Time Management Tactics

You well know how much your day is taken up with important tasks that have nothing to do with patient care.

There are meetings to attend. Insurance forms to fill out and peruse. Messages from physicians’ offices to answer.  And much, much more.

Read below for some time management tips to help you free up some time to do more of the work you enjoy and less of the tasks you don’t.

• If you haven’t already, you need to set yourself goals. What are the most important things you want to accomplish this year? Then drill those goals down into monthly, weekly and even daily goals. What are the things you must do in order to accomplish those goals? What must you do each day in order to accomplish those goals?
• Before you leave work each evening, set your to-do list. Look it over each evening and see what items you weren’t able to get to during the day that need to be moved to the next day’s list. Prioritize that list into A items (things that absolutely, positively must get done), B items (things that “should” be done) and C items (things that would be nice to get done but aren’t critical – yet). Make sure you place goal-related items in either your A or B lists.
• If possible, create a schedule for your to-do list. That is, schedule this “must-do” item for 9 a.m. and this one for 3 p.m., and so on. Make sure you do the items at the appointed times.
• Consider answering (and looking at) your e-mails and making calls just two or three times a day. Shut your e-mail down when not doing this so that you won’t see new e-mails pop up. Let subordinates and supervisors know you check e-mails at certain times of the day.
• If possible, keep a time log for a couple of weeks or so. Be diligent about recording what you’re doing and when. Record the time you “waste,” as well. This will help you see what “extra” time you have in the day.
• Don’t forget to delegate. If you’re a pharmacy manger, are there some management tasks a staff pharmacist could perform (this could help the individual get some management experience for a future promotion)? If you’re a staff pharmacist, are there tasks a pharmacy technician could take on?
• Remember: 80 percent of your results tend to come from 20 percent of your efforts, so imagine how much more you could accomplish if you could apply more focus to that 20 percent!

Are you a pharmacist or pharmacy tech looking for new pharmacy career opportunities? Then make sure you take a look at the job opportunities we have available here at Rx relief®. Contact us today for more information.