Science or music?
That was the tough choice Randy Martin, PharmD, MHA, BCCCP, BCSCP, CPPS, had to make when choosing his career. He excelled at both these subjects in high school and was torn between his passion for each of them. Ultimately, he took a leap of faith.
“People may be surprised to learn I chose music,” Martin said. “I loved it. I used to perform at different venues, but I suffered an injury and had to stop performing. My mom was a nurse at what was then Harris Methodist Fort Worth. She told me about an opening for a pharmacy technician. Soon after, I joined Harris Methodist and discovered a new passion: pharmacy.”
Save for a brief period from 2016 to 2019, Martin has been with the system since 1999. In that time, he progressed from pharmacy technician to manager of pharmacy clinical services. Now 25 years later, Martin is furthering his pharmacy passion yet again. In 2024, he will become the newest member of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
“My primary goal is to effectively represent the unique concerns and interests that hospital pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have,” Martin said. “We have an opportunity to modernize pharmacy practice in the state of Texas. There are innovative solutions that have been tried in other states that may fit the needs of Texans as well.”
Martin’s penchant for innovation has called for him to serve in many different capacities – and that service has not gone unnoticed.
“Randy has been continually involved in the pharmacy profession, recently serving as president of the Texas Society of Health Systems Pharmacists,” said Randy Ball, system pharmacy officer at Texas Health. “His willingness to serve on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy is a continuation of his exceptional service to the community.”
Continue reading to learn more about Randy Martin.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
Over several years, I’ve hiked about a third of the Appalachian Trail (about 700 miles). I love the outdoors. I will take a hike, a backpacking trip or a cabin in the woods any chance I get.
How will your position on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) differ from your current role?
My service on TSBP is a volunteer position. The board provides general oversight for pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in Texas. The other 10 board members and I are responsible for developing, reviewing, and revising the state rules that govern pharmacy practice. The board is also responsible for enforcing compliance with state laws and rules pertaining to pharmacy practice.
What is your favorite work-related hack?
Learning is so incredibly important in healthcare, but it can be hard to find time. It’s easy, especially in a leadership role, to inadvertently get stuck playing Whac-A-Mole with day-to-day issues. So, I block out four hours per week on my calendar strictly for learning. Often, this means reading medical/pharmacy journal articles or exploring industry trends and white papers.
What kinds of innovative approaches have you or your department adopted to make our consumers more comfortable and give them a better experience overall?
A lot of the work that pharmacy does often goes unseen by the patient, but we facilitate a great deal in the background. We manage many of the patients’ medications for the medical team, including dosing, checking drug blood levels, simplifying the patient’s home medication regimen, and helping provide cost-effective treatments during their stay and after patient discharge.
What is the greatest challenge you face in your role and how do you overcome it?
Leading a team of 70+ professionals can be incredibly challenging. That said, we have a terrific team of pharmacists, so that makes it a little easier – they are all self-driven, they want to improve themselves and their practice, and they want to provide the best possible care to their patients. With a larger team, I have discovered how to maximize effectiveness of group interactions and team communication.
