Women in Pharmacy and their Service, Commitment to the Profession

Women have had a long and defining role within the profession of pharmacy. From Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf, who was considered the first female pharmacist, to Susan Hayhurst, the first women to earn a pharmacy degree in the United States, women have been a major contributor to the success of the pharmacy profession.¹ As a male pharmacist, I have had the honor and privilege working with many outstanding women pharmacists throughout my career.  The women I have been honored to work with were steadfast in their commitment to their profession, colleagues, students, and patients. They have taken on and excelled in leadership positions at the local, state, and national level. Also, their patience and ability to work across the aisle have demonstrated to me their ability to negotiate and mediate difficult discussions. I am truly fortunate to work with such a dedicated group of individuals.

In addition, my wife is a home infusion pharmacist and she amazes me each and every day. She shares with me the daily experiences of working with difficult health care providers, prescription processing, dealing with insurance issues, handling multiple calls, e-mails, counseling patients, and a number of other fires she puts out everyday in her position. She is nothing but amazing! Plus, she comes home and takes care of a family and also runs her own business! WOW! She sets the highest standards as a professional and is a model for my two daughters. I have no doubt there are so many more women pharmacists out there that do it all just like my wife.

I would like to thank all the women pharmacists in being as amazing as you all are! You are heroes to all of us!  Continue to lead the way in your professional commitment to excellence. Your impact on the profession is extraordinary! Thank you for all you do.

Michael J. Cawley, PharmD, RRT, CPFT, FCCM, has more than 25 years of experience practicing in the areas of medical, surgical, trauma, and burn intensive care as both a critical care clinical pharmacist and registered respiratory therapist.

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Reference

1. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. Women in Pharmacy. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_pharmacy. Accessed October 21, 2020.