- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,406
- Reaction score
- 6
Why you want to be a busy retail pharmacist instead of a hospital pharmacist.
Convince me....
- Thread starter ZpackSux
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2006
- Messages
- 407
- Reaction score
- 1
Exactly what I want to know from my pharmacists (I'm a retail slave intern)....
I like to bug her. and......She said you get to leave your work at work and that she did enough learning in school. (I guess implying that she does not want to do much continuing education) Watch out world.
Not that I'm a 2nd year, I've also started "quizzing" her. HAHAHA.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2004
- Messages
- 4,576
- Reaction score
- 339
Convince me why you would want to work in a hospital. I wouldn't, hospital pharmacy sucks unless you work for the VA and are okay with making $30k less per year. Doing order entry in the dungeon basement is not my idea of fun. Also, have you ever noticed that the pharmacy in a hospital is always located in the basement next to the morgue? I am not sure what that says about the job or how highly you're thought of, anyway I digress. You have nurses bitching at you all the time because they don't have the med, can't find it or its wrong because the doctor changed it 5 minutes ago. Then there are the Doctors who look at Pharmacy as one step above being part of the janitorial staff. No thanks....
Retail pharmacy however, I am the king of the castle. There is no higher medical authority here. Patients come here to ask me questions and ask my opinion. I do have the occasional store manager to deal with but no bitchy nurses no egotistical Doctors. I actually quite like it. I am never board, never watching the clock.
Retail pharmacy however, I am the king of the castle. There is no higher medical authority here. Patients come here to ask me questions and ask my opinion. I do have the occasional store manager to deal with but no bitchy nurses no egotistical Doctors. I actually quite like it. I am never board, never watching the clock.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
- Messages
- 2,243
- Reaction score
- 229
The income gap between hospital and retail has closed significantly these past couple years. I got a salary survey from ICHP (Illinois Council of Health System Pharmacists) during the summer, and it said the difference was only about 10K in Illinois. Hospitals have been trying to recruit more pharmacists by increasing the salary. In my area, the hospitals which are having trouble recruiting, which I know of, are the county hospitals, and that has to do with salary. The starting pay is less than 50K and you max out at about 80K. Most Hospital Staff pharmacists in this area start higher than 80K.
I think that as a job, a hospital pharmacist is pushed to learn, a hospital pharmacist is a more academic profession. On the other hand, a retail pharmacist is a jack of all trades. Sure there is the pharmacology that you have to keep up on but knowing the routes of metabolism of losartan isnt going to make or break your practice but you should know where the q-tips are.
As for salary, there is more opportunity in Retail pharmacy chains due to the shortage and the need for coverage. I think extra hours ( OT and weekends) are available if you want them and the pharmacies are willing to pay you to keep these pharmacies open. I am a relief pharmacist and I travel around filling in for people on vacation, mat leave etc, and I work usually work 50+ hours a week and if I could work 2 places at once they would have me doing that. I believe that there just isnt that need in hospital pharmacy but correct me if I am wrong.
As for salary, there is more opportunity in Retail pharmacy chains due to the shortage and the need for coverage. I think extra hours ( OT and weekends) are available if you want them and the pharmacies are willing to pay you to keep these pharmacies open. I am a relief pharmacist and I travel around filling in for people on vacation, mat leave etc, and I work usually work 50+ hours a week and if I could work 2 places at once they would have me doing that. I believe that there just isnt that need in hospital pharmacy but correct me if I am wrong.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2004
- Messages
- 4,576
- Reaction score
- 339
The only exception to the pay gap closing is with VA hospitals. Have not seen anything in a couple of years but I would be suprised if they are making more than 80K a year.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
- Messages
- 2,243
- Reaction score
- 229
That really depends on where you working. The hospital near my house gives pharmacists 3 weeks vacation initially. Most retail give 1-2 weeks off initially.
- Joined
- May 7, 2005
- Messages
- 22,783
- Reaction score
- 346
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/jobsearch.asp?q=pharmacist&lid=316&salmin=&salmax=&paygrademin=&paygrademax=&FedEmp=N&tm=&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&SUBMIT1.x=43&SUBMIT1.y=6
I think there are a lot of people making more than that, although starting salaries are definitely lower than in retail. It's really hard to get a job with the VA - must be something other than the money that's attracting people.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2004
- Messages
- 4,576
- Reaction score
- 339
Working for the VA is awsome. No nights, weekends or holidays, hours from 9 to 5 everyday. Since its the federal government Pharmacists are allowed to so much more than their civialin counter parts. Pharmacist run lipid, coagulation and diabetes clinics. Patients have appointments with the Pharmacist just like they do with their Doctor. Pharmacists are able to prescribe off protocols. The VA is the best system in the United States and a good model for the private sector.
OK Zpack - are you waiting for me?????
I spent 23 years as a hospital pharmacist. During my years there - there was absolutely NOTHING better than that! I had tremendous encouragement, independence, autonomy, mentoring, interaction, responsibility, ability to learn & teach. Those were wonderful years.
If there was a need we as a staff felt needed to be filled, we were encouraged to pursue it. We had to temper that with budgetary restrictions & corporate interests. However...it was a time of wonderful advancement of hospital pharmacy care.
However...during the 1990's...the compensation structure changed for hospitals which were reflected in budgetary problems for departments - particularly those revenue generating departments such as pharmacists.. At that time..we had to justify what we were doing & even though we could justify it - we were overridden because there was a different need (which I can't fault - those are difficult decisions which administrators must make - it doesn't make a clinical person like myself happy when a program which I've identified as a need, implemented & can justify happy!)
Also...our physician groups changed their practices - they went to a more "hospitalist" approach. This was wonderful in the aspect of being able to contact the physician...he/she was always there! But...the groups preferred having "standard" orders - whether it was tpn, anticoagulation, acute chf, sepsis....We also had less & less patient discharge instruction - that was one of the first things lost to budget cutbacks....the consensus was that since the rx was not being filled by the hospital pharmacy...the outpatient pharmacist would do the counseling - didn't happen then & often doesn't happen now - that is still a weak link, IMO. We also lost nursing inservices & all other teaching functions within the dept.
We also had tremendous cutbacks in staffing...which resulted in my ultimate demise in my fulltime status. I found myself one day coming in at 7AM....all the overnight orders waiting to be entered (complicated by our situation that only pharmacists could enter orders so nurses could access pyxis..they could only override it so many times before the override no longer worked). I had 3 chemos the tech was starting to fill - which had not been checked for accuracy, labs, math, etc... I had the OR calling for orders they needed RIGHT NOW & no other pharmacist coming in until 8AM. I was overwhelmed with no recourse - & this had happened too many times with my respectful objections falling on deaf ears.
I decided....after 23 years...I was NOT going to end my career with a life threatening event or life ending event which I might have had a hand in due to the short staffing. I was a staff pharmacist (with ICU, OR & tpn experience) but I had absoutely no input into any budgetary issues...which had come up many times before. I also HATE checking pyxis fills!
My decision to leave hosital pharmacy was painful....it had been my life for more than 2 decades. I loved it. But...I realized...what I loved & what I was missing had gone away long before. Somewhat like coming to realize that the disappointment & anguish of the end of a relationship is realizing it is not the end of the realtionship - it was the end of what USED to be the realtionship.
It took me a long time to reconcile that I actually love (can you tell ) talking about pharmacy...whether it is to prescribers, nurses or patients. I can deal with angry patients as well as angry nurses & prescribers...those are moments in time & a reflection more of their day than of what their inteaction is with me.
However...currently, I find routine hospital work boring with rare & intense moments of absolute interest & acuity. Those moments don't happen often enough for me to continue it fulltime.
Retail work requires me to continually work at educating & interacting with patients or their families. I can contact prescribers & actually have many as patients so we have great comraderie. What I do no longer have is interaction with nurses.
So...my change had nothing to do with money, time off, vacation, etc....it was ALL what had changed in what I was used to doing.
However....current pharmacists graduating do not have my experience. They don't know what it is like to implement an IV additive program or tpn monitoring program - they have other things they are doing which is absolutely wonderful. Those are their experiences which are as good or better than mine....they are just not mine which doesn't diminish them...they just make them different.
Also....I recognize, Zpack, that dops are very different & hospitals function under different reimbursement & budgetary & I respect that you don't do what I've experienced. However, that doesn't change what my experience was.....it took me 3 years to come to my decision, so it wasn't done quickly or without considerable thought.
I hope those who choose whichever path they take...LOVE it. When you do, you can be productive & make positive changes which are good for the profession. However...I'd encourage those of you who find themselves at a crossroads....don't feel you are less "clinical" in any practice setting. I have not been!!!! I routinely reviewed labs & changed tpn orders on 10 or more patients per day 15 years ago....but I'm just as clinical now when I need to help a 40 yo patient understand why his physician wants to start hctz & a statin for a bp of 140/80, or when I prescribe & dispense Plan B with education or immunize against influenza & talk about comorbidities.....
Currently, I'm both - hospital & retail.....but mostly - I'm a pharmacist - clinical in all practice settings I find myself in & my patients & prescribers are, for the most part, very thankful I'm there!
Those are my reasons...for better or worse....I've had a great ride & wouldn't do anything differently!
Good Luck to all (I apologize to Caverject for the length - I'm too verbose!)
I spent 23 years as a hospital pharmacist. During my years there - there was absolutely NOTHING better than that! I had tremendous encouragement, independence, autonomy, mentoring, interaction, responsibility, ability to learn & teach. Those were wonderful years.
If there was a need we as a staff felt needed to be filled, we were encouraged to pursue it. We had to temper that with budgetary restrictions & corporate interests. However...it was a time of wonderful advancement of hospital pharmacy care.
However...during the 1990's...the compensation structure changed for hospitals which were reflected in budgetary problems for departments - particularly those revenue generating departments such as pharmacists.. At that time..we had to justify what we were doing & even though we could justify it - we were overridden because there was a different need (which I can't fault - those are difficult decisions which administrators must make - it doesn't make a clinical person like myself happy when a program which I've identified as a need, implemented & can justify happy!)
Also...our physician groups changed their practices - they went to a more "hospitalist" approach. This was wonderful in the aspect of being able to contact the physician...he/she was always there! But...the groups preferred having "standard" orders - whether it was tpn, anticoagulation, acute chf, sepsis....We also had less & less patient discharge instruction - that was one of the first things lost to budget cutbacks....the consensus was that since the rx was not being filled by the hospital pharmacy...the outpatient pharmacist would do the counseling - didn't happen then & often doesn't happen now - that is still a weak link, IMO. We also lost nursing inservices & all other teaching functions within the dept.
We also had tremendous cutbacks in staffing...which resulted in my ultimate demise in my fulltime status. I found myself one day coming in at 7AM....all the overnight orders waiting to be entered (complicated by our situation that only pharmacists could enter orders so nurses could access pyxis..they could only override it so many times before the override no longer worked). I had 3 chemos the tech was starting to fill - which had not been checked for accuracy, labs, math, etc... I had the OR calling for orders they needed RIGHT NOW & no other pharmacist coming in until 8AM. I was overwhelmed with no recourse - & this had happened too many times with my respectful objections falling on deaf ears.
I decided....after 23 years...I was NOT going to end my career with a life threatening event or life ending event which I might have had a hand in due to the short staffing. I was a staff pharmacist (with ICU, OR & tpn experience) but I had absoutely no input into any budgetary issues...which had come up many times before. I also HATE checking pyxis fills!
My decision to leave hosital pharmacy was painful....it had been my life for more than 2 decades. I loved it. But...I realized...what I loved & what I was missing had gone away long before. Somewhat like coming to realize that the disappointment & anguish of the end of a relationship is realizing it is not the end of the realtionship - it was the end of what USED to be the realtionship.
It took me a long time to reconcile that I actually love (can you tell
) talking about pharmacy...whether it is to prescribers, nurses or patients. I can deal with angry patients as well as angry nurses & prescribers...those are moments in time & a reflection more of their day than of what their inteaction is with me.However...currently, I find routine hospital work boring with rare & intense moments of absolute interest & acuity. Those moments don't happen often enough for me to continue it fulltime.
Retail work requires me to continually work at educating & interacting with patients or their families. I can contact prescribers & actually have many as patients so we have great comraderie. What I do no longer have is interaction with nurses.
So...my change had nothing to do with money, time off, vacation, etc....it was ALL what had changed in what I was used to doing.
However....current pharmacists graduating do not have my experience. They don't know what it is like to implement an IV additive program or tpn monitoring program - they have other things they are doing which is absolutely wonderful. Those are their experiences which are as good or better than mine....they are just not mine which doesn't diminish them...they just make them different.
Also....I recognize, Zpack, that dops are very different & hospitals function under different reimbursement & budgetary & I respect that you don't do what I've experienced. However, that doesn't change what my experience was.....it took me 3 years to come to my decision, so it wasn't done quickly or without considerable thought.
I hope those who choose whichever path they take...LOVE it. When you do, you can be productive & make positive changes which are good for the profession. However...I'd encourage those of you who find themselves at a crossroads....don't feel you are less "clinical" in any practice setting. I have not been!!!! I routinely reviewed labs & changed tpn orders on 10 or more patients per day 15 years ago....but I'm just as clinical now when I need to help a 40 yo patient understand why his physician wants to start hctz & a statin for a bp of 140/80, or when I prescribe & dispense Plan B with education or immunize against influenza & talk about comorbidities.....
Currently, I'm both - hospital & retail.....but mostly - I'm a pharmacist - clinical in all practice settings I find myself in & my patients & prescribers are, for the most part, very thankful I'm there!
Those are my reasons...for better or worse....I've had a great ride & wouldn't do anything differently!
Good Luck to all (I apologize to Caverject for the length - I'm too verbose!)
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2004
- Messages
- 4,576
- Reaction score
- 339
GS-0660-11/12
Appointment Term: Permanent
Opening Date: 5/25/2006
Salary: From 75,449.00 to 95,950.00 USD per year
GS-11 is for non-PharmD's and GS-12 is if you have a PharmD.
GS wages are determined by years of experience. I have 3 years experience so I would be in the low $80k range which is $30k less than I make now.
But there are some advantages to working for the VA as I pointed out above.
Appointment Term: Permanent
Opening Date: 5/25/2006
Salary: From 75,449.00 to 95,950.00 USD per year
GS-11 is for non-PharmD's and GS-12 is if you have a PharmD.
GS wages are determined by years of experience. I have 3 years experience so I would be in the low $80k range which is $30k less than I make now.
But there are some advantages to working for the VA as I pointed out above.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2003
- Messages
- 7,745
- Reaction score
- 55
anyone care to give me a bref snyopsis?OK Zpack - are you waiting for me?????
I spent 23 years as a hospital pharmacist. During my years there - there was absolutely NOTHING better than that! I had tremendous encouragement, independence, autonomy, mentoring, interaction, responsibility, ability to learn & teach. Those were wonderful years.
If there was a need we as a staff felt needed to be filled, we were encouraged to pursue it. We had to temper that with budgetary restrictions & corporate interests. However...it was a time of wonderful advancement of hospital pharmacy care.
However...during the 1990's...the compensation structure changed for hospitals which were reflected in budgetary problems for departments - particularly those revenue generating departments such as pharmacists.. At that time..we had to justify what we were doing & even though we could justify it - we were overridden because there was a different need (which I can't fault - those are difficult decisions which administrators must make - it doesn't make a clinical person like myself happy when a program which I've identified as a need, implemented & can justify happy!)
Also...our physician groups changed their practices - they went to a more "hospitalist" approach. This was wonderful in the aspect of being able to contact the physician...he/she was always there! But...the groups preferred having "standard" orders - whether it was tpn, anticoagulation, acute chf, sepsis....We also had less & less patient discharge instruction - that was one of the first things lost to budget cutbacks....the consensus was that since the rx was not being filled by the hospital pharmacy...the outpatient pharmacist would do the counseling - didn't happen then & often doesn't happen now - that is still a weak link, IMO. We also lost nursing inservices & all other teaching functions within the dept.
We also had tremendous cutbacks in staffing...which resulted in my ultimate demise in my fulltime status. I found myself one day coming in at 7AM....all the overnight orders waiting to be entered (complicated by our situation that only pharmacists could enter orders so nurses could access pyxis..they could only override it so many times before the override no longer worked). I had 3 chemos the tech was starting to fill - which had not been checked for accuracy, labs, math, etc... I had the OR calling for orders they needed RIGHT NOW & no other pharmacist coming in until 8AM. I was overwhelmed with no recourse - & this had happened too many times with my respectful objections falling on deaf ears.
I decided....after 23 years...I was NOT going to end my career with a life threatening event or life ending event which I might have had a hand in due to the short staffing. I was a staff pharmacist (with ICU, OR & tpn experience) but I had absoutely no input into any budgetary issues...which had come up many times before. I also HATE checking pyxis fills!
My decision to leave hosital pharmacy was painful....it had been my life for more than 2 decades. I loved it. But...I realized...what I loved & what I was missing had gone away long before. Somewhat like coming to realize that the disappointment & anguish of the end of a relationship is realizing it is not the end of the realtionship - it was the end of what USED to be the realtionship.
It took me a long time to reconcile that I actually love (can you tell
However...currently, I find routine hospital work boring with rare & intense moments of absolute interest & acuity. Those moments don't happen often enough for me to continue it fulltime.
Retail work requires me to continually work at educating & interacting with patients or their families. I can contact prescribers & actually have many as patients so we have great comraderie. What I do no longer have is interaction with nurses.
So...my change had nothing to do with money, time off, vacation, etc....it was ALL what had changed in what I was used to doing.
