5 Survival Tips For Clinical Pharmacists: Advice From A Senior Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist

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Clinical pharmacists face heavy workloads, stress, and pressure, but long-term success comes from balancing expectations, focusing on what you can influence, and accepting that you can’t do everything. By building strong relationships, staying open to growth, and embracing wisdom from mentors, pharmacists can find greater satisfaction, resilience, and joy in their careers.

Article posted 27 November 2025

Authored by: Timothy P. Gauthier, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCIDP with proofing by ChatGPT

An internal medicine pharmacist friend of mine used to greet me in the hallway with the same comment: “LTD!”—short for living the dream. Some days it meant, “Hey, I’m barely surviving over here,” while other days it meant, “I’m killing it and loving my job.”

Happiness is not a destination; the real secret is finding balance throughout this journey we call life. To truly “LTD” in the latter sense, one of the best things we can do is seek advice from others who have traveled similar paths. This is something I believe I’m pretty good at—and it has been a major factor in my longevity, with over 15 years in this field. Ask any student or resident who has spent a day with me; they all receive a stream of advice passed down from my mentors and peers over the years.

Working as a clinical pharmacist in infectious diseases has given me the privilege of collaborating with pharmacists across many specialties. While our roles may differ, we share a lot in common. Our work is far from easy: we battle anxiety, burnout, and workloads that often exceed what any one person can reasonably accomplish. Yet we also get the opportunity to use our specialized skills in ways that provide deep job satisfaction and meaningful impacts on patient care.

This post was originally written for hospital-based antimicrobial stewardship pharmacists, but these lessons may apply to any clinical pharmacist. So here you go!

Note that these tips may not apply to every personality, practice area, or organizational culture, and I fully welcome disagreement—there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success or longevity in this profession. Some roles may even be made impossible due to circumstances outside your sphere of influence.

Tip 1: Embrace the Serenity Prayer

How do you react when something unreasonable comes your way? The worst thing we can do is respond dramatically or impulsively. One of my early pharmacy directors taught me this and encouraged me to use the Serenity Prayer as a tool to strengthen emotional intelligence. Strong reactions can create unnecessary collateral damage. As additional people become involved, an issue can grow and become much bigger than it needed to be. The Serenity Prayer helps.

According to Wikipedia, the Serenity Prayer dates back to the 1930s and became well-known through Alcoholics Anonymous. It goes something like:

“Lord, please give me the serenity to accept what cannot be changed,
the courage to change what can be changed,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

In life, striking a balance between influencing what you can and letting go of what you cannot is extremely difficult. This quote reminds us that we cannot control everything—yet we can still accomplish great things. When I feel frustrated or overwhelmed, this prayer helps me maintain perspective and emotional balance. I don’t mean this in a religious sense; it’s simply a powerful quote that happens to be a prayer.

Another pharmacy director also taught me about the importance of understanding my sphere of influence—and recognizing when something was outside of it. Respecting your circle of influence, and the organizational chain of command, pairs well with the spirit of the Serenity Prayer.

And just to be clear—this is not about giving up. It’s about balance.

Tip 2: Appreciate Where Your Expectations Originate

Clinical pharmacists are high achievers, and we often place intense expectations on ourselves. This isn’t always bad, but it can fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout.

A pharmacy resident once taught me a simple algorithm: When something comes your way, pause and ask yourself: “Will this get me fired?” If the answer is yes, don’t do it. If the answer is no, then you can probably relax and stop stressing so much.

We like to set the bar high. This can be good—but ultimately, it’s about balancing what we can do versus what we want to do. Which brings me to the next point.

Tip 3: Do Not Try to Save the World

You can do great things. You will do great things. But you cannot do everything.

My infectious diseases mentor taught me this, and I know it took her years to learn. In her role, she faced a laughable amount of work for one human being to attempt. Some may interpret this as a reason to give up—but that’s not the message. The message is to recognize your humanity and avoid setting expectations that are unrealistic or unsustainable.

It is okay to leave some things undone. Long-term effectiveness requires strategy—working smart while working hard.

Tip 4: Build Relationships

Clinical pharmacists have doctoral-level training and tremendous expertise. We are capable of moving mountains within an organization. But in nearly every sector—healthcare included—success comes from teamwork, not solo effort.

We need to foster relationships both within and outside the pharmacy. We should actively remove barriers that hinder synergy. We should celebrate the coworkers we get to collaborate with every day, even when we play very different roles or don’t always see eye to eye. Lean into your people—together, you will all be better.

I know the phrase “teamwork makes the dream work” sounds cheesy, and some corners of the internet label it as a manipulative slogan. But when genuinely embraced, it is absolutely true. It can make you a happier and more successful person.

Tip 5: Continuously Seek New Skills—But Follow Your Heart

This one is tough. You mean I need to keep learning even though I’ve already done so much!?

When I was a pharmacy intern, I worked in a clean room at 7 a.m. in the basement of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. One of the pharmacy technicians gave me advice I’ll never forget: Be a lifelong learner. Don’t learn because someone told you to. Learn because it adds value—because you grow from it.

But as we develop ourselves, we also need to be honest. Can we advocate for more time spent on tasks that bring us joy? Can we redesign our duties to increase satisfaction? Can we influence our role in a way that aligns with what fulfills us?

At the same time, we must stay open to change and accept that our current opinions may not always be the best ones. In infectious diseases, there can be multiple right answers to a single question—why shouldn’t the same be true for our professional lives?

Closing

I hope this is helpful and inspires you to not only seek out advice to help you but also pass along your wisdom and life lessons to others.

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