My story as an Unemployed Pharmacist with Residency, experience, solid network

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
WVUPharm2007 said:
Per diem is latin...it literally means "by day."

So how the hell is a job where you are paid by the days you get hours not able to be called "per diem?"

Since when have they started speaking latin in construction?

Tons of people call the person that picks up the occasional shift as needed the "per diem" worker. In fact, my wife's official title at CVS is "Pharmacist - Per Diem." (She's gonna get like 20 hours a week or so.)

Lordy...this forum...:laugh:
Click to expand...
I understand what you're saying, but working for one company on an "as needed" basis is not the same as working "per diem". Sorry...
http://healthcareers.about.com/od/p/g/PerDiem.htm - the key word is "temporary" - like a temp employee.

My brother used to get "per diem" whenever he would work a particular construction job, because they never knew if it would rain out or not. If it rained out, he would get whatever it was "per diem" (per day) that they were offered as compensation even without working any hours.

rxlea said:
So would truck drivers be per diem?
Click to expand...
If they work for a company for a day or just a few days or if the company pays for meals or housing or whatever on top of their hourly rate.
Members don't see this ad.
 
PharmDstudent said:
I understand what you're saying, but working for one company on an "as needed" basis is not the same as working "per diem". Sorry...
http://healthcareers.about.com/od/p/g/PerDiem.htm - the key word is "temporary" - like a temp employee.

My brother used to get "per diem" whenever he would work a particular construction job, because they never knew if it would rain out or not. If it rained out, he would get whatever it was "per diem" (per day) that they were offered as compensation even without working any hours.

If they work for a company for a day or just a few days or if the company pays for meals or housing or whatever on top of their hourly rate.
Click to expand...
My position/title at my hospital job is "staff pharmacist-per diem" Of course, not including my training/break-in period, I've only been needed once. But it is a by the day type thing.
 
Farmercyst said:
My position/title at my hospital job is "staff pharmacist-per diem" Of course, not including my training/break-in period, I've only been needed once. But it is a by the day type thing.
Click to expand...
Is it "very short-term temporary employment"? Unless they pay you an "allotted sum of money to cover expenses for the day while the employee works, such as meals, gas, and lodging if needed", "per diem" is a type of employment, not a type of work. We all work "per day"! :p

In other words, do you work a few days and then get taken off the employee roster, because they no longer need you after those days?

Or are you on standby waiting for more days to work, indefinitely? ("as needed")
 
Last edited:
Members don't see this ad :)
This is a stupid argument. It's not the term Per Diem, PRN, or Temp.. it's the employee category/status.

Hospitals and employers describe the same status using different terms. The most common are PRN and Per Diem which in essence is a same category of employment.

PRN and Per Diem are used to describe non benefit permanent staff. They can be scheduled to work as many hours as full time or once every 3 months. The key here is the lack of benefit provided to these employees. This category employees are staffed on as needed basis, hence PRN.

"Supplemental" is also used to describe these employees.

Then there are agency staff who are typically temporary where as PRN/Per Diem are considered permanent.

Per Diem can also be used to describe a type of payment. Instead of paying for an itemized expense, some employers, insurance provider, contract service employers will pay a set daily reimbursement. And it's called. "Per Diem" payment.
 
Its Z said:
This is a stupid argument. It's not the term Per Diem, PRN, or Temp.. it's the employee category/status.

Hospitals and employers describe the same status using different terms. The most common are PRN and Per Diem which in essence is a same category of employment.

PRN and Per Diem are used to describe non benefit permanent staff. They can be scheduled to work as many hours as full time or once every 3 months. The key here is the lack of benefit provided to these employees. This category employees are staffed on as needed basis, hence PRN.

"Supplemental" is also used to describe these employees.

Then there are agency staff who are typically temporary where as PRN/Per Diem are considered permanent.

Per Diem can also be used to describe a type of payment. Instead of paying for an itemized expense, some employers, insurance provider, contract service employers will pay a set daily reimbursement. And it's called. "Per Diem" payment.
Click to expand...
This is exactly why it's a misnomer.
 
PharmDstudent said:
This is exactly why it's a misnomer.
Click to expand...

Its a misnomer only because you are trying to apply the term per diem used in payment scale to the employment classification which commonly uses PRN and per diem interchangeably. So you arguing per diem employee as a temporary with a set daily pay for a pharmacist is in essence incorrect.
 
