My name is Tyler Skeeler, and I’m a third-generation pharmacist with nearly 17 years at Walgreens. I’m currently a pharmacy talent acquisition partner, helping Walgreens stores in Texas and New Mexico fill open pharmacy positions with talented, devoted and caring team members.
Although there are many skills and personality traits that make a good pharmacist, the most essential quality I look for in a candidate is: care. A pharmacist’s interactions with patients don’t always happen during the patient's best moments. A pharmacist understands this and can view the situation from a patient’s perspective. In times like this, pharmacists matter most—when we compassionately explain, guide and help problem-solve.
Our determined, skillful care can make a big difference, especially in communities where pharmacists are the only healthcare professionals readily available. Regardless of the setting—be it a community pharmacy or a hospital—pharmacists must care deeply and apply it wholly to every patient interaction.
For anyone interested in pursuing a pharmacy career, here are three tips that will contribute to your success:
Tip #1: Find people and places that will help.
Growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas, I spent summers at my grandparents’ house in a small town called Paris. My grandfather, James Miears—a licensed pharmacist to this day—owned Miears Pharmacy. He put me to work cleaning, taking out the trash, refilling supplies and similar duties. My aunt was striving to become a pharmacist, so I had a front-row seat to her journey and process of applying to pharmacy schools. Simply put, I grew up in the world of community pharmacy.
After graduating high school, I put on a suit and toured the local pharmacies to hand out my resume. I was hired as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, where I continued working while completing my pre-requisite coursework for pharmacy school. Once I began pharmacy school at Texas Tech, I continued my career as an intern at a Walgreens in Amarillo, Texas.
Walgreens has always been supportive of my goals and ambitions, and has several programs to support aspiring pharmacists:
- We have the Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program that awards qualifying pharmacy interns a significant amount of financial aid.
- The Walgreens Student Loan 401(k) Match Program can help recent grads start building retirement savings while they’re still paying off school loans.
- And we just introduced the PharmStart pilot program that helps pharmacy techs pay for pre-requisites to a PharmD degree. Texas is one of the states where the program is available today, and I advise anyone interested in getting a PharmD to check it out.
Tip #2: Have a plan but don’t be afraid to change it.
I finished my last two years of pharmacy school in Dallas, Texas, and became a pharmacy manager at a Walgreens store there. I had plans to move to Austin, Texas, but one day the district manager walked in and asked if I wanted to stay as a store manager. Until then, pharmacy was all I knew and had ever imagined myself doing. After some consideration, I decided to give it a try and learn the wide array of functions and skills involved in managing an entire Walgreens store.
I loved the job and the dynamic nature of front-end operations. Inventory management, setting a planogram and unloading a truck weren’t things I had ever done until that point. The job exposed me to experiences that renewed my appreciation for everything it takes to keep a store running smoothly and the labor involved in doing so, but soon I realized how much I missed caring for patients and decided to reclaim my spot in the back of the store.
Tip #3: Find a good outlet.
It's important for pharmacists—and honestly anyone—to find healthy ways to decompress outside of work. For me, I obtained my pilot’s license and roast my own coffee beans in my garage, both hobbies that allow me to immerse myself in challenging but rewarding activities beyond work.
I also enjoy dog-sitting at my home in Austin, Texas, and recommend it to anyone looking to relax and hang out with a four-legged friend without the long-term responsibility of having a pet of your own.
