all kinds of opportunities.
It’s important to remember to always present yourself in a sophisticated manner. You likely aren’t the only applicant chasing after your desired position, after all.
10. Accept That Workplace Dynamics Will Change for You
You need to accept that advancing to this higher position is going to change your relationship with the regular pharmacists. That doesn’t have to necessarily be a bad thing. Still, it’s possible that at times such a position can seem lonely.
It’s true that your responsibilities will be of overseeing their work and business operations. You’ll have to work directly with them every single day. The way you interact, though, will not be on an equal basis.
Remember to treat them with respect in all ways, and they will respect you in return. At the end of the day, everyone will be satisfied with the role they played.
Find a Job as a Supervising Pharmacist Today
At this point, you should be looking forward to preparing yourself to be a supervising pharmacist. You have a lot of things you need to work on in the first place. Then, you’ll need to do the research to find what available position you desire and can achieve.
We’re here to help you with that process – contact us today using the button below. Check out the medical jobs in Ireland we have listed to advance your professional career in no time.
