Jesse McCullough
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
- 12/15/2024
How do you lead through change in your pharmacy?
Leading through change means inspiring, listening, and securing buy-in from your team. It’s about painting a vision that energizes and equips people to move forward, even when the road is rough. - 12/8/2024
As pharmacists, are you open to options?
How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m just a pharmacist,” or “I’m just a technician”? When we define ourselves by limitations, we fail to see the options that could move us forward. It’s almost as if staying stuck feels safer than exploring the unknown. - 12/1/2024
How can pharmacists help people say “yes”?
One critical leadership lesson I’ve learned is this: if you want others to confidently follow, you must show them how your vision connects to their success. By addressing concerns, painting a vivid picture of the benefits, and actively listening, I helped my team see the value—and ultimately, say yes. As a result, the profession of pharmacy is better off, and importantly, so is patient care. - 11/24/2024
Do you have a stack of forgotten business cards?
As pharmacy leaders and professionals, adding value should be at the heart of every interaction in our lives, both working and non-working. It’s what makes you meaningful—far beyond your title or physical (or virtual) business card. - 11/17/2024
Pharmacy is a team sport
I remember working on a medication adherence program with colleagues who, while supportive of the idea, raised concerns about the required effort. I left those meetings feeling frustrated. I wanted things to be better for our pharmacy teams and the patients we serve, but I couldn’t make that change alone. - 11/10/2024
How do you create value in your pharmacy?
In my career I’ve been able to witness value creation firsthand. A powerful example of it came when we, in the pharmacy where I was working, were scaling our immunization program and discovered a significant gap in our training. Reports indicated that our CPR training—a vital skill for pharmacists—was highly inconsistent. - 11/4/2024
Leading through change in pharmacy
One of the earliest lessons I learned in pharmacy school was that pharmacy is always changing. My experience over my own career has certainly proven this to be true. However, while we were told to expect change, what I wasn't prepared for was how to embrace it, let alone lead others through it. - 10/27/2024
A heartfelt thank you to pharmacy technicians
In honour of the recent Pharmacy Technician Day, I want to take a moment to recognize and express my deepest gratitude to all the pharmacy technicians out there. In the fast-paced world of pharmacy, it’s easy to get caught up in the tasks, deadlines, and the endless flow of patients needing care. But behind every successful pharmacy and every patient served is a dedicated team of technicians who keep everything running smoothly. - 10/21/2024
Recruiting vs. selecting: a leadership lesson for pharmacists
Too often, we “recruit” for our teams and processes. We fill gaps with what's available, sometimes settling for what works “for now.” Maybe we hire a support staff member because we urgently need help, and once the position is filled, we stop thinking about what could be better. - 10/14/2024
Every pharmacist has the potential to be a leader
Over the years, it has become increasingly obvious to me that the heart of so many of our struggles as pharmacists comes from a lack of good leadership skills. This is not surprising. There was minimal emphasis on leadership skills during my formal education.
