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PHARMACIST SPOTLIGHT: JAMIE PITLICK, PHARMD, BCPS

Jamie Pitlick, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM Clinical Pharmacist Iowa Diabetes A career in pharmacy is pursued for various reasons. Some may be drawn to the accessibility of the profession to patients and communities. Others may find the versatility of the profession to be very appealing. Rather, Jamie Pitlick chose a career pharmacy because she saw the impact pharmacists can have on patients through education. First exposed to the profession in high school, Dr. Pitlick shadowed her aunt and saw how much patients value a pharmacist's education and advice. She decided that was the path she too wanted to follow.

Dr. Pitlick went to pharmacy school at Drake University and upon graduating, pursued a residency in St. Louis through a family practice program. Soon after her residency, Dr. Pitlick found she greatly enjoyed working in ambulatory care and continued to do so, in addition to working as an Assistant Professor at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. In this role, Dr. Pitlick was able to fuel her passion for education by educating patients in the ambulatory setting and pharmacy students in the classroom.

As the next step in her career, Dr. Pitlick moved to Des Moines and began working at MercyOne in endocrinology. In 2017, she became an educator once again, teaching diabetes classes and leading lab as an Associate Professor in the Clinical Services Department at Drake University. Three years later, Dr. Pitlick transitioned from MercyOne to her current position at Iowa Diabetes, a research clinic and diabetes education hub in West Des Moines.

Here, she has a unique role, working as a clinical pharmacist hand-in-hand with the physician on-site and other health professionals (CMA, ARNP, and dieticians). The team works to formulate the best plan of action to help a patient gain and maintain control of their diabetes holistically through routine check-ups and various resources. At Iowa Diabetes, Dr. Pitlick not only takes on the traditional role of a clinical pharmacist, but also works to educate patients through different mediums including telehealth, social media and blogs. She works diligently with her patients daily to ensure they are receiving reliable information and are educated on their new medications.

Dr. Pitlick attributes the success of Iowa Diabetes to the interprofessional collaborative environment at the clinic and the hard work of its employees. The health professionals at the clinic are always working together and seeing what they can do to improve the patient journey. Dr. Pitlick explained that the physician on-site, Dr. Bhargava, truly understands and appreciates her work as a pharmacist and values her skills. Dr. Pitlick says the most rewarding part of her work as a pharmacist is seeing anyone she educates grow, whether it's her students at Drake University improving their clinical skills or her patients at the clinic seeing improvement in their blood glucose levels. She believes that pharmacists have a niche role to play in the healthcare landscape, and pharmacists need to continue to advocate for their profession.

When Dr. Pitlick first entered the pharmacy profession, the role of the pharmacist largely involved dispensing. Today, pharmacists have taken on countless roles and can be found in almost every healthcare setting—from an insurance company to a hospital. Dr. Pitlick believes pharmacy has the potential to continue to expand into non-traditional avenues, and pharmacists should continue to be entrepreneurial and look for new opportunities to serve patients.

Dr. Pitlick has worked to advocate for the pharmacy profession throughout the years by staying involved in the community and state and national associations. She is an active member of the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and Rho Chi at Drake University. At IPA, Dr. Pitlick serves on the Policy Committee on Professional Affairs and recently attended the 2021 Decker-Temple Leadership Pharmacy Conference. At ACCP, Dr. Pitlick serves on the endocrine and ambulatory subcommittees and helps to create educational materials.

Professional involvement has always been a priority for Dr. Pitlick, but in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three kids and family, staying active and cooking. The pandemic has given her more time to try new recipes and even learn to bake bread! She stays involved in her community by coaching soccer and teaching the youth how to be young leaders.

Jamie Pitlick is a notable example of what it means to be an involved pharmacist in her community and profession. She continues to advocate for pharmacy through her professional affiliations, her role as a professor, and her job at Iowa Diabetes, all while being driven by her passion for education. As pharmacists, we have great potential to grow in our profession and see perpetual change. Remind yourself of your passions, and let that be a driving force for your career. Thank you, Dr. Pitlick, for the impactful work you have done for your patients, students and profession. ■

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