Believe in the beauty of your dreams: a message to new pharmacy graduates.
OBJECTIVE
To encourage new pharmacy graduates who enter community practice to adopt three approaches to life that will bring them personal and professional fulfillment.


METHODS
Published evidence on adverse drug events (ADEs), surveys of the community pharmacy work environment, and observations on how most pharmacists spend their time.


CONCLUSIONS
New pharmacy graduates are encouraged to continue their "education in the classroom of life," deepen their awareness of the dimensions of human potential, and apply their ever-expanding wisdom to the advancement of pharmacy. Estimates indicate that 15 patients per day will experience some harm or less-than-optimal result from the medicines dispensed by a community pharmacist. About one-fourth of ADEs are preventable; therefore, an opportunity exists for community pharmacists to help patients avoid the pain, distress, or expense of an ADE. Community pharmacists should demonstrate more awareness of this situation and resolve to help correct it. Five actions are suggested that, if taken by enough pharmacists over sufficient time, would close the current gap between the capabilities of pharmacists and their influence on the safe and appropriate use of medicines.


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacists have many choices in their professional practice, and more should assertively endeavor to practice in ways that help people achieve optimum wellness through appropriate use of medicines.
Zellmer
William A
WA
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. wzellmer@ashp.org
D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists; D010604:Pharmacy; D024382:Professional Role; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations