Medical specialists play an important role in our modern health care system. When patients are in need of a specific kind of treatment, it is comforting to know that there are experts who can provide the necessary care.

Paige Street Broccio is currently employed as an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist at University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Florida. She helps manage disease states such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and pain management. She explains, “I work in a pharmacist driven clinic where we are responsible for managing patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, warfarin management, and pain management.

“We work directly with the patients’ primary care doctors to provide guideline directed care to improve patient outcomes. We interview patients directly in the clinic and make medication changes in that clinic visit to help meet the guideline directed goals for the patient. I enjoy the patient interactions I am able to have every day. I meet a variety of people and encounter a lot of different situations which require thinking outside of the box.

“I was originally interested in specializing in substance use disorders. I was at a conference while in pharmacy school and heard a presentation by a doctor about how he uses his pharmacists to manage pain and tries to prevent opioid abuse by using alternative therapies. I thought to myself that I wanted to help prevent the substance abuse problem rather than help to treat it. The topic really interested me and is why I pursued this career.

“One of the major challenges of this career is the patient population. Many patients require an extensive amount of counseling and education on why medications are adjusted the way they are instead of how they prefer. I take the time to provide this education so that they will trust why I am making these changes. Typically, patients are feeling much better within a few days and are very grateful for the help. Additionally, most of these patients are low income patients which creates barrier to access medications and other necessities to be successful in managing their chronic disease states.

“Another challenge is the lack of education that providers and other members of the health care team have about pain management. A lot of people think that opioid medications are the answer to their patients’ problems, when in reality these medications end up causing more harm than good. It is gratifying to educate these team members on how other medications can be used so that they can advance their daily practice.

“I became interested in the field of pharmacy during high school when I was choosing a career. Both of my parents were part of the medical field my entire life, and I knew that I wanted to be involved as well. I shadowed an orthodontist, pharmacist, and physical therapist to help determine my interests. I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua with my church, and while there, I observed Larry Carpenter, who was the director of pharmacy at Blue Ridge Health Care, help several children with a variety of complaints. After this trip, I requested to shadow him at the hospital, and it was during this experience that I found that I really enjoyed pharmacy.”

Students can learn so much by participating in a variety of high school activities, making them more well-rounded as well as build other skills. “While at East Burke, I was part of the chorus throughout all four years. It really helped me to manage my time and focus on my studies along with my extracurricular activities.”

Paige earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from UNC Wilmington and a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree form Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in Clinton, SC. Her first year of post graduate residency training was at the NorthFlorida/South Georgia Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida, followed by a second year of residency at the University of Florida in Jacksonville, training in pain management and palliative care.

“Once I went to undergraduate school, I worked at Walmart Pharmacy for several years. I enjoyed the job, but I knew that I could not practice here for my entire career. I was more interested in hospital pharmacy. Once I went to pharmacy school, I had several rotations in various hospitals and decided this was the environment I wanted to be in.

“My goal since completing my residency training was to become a residency program director for the pain management and palliative care pharmacy specialty. I was able to accomplish this goal at my previous hospital, Lakeland Regional Health. Now due to a career advancement with my husband, we have moved our family to Jacksonville, Florida, and I have the privilege of returning to the hospital where I completed my second year of residency training (University of Florida Health Jacksonville). Through this transition, I have found that one of my big goals is to be happy to go to work and truly enjoy my job and the people I work with every day. I am so grateful that I have found a place that allows me to practice in the area I am interested in and work with outstanding people who continue to advance the profession of pharmacy. ”

Originally Published November 2021
Article Revised February 4, 2026