However....current pharmacists graduating do not have my experience. They don't know what it is like to implement an IV additive program or tpn monitoring program - they have other things they are doing which is absolutely wonderful. Those are their experiences which are as good or better than mine....they are just not mine which doesn't diminish them...they just make them different.
Also....I recognize, Zpack, that dops are very different & hospitals function under different reimbursement & budgetary & I respect that you don't do what I've experienced. However, that doesn't change what my experience was.....it took me 3 years to come to my decision, so it wasn't done quickly or without considerable thought.
I hope those who choose whichever path they take...LOVE it. When you do, you can be productive & make positive changes which are good for the profession. However...I'd encourage those of you who find themselves at a crossroads....don't feel you are less "clinical" in any practice setting. I have not been!!!! I routinely reviewed labs & changed tpn orders on 10 or more patients per day 15 years ago....but I'm just as clinical now when I need to help a 40 yo patient understand why his physician wants to start hctz & a statin for a bp of 140/80, or when I prescribe & dispense Plan B with education or immunize against influenza & talk about comorbidities.....
Currently, I'm both - hospital & retail.....but mostly - I'm a pharmacist - clinical in all practice settings I find myself in & my patients & prescribers are, for the most part, very thankful I'm there!
Those are my reasons...for better or worse....I've had a great ride & wouldn't do anything differently!
Good Luck to all (I apologize to Caverject for the length - I'm too verbose!)
- Joined
- May 7, 2005
- Messages
- 22,783
- Reaction score
- 346
Are the GS wages strictly based on experience or are other factors considered like geographic location, cost of living, etc? There seems to be a wide range of possible salaries within each GS level.
Cliff Notes: loved it when I did it, chose to not work under poor conditions, love doing both now, didn't change for $ or benefits & wouldn't fault anyone for choosing either one.
Good now????
I think Kwizard is the wizard of the GS system...but....in CA, the geographic location is a major factor. I don't think any CA licensed pharmacist working in the GS system in this state would make less than GS12, PharmD or otherwise. Now...the VA system, which uses the GS system for pay, doesn't require CA licensure for working in the VA here...so a non-CA licensed pharmacist may make less than a CA licensed pharmacist with the same degree, just because he/she would have fewer employment options.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2004
- Messages
- 42,023
- Reaction score
- 159
1) enjoy retail
2) don't enjoy hospital
2) don't enjoy hospital
- Joined
- May 12, 2006
- Messages
- 106
- Reaction score
- 0
So how much would a pharmacist just starting at the VA with 2 years of residency be making?
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2005
- Messages
- 392
- Reaction score
- 27
Just a lowly P-1 here, but I plan on going into hospital pharmacy. I would not have gone to pharmacy school if the only place I could work was retail. I am happy for those that really love it, but it is not for me. I work in a hospital now (and have for two years, plus a year in long-term care). Fits my personality better. Don't want to deal with insurance. Don't have to meet a prescription quota. Get to talk with nurses and doctors who sometimes actually do care about what I have to say. Residency, here I come.
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2005
- Messages
- 782
- Reaction score
- 3
Ditto.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,406
- Reaction score
- 6
1. Average hospital pharmacist rate in Dallas is $45/hr vs $50/hr retail.
2. There are evening and weekend differential pays in the hospital.
3. I have not seen a pharmacy in a basement in years... the main pharmacy is on the first floor.. and we have pharmacist station on the floors where our pharmacist reviews and process orders.
4. I dealt with an angry physician once in last 6 years..and he was an idiot.
5. Because our pharmacists work out of the nursing unit, angry nurse phone calls are rare. We all know each other.. and mistreatment of fellow hospital employees are not tolerated.
6. Our staff pharmacists work 1 weekend out of 6.
7. Because we have 5 to 7 pharmacists working during the day, there are flexibilities.. sick kids..dentist appointments... etc.
8. Pharmacists start with 3 weeks of vacation per year.
9. We work sitting down.. very comfortable chairs I might add.
10. We're all very clinical.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,406
- Reaction score
- 6
That's really convincing!
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,406
- Reaction score
- 6
OK Zpack - are you waiting for me?????
I spent 23 years as a hospital pharmacist. During my years there - there was absolutely NOTHING better than that! I had tremendous encouragement, independence, autonomy, mentoring, interaction, responsibility, ability to learn & teach. Those were wonderful years.
If there was a need we as a staff felt needed to be filled, we were encouraged to pursue it. We had to temper that with budgetary restrictions & corporate interests. However...it was a time of wonderful advancement of hospital pharmacy care.
