Introduction
Dr. Kristina Reinstatler, PharmD, MBA, BCPP, has carved an inspiring and unconventional path in pharmacy. Despite coming from a long line of pharmacists, she initially pursued a career outside the field before realizing her passion for medicine and patient care. Now a dedicated psychiatric pharmacist at UC Health, she has experience in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services, as well as corporate drug policy. Dr. Reinstatler is deeply committed to serving underserved patients, mentoring future pharmacists, and advocating for psychiatric pharmacy on a national level.
Why Pharmacy & Career Journey
My journey to pharmacy was anything but straightforward. When I started college, becoming a pharmacist was the last thing on my mind. My dad, grandpa, and great grandpa were all pharmacists. My grandpa owned a small independent pharmacy where I spent time after school and on weekends, stocking the candy counter and greeting cards. My dad worked long hours at a large chain pharmacy, and I had zero interest in following their footsteps. As an undergrad, I studied biology with plans to go to medical school. But I didn't go to medical school. I didn't even take the MCAT.
Instead, I graduated and got my MBA while working on designing wedding and bar mitzvah invitations. Then, I took a job in retail management, where I found myself working long hours and feeling miserable in what for me was an unfulfilling career. It was my mom who suggested I apply to pharmacy school, reminding me of my interest in medicine and my passion for helping people. Moms are wise. I finished my application just before the deadline and was accepted following interviews. After the first day of class, I knew I had made the right decision. Everything was fascinating, especially medicinal chemistry, and I discovered the many different facets of the profession that I had never realized before.
Current Role and Responsibilities
I am currently transitioning back to my psychiatry specialization. When I first joined UC Health, I worked as a clinical pharmacy specialist in acute inpatient psychiatry and psychiatry emergency services. After eleven years in that role, I decided to take a break from direct patient care and joined the corporate pharmacy team as a drug policy specialist. Now, I am excited to return to the clinical realm, where I will be developing clinical pharmacy services for our ambulatory psychiatry and addiction sciences team. All of this to say, my typical day is highly variable right now. It is a mix of facilitating meetings, collaborating with multidisciplinary workgroups, writing proposals for clinical services, and starting to see patients.
Challenges
Honestly, the most challenging aspect has been learning to separate myself from patient care and basically dial down my empathy. The emotional toll was heavy, and it took me a while to recognize it. Now, I make a conscious effort to be more introspective about my feelings and reactions to patients and projects.
Rewards
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had so many rewarding experiences in my career. First and foremost, working with underserved patients has been an absolute privilege, and seeing a patient doing well is such a gratifying moment. The camaraderie within our pharmacy team is amazing; we support each other through everything, from tackling tough clinical questions to bringing donuts on stressful mornings. I've had the opportunity to collaborate on interdisciplinary research and publications, which has enriched my perspective and made me a better teammate. Teaching pharmacy students, NP students, and psychiatry residents has allowed me to share my passion for psychiatric pharmacy, and participating in national committees has enabled me to contribute to the advancement of pharmacy. Finally, giving back to my community through health screening events provides me with connections to people outside a clinical setting and promote wellness.
Work/Life Balance
Work/life balance has become a major focus for me in the last couple years. While I love having a fulfilling career that shapes my identity, I realized I had lost touch with who I was outside of pharmacy. So, I've been dedicating energy to activities beyond pharmacy and making sure I use my vacation time!
Advice for Students and Aspiring Professionals
Explore different paths to discover what excites you the most. When I started my APPE rotations, my main area of interest was ambulatory care and diabetes management. I requested a psychiatry rotation because I felt my clinical knowledge in that area was lacking. Once I had that rotation, I knew that was the patient population I wanted to work with. Don't be afraid to tailor your job to your interests. In my clinical practice, I focus on metabolic monitoring for patients on antipsychotics and diabetes education for patients with severe mental illness—integrating my interest in diabetes management with my passion for psychiatric pharmacy.
Get involved with a pharmacy organization. It's great for mentorship, networking, developing supportive connections, and giving back to the profession. Through my involvement in the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP), I have access to people in various roles whom I can reach out to for guidance. Stepping away from the day-to-day routine, one of the most impactful experiences I've had was participating in advocacy efforts through AAPP. I had the opportunity to speak with congresspeople about psychiatric pharmacy and patient care initiatives, such as increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder. This experience allowed me to contribute to meaningful change and advocate for important issues in our field. Attending the annual meeting every year is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with colleagues both professionally and personally. It's such a good time.