In the last 3 weeks, I've had the privilege of delivering commencement addresses to graduating PharmDs at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and two schools in my home state of West Virginia, the University of Charleston and my alma mater of West Virginia University. This weekend, I'll be at Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, and on June 5, I travel to Ann Arbor for the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy ceremonies.

The graduates I've met are remarkable and truly well trained. In my remarks, I take the opportunity to let them know they are part of something larger than their first job--that they are part of a caring, service-oriented profession on a mission to provide exemplary patient care.

I learned recently from a senior executive at Procter & Gamble that "trust in pharmacists is rock solid worldwide." She told me this as she described her company's research into consumer attitudes, not just in this country but literally throughout the world. The company's research tells them that consumers go to pharmacists for their "holistic" view of patients' needs rather than the very focused view that physician specialists often have when seeing their patients. This world view is important as we continue our quest to further establish the profession as providers of services, not just purveyors of products.

In my presentations to these new pharmacists, I share the realities of a soft economy, evolving standards, practice settings that focus on dispensing rather than providing care, and a general resistance to change. Then there's the problem of patients who don't even know they need us.

I continue the talk by poking fun at myself for a couple of dumb things I've done. Then I finish by talking about leadership as we work to implement the changes we'll be facing as a result of the new health care reform law. There is a chasm between common and exemplary practice that we all have a role in closing. HCR opens the door for us to do that.

Together, we can "start a path," as George Carlin used to say in his stand-up comedy routine. "No one seems willing to do this," he said. "We don't mind using existing paths, but we rarely start new ones." This year's crop of new practitioners is undoubtedly the best yet and ready to start new paths, but they will need help, as well as an openness to change, from the seasoned veterans. Let's see what we can do.