However...during the 1990's...the compensation structure changed for hospitals which were reflected in budgetary problems for departments - particularly those revenue generating departments such as pharmacists.. At that time..we had to justify what we were doing & even though we could justify it - we were overridden because there was a different need (which I can't fault - those are difficult decisions which administrators must make - it doesn't make a clinical person like myself happy when a program which I've identified as a need, implemented & can justify happy!)
Also...our physician groups changed their practices - they went to a more "hospitalist" approach. This was wonderful in the aspect of being able to contact the physician...he/she was always there! But...the groups preferred having "standard" orders - whether it was tpn, anticoagulation, acute chf, sepsis....We also had less & less patient discharge instruction - that was one of the first things lost to budget cutbacks....the consensus was that since the rx was not being filled by the hospital pharmacy...the outpatient pharmacist would do the counseling - didn't happen then & often doesn't happen now - that is still a weak link, IMO. We also lost nursing inservices & all other teaching functions within the dept.
We also had tremendous cutbacks in staffing...which resulted in my ultimate demise in my fulltime status. I found myself one day coming in at 7AM....all the overnight orders waiting to be entered (complicated by our situation that only pharmacists could enter orders so nurses could access pyxis..they could only override it so many times before the override no longer worked). I had 3 chemos the tech was starting to fill - which had not been checked for accuracy, labs, math, etc... I had the OR calling for orders they needed RIGHT NOW & no other pharmacist coming in until 8AM. I was overwhelmed with no recourse - & this had happened too many times with my respectful objections falling on deaf ears.
I decided....after 23 years...I was NOT going to end my career with a life threatening event or life ending event which I might have had a hand in due to the short staffing. I was a staff pharmacist (with ICU, OR & tpn experience) but I had absoutely no input into any budgetary issues...which had come up many times before. I also HATE checking pyxis fills!
My decision to leave hosital pharmacy was painful....it had been my life for more than 2 decades. I loved it. But...I realized...what I loved & what I was missing had gone away long before. Somewhat like coming to realize that the disappointment & anguish of the end of a relationship is realizing it is not the end of the realtionship - it was the end of what USED to be the realtionship.
It took me a long time to reconcile that I actually love (can you tell
However...currently, I find routine hospital work boring with rare & intense moments of absolute interest & acuity. Those moments don't happen often enough for me to continue it fulltime.
Retail work requires me to continually work at educating & interacting with patients or their families. I can contact prescribers & actually have many as patients so we have great comraderie. What I do no longer have is interaction with nurses.
So...my change had nothing to do with money, time off, vacation, etc....it was ALL what had changed in what I was used to doing.
However....current pharmacists graduating do not have my experience. They don't know what it is like to implement an IV additive program or tpn monitoring program - they have other things they are doing which is absolutely wonderful. Those are their experiences which are as good or better than mine....they are just not mine which doesn't diminish them...they just make them different.
Also....I recognize, Zpack, that dops are very different & hospitals function under different reimbursement & budgetary & I respect that you don't do what I've experienced. However, that doesn't change what my experience was.....it took me 3 years to come to my decision, so it wasn't done quickly or without considerable thought.
I hope those who choose whichever path they take...LOVE it. When you do, you can be productive & make positive changes which are good for the profession. However...I'd encourage those of you who find themselves at a crossroads....don't feel you are less "clinical" in any practice setting. I have not been!!!! I routinely reviewed labs & changed tpn orders on 10 or more patients per day 15 years ago....but I'm just as clinical now when I need to help a 40 yo patient understand why his physician wants to start hctz & a statin for a bp of 140/80, or when I prescribe & dispense Plan B with education or immunize against influenza & talk about comorbidities.....
Currently, I'm both - hospital & retail.....but mostly - I'm a pharmacist - clinical in all practice settings I find myself in & my patients & prescribers are, for the most part, very thankful I'm there!
Those are my reasons...for better or worse....I've had a great ride & wouldn't do anything differently!
Good Luck to all (I apologize to Caverject for the length - I'm too verbose!)
Good Lord...
Do you talk as much as you type?
Good Lord...
Do you talk as much as you type?
Yep!
You asked....I answered....don't ask the question if you don't want the answer....I just have more years (& reasons) for my answers than most - even you
! And...you did say to "keep it coming".... But....perhaps we should count words on the reasons one should/could/would go into business rather than pharmacy...but why split hairs???
I could comment on that since my (we) husband owns his own practice....but..I don't want to go there......
