What soft skills should all Staff Pharmacists possess?

Basic conversation/communication skills along with problem-solving skills are crucial for a successful pharmacist. One of the most basic questions I ask myself about a candidate is, "can I see myself working next to this candidate? Also, could I go to work every day and have this person as my partner?" To find the answer to my questions, I typically rank how well a conversation went during the interview. I try to get a sense of the candidate's personality and start thinking about where this candidate could fit into a particular team. Without basic communication skills, you won't be able to succeed in a stressful team environment, and you won't be able to build rapport with your patients. For critical thinking, detailed but succinct answers to situation-based questions are revealing on how a candidate would handle certain situations. Every day in the pharmacy is different from the last. Being able to problem solve critically makes for a strong pharmacist.

Patience and empathy are skills every pharmacist must have to help our patients. Many times patients come to the pharmacy sick or short on time. A small problem could easily escalate. The pharmacist does not know what happened to that person during the day. Time, understanding, and a kind word can make that patient feel as if you care only about them at the moment.