Its Z said:
Its a misnomer only because you are trying to apply the term per diem used in payment scale to the employment classification which commonly uses PRN and per diem interchangeably. So you arguing per diem employee as a temporary with a set daily pay for a pharmacist is in essence incorrect.
Click to expand...
:laugh:
 
Its Z said:
Its a misnomer only because you are trying to apply the term per diem used in payment scale to the employment classification which commonly uses PRN and per diem interchangeably. So you arguing per diem employee as a temporary with a set daily pay for a pharmacist is in essence incorrect.
Click to expand...

WTF... you two are worse than a ****ing episode of Moonlighting...:smuggrin:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Thank you for all the good advice.

For those at CVS and Walgreens, would Cvs and those be more open to bringing someone on board that will train for free? I trained for the staffing company for free in a particular setting.


When looking for jobs outside of my state, all jobs state requirement of a active license. It does not seem like places are willing to wait for the license process for their state.

Which Midwest states would you recommend? The Dakotas? I have no problem traveling far and staying in hotels for work.

ItsZ, you said your hospital wants per diem. If you had a person that was willing to work with a 1099 as a contracted employee so not on your hospital books at a rate less than what you are paying per diem, would you take them up on that?

I know staffing companies are charging places a lot of money more than hospital rates but I wouldn't know how to go about contacting the local directors and retail chains with an offer to undercut competition. Can you advise at all?
 
JonPrePharmD said:
Bingo! If you're not willing to look for jobs in other parts of the country, then be prepared for the job search to be excruciating. Move south, stay out of the west. It doesn't have to be "rural texas" either, try the southeast states. AL/MS/GA/FL/SC/TN/NC. Obviously stay away from large metros, but it doesn't have to be rural either. When people say they can't find jobs in Atlanta, I want to slam my head against the wall repeatedly.
Click to expand...

As a FYI from someone living in one of the southern states mentioned, be sure to do your research (as I'm sure you all would! :)) before choosing an area due to a general geographic location. My particular state has had a dramatic increase in the # of accredited pharmacy schools and the starting salaries in retail and hospital around here have been cut 15% from when I first moved here about 5 years ago. Just some friendly advice.
 
Posts like these make my heart drop straight to my stomach. Are all health professions experiencing the same thing? It's so easy to read on pharm's bleak future, but I started looking around here thinking that the grass is greener on the other side. My conclusion is slowly moving toward the notion that grass on either side of the fence is no greener on the other.
 
Student5424 said:
Posts like these make my heart drop straight to my stomach. Are all health professions experiencing the same thing? It's so easy to read on pharm's bleak future, but I started looking around here thinking that the grass is greener on the other side. My conclusion is slowly moving toward the notion that grass on either side of the fence is no greener on the other.
Click to expand...

I definitely don't want to discourage anyone. I just didn't want a Zombieland type scenario in which someone hears that everything is roses (or Zombie free!) in a certain area and makes a decision based off incomplete information. We definitely have Zombies here. :smuggrin:

I think we are definitely going to see changes to almost all areas of healthcare - in fact, there's no way around it from a fiscal viewpoint. That isn't necessarily bleak though - we just have to be adaptable and vocal about our worth. Keep your chin up - find something you enjoy doing, study hard, network. You'll be fine. :)
 
Student5424 said:
Posts like these make my heart drop straight to my stomach. Are all health professions experiencing the same thing? It's so easy to read on pharm's bleak future, but I started looking around here thinking that the grass is greener on the other side. My conclusion is slowly moving toward the notion that grass on either side of the fence is no greener on the other.
Click to expand...

True, true... the grass is starting to get brown with patches of green still left. Think of it more like a yellow color. :laugh: Healthcare is never static. It always changes. Look where we are in terms of policies, technology, and medicine compared to half a century ago. Quite a progress has been made. Hopefully, we can all bounce back.
 
This is very depressing to read. All those loans and all that hard work in pharmacy school only to struggle to find a job. I don't have any great advice, just a sympathetic ear
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
No it isn't. Per Diem mean "by day"....they are paid by the day. It's pretty much exactly as described.
Click to expand...
So today your wife can work at CVS, tomorrow at Walgreens, the next day at Rite Aid, and the next day at CVS again, because they all pay "by the day"? Yeah right... talk about a conflict of interest.

So based on your understanding, I must work per diem, too, because I get paid "by the day", because any day that I show up for work, I get paid for that day, and any day that I don't show up for work, I don't get paid for that day. :uhno:

Doctor M said:
Actually the words "quite" and "quit" are two completely different word. If we look at the wiki def, we will see that quite was developed from the word quit, but the two do have different meanings...

