National Pharmacist Day
Blog Post - 1/12/2023
As National Pharmacist Day rolls around, we’d like to take this chance to celebrate the important work pharmacists do for patients and providers every single day. While you may imagine a pharmacist as only working behind the pharmacy counter, the unseen tasks and efforts they complete to provide patients with the care they need is extensive.
Joseph Adamovicz, Clinical Solutions Pharmacist at Apovia, spoke about the rewarding and challenging aspects of his role, and the important goals kept in mind while working with patients:
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“The sense of helping patients when they don’t always feel like they have someone on their side is rewarding. It can be confusing, the whole landscape of healthcare in general, so getting medications, or knowing who to talk to about issues like insurance or scheduling an appointment can be very daunting,” said Adamovicz. “As pharmacists, we represent an important middleman who can help coordinate those things. It’s often like translating as insurance, providers and patients all speak different languages, and you’re there to help make sure everyone understands each other. I’ve had many rewarding interactions with patients and providers, and it’s been more rewarding than an average position.”
When asked about the goals he prioritizes while working with patients, Adamovicz emphasized the importance of providing medications to patients quickly and affordably.
“This often requires many steps and is happening in the background for the patient’s benefit, but my team is great about communicating about what’s happening and what they can expect. For example, when there’s an insurance barrier, we’ll explain to the patient that we’re working with the doctor to get a new prescription and will update them when we hear back. We give patients reasonable expectations and frequent updates, which is something that sets us apart. Here we’re able to offer more personalized care and make sure patients get the therapy their prescriber wants them to have.”
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What sets Apovia apart from the average pharmacy management provider?
According to Adamovicz, “Everyone I know goes out of their way to make things easier for patients and prescribers, and it’s great to see these attributes that are sometimes lacking at other pharmacies. We don’t let important items fall into an abyss without follow-ups and clear communication for next steps. The pharmacists in our stores and my team [who helps with authorization] are communicative and try to keep everyone updated along the way. Patients voice their appreciation of that, and prescribers say they have a great experience working with us as a pharmacy provider. I don’t think you can get that from anyone else.”
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