25 Years of Precepting Michigan Students and still Enthusiastic

Except for a three-year stint with Osco Drug in Chicago, Susan Napier, BSPharm’75, has been an employee of Meijer Pharmacies since she graduated. Napier marked another remarkable longevity achievement in September: 25 years as a Michigan Pharmacy preceptor.

“[Associate Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy] Eddie Boyd and I introduced Meijer Pharmacies to precepting 25 years ago,” says Napier. “Dr. Boyd was then-director of the experiential training program, and one of my favorite instructors. Precepting seemed like a great way to share learning and keep up with the ever-changing world of pharmacy.”

Napier still feels that way. “I enjoy the interactions with the students just starting out in their careers,” she states. “I always learn something new from them, and I hope they learn something from us.”

When working with Michigan P-3 students, Napier says that she and her colleagues try to expose them to the basic operation of a community pharmacy, filling prescriptions and communicating with other healthcare professionals and patient physicians. In the four weeks she has with P-4 interns, she tries to provide maximum community exposure experiences.

“If they didn’t already know it, students discover that community practice is a lot more than dispensing meds,” Napier explains. “In a community pharmacy, we have limited patient profile information, so knowing how to ask the right questions is crucial. Our interns learn how to interact with the public by answering questions about absolutely everything from drug interactions to OTC remedies.”

Napier’s advice to aspiring pharmacists?

“Every instructor and preceptor has something valuable to teach. Make the most of the information they have to give, and then use it to develop your own practice. As pharmacists, we’re always learning from others’ experiences, and from our own.”

E-mail: NapesToo@aol.com