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National Pharmacy Week is October 20 to 26. It’s a time to recognize the crucial role that pharmacists and technicians play in keeping our communities healthy. From personalized care to medication management, pharmacists and pharmacy workers are essential to improving patient outcomes and overall well-being. In observance of National Pharmacy Week, Fidelis Care talked with Clinical Pharmacy Team Lead Brett Douglas about his career journey.

Fidelis Care: What inspired you to enter the pharmacy profession, and what do you find rewarding about it?

Douglas: My grandfather, W.C. “Pa-Paw” Mangum, was a pharmacist starting in the 1930s in the small rural town of Magee, Mississippi. He died before I was born so I never got to meet him. I heard many stories from my mom about how he would make house calls in the middle of the night, which is not something we think of pharmacists doing today. This was in a very small town and the profession was different then. I got a job at a pharmacy when I was in high school, and I was hooked – I loved helping patients. Working as a pharmacist is so rewarding. It allows me to be kind to someone who is likely not feeling so great and just wants to feel better.

Fidelis Care: What are your day-to-day duties at Fidelis Care? How do you help members stay healthy?

Douglas: My daily duties can vary. Between drug recalls, regulatory changes, and new drug launches, our team must be flexible and ready to accommodate any changes in the pharmacy industry during a given week. I am fortunate to work with amazing Pharmacists, as well as Care Managers who speak to our members to help them in very real ways to get and stay healthy. The “magic” happens when I have a conversation with a provider and get a better understanding of a member’s clinical picture. I can then pass that information on to the member’s Care Manager, which allows them to help the member in a focused, informed way. One specific example is my work helping members living with HIV. If I speak to a provider, making sure the member is on an appropriate HIV regimen but needs updated lab work, I often follow up later and can see in the medical record that the patient came in for labs and their HIV is under control. We have come a long way in HIV care, but unfortunately stigma is still a significant barrier to care. If I play any part in getting a member’s HIV to undetectable, it means the world to me and is why I love being an HIV pharmacist. It’s personal to me and to my community.

Fidelis Care: What is your advice to young people interested in a career in pharmacy?

Douglas: Even if your goal is to be a clinical or hospital pharmacist, spend some time in retail pharmacy. It’s important to understand what your fellow pharmacists in the retail setting do to help patients, even if your career takes you down a different path. While it’s important to keep up with the latest developments and clinical studies, don't underestimate the importance of creative thinking skills as well. Problem solving is not always about deciphering the statistics – often you need to take a step back and evaluate a situation from a different point of view. Don’t let fear of being wrong keep you from asking questions of your teachers, colleagues, and mentors.  

Fidelis Care: What is your message in observance of National Pharmacy Week?

Douglas: National Pharmacy Week is a time to take a moment and think about people in your life – teachers, mentors, current colleagues – who inspire you to be the best pharmacist you can be. If there is someone in your life who has made a significant impact in the way you practice pharmacy – reach out to them and let them know how much they inspired or continue to inspire you.

Brett Douglas, PharmD, AAHIVP, is the Fidelis Care Clinical Pharmacy Team Lead. He supports Case Management for members living with multiple health conditions such as HIV, Sickle Cell Disease, and Hemophilia. In addition, he works in the development and administration of Quality-related outreach campaigns based on QARR/HEDIS measures. Brett received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Before joining Fidelis Care, he worked in a Specialty Community pharmacy in New York City for 17 years and served a large population of patients living with HIV, among other specialty conditions.

Additional Resources:

Fidelis Care Pharmacy Benefit