PharmD to VP: How an MS in Pharmacy Management Advanced Steph’s Career

For pharmacy management master’s student Steph Godon, climbing the ranks of leadership required a leap of faith.  

After years as a clinical pharmacist with increasing leadership responsibilities, she achieved the position of director of pharmacy at her hospital. But then she started thinking: What’s next? 

Steph began exploring ways to expand her skillset. After researching options such as an MBA and MHA, she learned about the online MS in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (MS HSPAL) at Ohio State from Program Manager Jessica Costic. She was intrigued by a master’s degree in pharmacy that was so specific to leadership, though pursuing a new degree felt a bit daunting. Nevertheless, Steph took the plunge and applied for the program. 

Her determination paid off from the start: Steph credits her statement of intent – written as part of the program’s application – with showcasing her energy and ideas to her organization’s leadership team, putting her on track to eventually become VP of Pharmacy.  

“Showing them my ideas and how I want to grow really set me up for my promotion and my role being expanded,” she said. “Just making my intentions known for growing and expanding Pharmacy Services prompted this shift.” 

A symbiotic relationship for health-system pharmacists

Due to the program’s working professional design, the coursework aligns with the role of a working health-system pharmacist – while encouraging students to hone in on potential pharmacy system improvements they learn in class. 

“I definitely take back a lot of what I’ve learned to my everyday work, and I feel like it’s kind of a symbiotic relationship,” Steph explained. “A lot of the things that we do in class I’m doing in tandem within our department, so it doesn’t necessarily feel like a heavier added workload.” 

While Steph had been leading aspects of her organization’s pharmacy management, operations, and safety for years, the program drove her to think differently – and more deeply – about routine aspects of her work. 

One of Steph’s projects was related to bedside barcode scanning – the process of scanning both patient and medication barcodes to ensure the right medications are administered. While barcode scanning is known to improve patient safety by reducing dispensing errors, barriers such as tech failures or workflow disruption sometimes prevent nurses and pharmacists from adhering to barcode scanning protocols.  

By digging into this issue, utilizing process mapping, and collaborating with nursing staff, Steph and her team were able to increase their bedside barcode scanning to 99%. 

Back to school (again)

While it took a little time to adjust to the life of a student again, Steph felt supported and engaged in her studies. Live class sessions helped, as did attentive faculty and classmates, who made her feel like she was sitting in the classroom with them. 

“The team on campus does a really great job, and my classmates are always looking out for me, like, ‘Hey, Steph, can you hear us?’” she said. “So I’m not just this person on the other side of the country. I really am part of the class.” 

Steph also felt inspired by her classmates’ use of technology in their assignments, and it compelled her to “step up her PowerPoint game” and try out new tools. 

“It’s fun to be back in it, learning and seeing what this younger generation is doing and the tools that they’re bringing forward,” she said. “It’s been fun to learn from them.” 

Leading in health-system pharmacy

Speaking to the next generation of pharmacy leaders, Steph has a clear message: Take care of yourself – and don’t forget to delegate. 

“If you can’t take care of yourself, you’re not going to be able to take care of your teams,” she said, citing data that shows team performance is directly related to leadership burnout. 

The cure for burnout? Switching up your routine, doing new things, and investing in yourself. Reflecting on her own period of burnout, Steph explained how the MS HSPAL program re-ignited her passion for the field. 

“Investing in yourself can help you find new purpose,” Steph said. ““I went into the program to learn and further my career, but now I feel like I’ve found a new purpose in my leadership goals and how I want to influence and expand pharmacy.”