Let’s be honest. What is the first image you think of when you hear someone is a pharmacist?
Unfortunately, a lot of people see a person counting pills behind a counter.
At Sona, our job is to flip that perception on its head!
As a pharmacist, I do much more than verify prescriptions.
My day consists of being there for patients for whatever their needs might be.
When they need someone to listen to their frustrations when they need someone to communicate to their healthcare provider for them when they have questions about insurance, when they need over the counter medication recommendations for their child, and the list goes on.
Working at Sona Pharmacy, every day is different.
I spend a couple of days of my week in the pharmacy where I build relationships with patients that come in with questions or concerns.
I spend the rest of my week providing one-on-one education with patients in our health management program (offered through Sona Benefits) and through the Asheville Project (a health management program offered to City of Asheville employees).
Both of these programs encourage individuals to meet with their community pharmacists to better their health.
At first, patients can be hesitant in thinking that a pharmacist can help make a difference in their health, but they are usually quite surprised at the results!
We talk about everything from their nutrition, to medications, to exercise, and more. My goal is to be their personal healthcare resource for anything they need.
Another part of my role at Sona is getting out into the WNC community and sharing information about our Sona Access Program.
I meet with healthcare providers, care managers, and community members to explain how our enhanced pharmacy services can help patients stay independent and at home longer.
When a worn-out caregiver learns that we have a team to take care of handling complex medication regimens (with the option of using seven-day pill packs) and we offer personalized attention to the patient, they are so relieved.
I love seeing those moments!
In my opinion, being a pharmacist is less about how quickly we can count pills and much more about using our knowledge and expertise to help patients navigate the healthcare system.
At Sona, the overall theme is getting to know you and letting you get to know us.
We want you to have a real relationship with your healthcare providers so we can give you personalized care to be your very best.
And that’s the real role of a pharmacist in my opinion: to care for you with the goal of helping you be your healthiest self.
