John Scoggins, PharmD, has worked at Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Southern California for 40 years. He hopes to put in at least another 10.

“I love being a pharmacist,” he said. “I hope to be able to work well into my 70s. I love what I do, this hospital and the people I work with.”

If you talk to Scoggins for a few minutes, it’s clear his passion for his job is the real deal. Growing up surrounded by family in the medical profession, Scoggins wasn’t quite sure what to do with his life. However, after two years at La Sierra University, he decided to pursue a career in pharmacy.

While attending the USC School of Pharmacy, Scoggins began working at GAMC as a student, and the rest is literally history. As a senior pharmacist at the hospital, he works the night shift and is passionate about keeping patients safe, making the jobs of physicians and nurses easier, and continually learning about the profession he loves so much.

“As a hospital pharmacist, my number one clients are nurses, and I love to make sure they have the tools they need to do their jobs and do them well,” said Scoggins.

Cutting-Edge Technology

The pharmaceutical veteran also is a big fan of Project IntelliCare, Adventist Health’s clinical information system. Thanks to the cutting-edge technology, all the hospital’s patient records are available electronically, and Scoggins has immediate access to information that enables him to do his job better and safer.

“Thanks to Project IntelliCare, I can easily look up a list of drugs that patients are currently taking and make sure the medications they receive in the hospital won’t cause harmful interactions,” said Scoggins. “It’s a little bit like being a detective.”

Project IntelliCare also has enabled smaller hospitals within Adventist Health’s system to have pharmacy services 24-hours a day. For example, Scoggins authorizes pharmacy orders at night for sister-facility Ukiah Valley Medical Center in Northern California.

A Rewarding Career

Due to a national shortage of pharmacists, the professionals are in high demand. According to Scoggins, it is just one more reason why people should be thinking about getting into the profession.

“If you are a pharmacist, you can pretty much find a job anywhere these days,” he asserted. “It is an honorable profession, and you make good money.”

In his opinion, it also is the perfect career for women, because it allows working moms to have flexible, part-time schedules while still earning a really good living.

And if you’re interested in becoming a pharmacist, Scoggins also highly recommends finding a job within Adventist Health.

“I wouldn’t even dream of working for an institution that isn’t faith-based,” said Scoggins. “We can invent all the magic drugs we want but at the end of the day we are all still in God’s hands. And at this hospital we not only care for physical ailments but we care for people on a spiritual level. God is very much at work here.”