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quite

:)
Click to expand...
Don't you have some oxycodone to dispense? :smuggrin:

owlegrad said:
Sometimes it is helpful to know to quit while you are behind.
Click to expand...
Please add "quit" ≠ "quite" to your sig, thanks.
 
How does anybody know this poster is for real. Maybe he gets off by writing stories intentionally to bum pre pharmers out. Be aware of anonymous message boards.
 
workinhard said:
Thank you for all the good advice.

For those at CVS and Walgreens, would Cvs and those be more open to bringing someone on board that will train for free? I trained for the staffing company for free in a particular setting.


When looking for jobs outside of my state, all jobs state requirement of a active license. It does not seem like places are willing to wait for the license process for their state.

Which Midwest states would you recommend? The Dakotas? I have no problem traveling far and staying in hotels for work.

ItsZ, you said your hospital wants per diem. If you had a person that was willing to work with a 1099 as a contracted employee so not on your hospital books at a rate less than what you are paying per diem, would you take them up on that?

I know staffing companies are charging places a lot of money more than hospital rates but I wouldn't know how to go about contacting the local directors and retail chains with an offer to undercut competition. Can you advise at all?
Click to expand...

No I can't do 1099. If I'm.going to hire a per-diem then I need a long term.commitment since first 20 days will be spent training. I need a local employee who can step in and take the full time job when a position opens up not someone buying time to go elsewhere.
 
I don't always drink beer. But when I do, I don't drink Dos Equis. When the worlds most interesting man needsadvice, he comes to me. I AM A NARCISSIST.
 
All4MyDaughter said:
Believing that you are always right, even in the face of numerous people telling you otherwise, could be a characteristic of narcissistic personality disorder. :laugh:
Click to expand...
No... it's believing in something independently and regardless of groupthink. :cool:

ISTG that I have never heard of pharmacy "per diem" positions, except on SDN. No such thing exists across this state. Sorry...
ex: http://www.slidellmemorial.org/careers, http://www.ololrmc.com/bodyalt.cfm?id=892&fr=true, and shift options at Lafayette General hospital.

Other states show Per Diem/PRN or PRN/Per Diem but not here. ex: https://hca.taleo.net/careersection...en&radiusType=K&radius=1&location=10240100094 and https://www.hrapply.com/christus/JobSearch.app.


I've had 2 "PRN" jobs.
 
Last edited:
Click on the first position and you will see the job description per diem/prn in your state.
 
pwned_cat1.jpg
 
Student5424 said:
Posts like these make my heart drop straight to my stomach. Are all health professions experiencing the same thing? It's so easy to read on pharm's bleak future, but I started looking around here thinking that the grass is greener on the other side. My conclusion is slowly moving toward the notion that grass on either side of the fence is no greener on the other.
Click to expand...

The future of healthcare all depends on Obamacare...
 
Its Z said:
Click on the first position and you will see the job description per diem/prn in your state.
Click to expand...
That's the schedule, not the "job description"... all of the positions are listed as "blah blah PRN". Now get off! Fool!
 
PharmDstudent said:
No... it's believing in something independently and regardless of groupthink. :cool:

ISTG that I have never heard of pharmacy "per diem" positions, except on SDN. No such thing exists across this state. Sorry...
ex: http://www.slidellmemorial.org/careers, http://www.ololrmc.com/bodyalt.cfm?id=892&fr=true, and shift options at Lafayette General hospital.

Other states show Per Diem/PRN or PRN/Per Diem but not here. ex: https://hca.taleo.net/careersection...en&radiusType=K&radius=1&location=10240100094 and https://www.hrapply.com/christus/JobSearch.app.


I've had 2 "PRN" jobs.
Click to expand...

I dont know anything about per diasneedem or what ever. I do,know someone told me the sky is blue and thats just dumb because the sky reflects blue light so its not blue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Thank you for the replies everyone. Please try to keep the fighting at a minimum though.


Can anyone give any insight on starting my own staffing company?

Staffing companies charge hospitals and pharmacies around 75 an hour (or at least used to)

Hospital and retail per diem pay $50 an hour

I was thinking of setting up an LLC and marketing to the pharmacies hospital and retail at $5-10 an hour less than they pay their per diem.

I know other staffing companies would never drop their rates that low. So it would offer an edge especially with my rate being below hospital per diem.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done this before?
 
Ok, which states have possible pharmacy jobs?
 
http://www.indeed.com/q-pharmacist-$100,000-jobs.html
 
What happened to the guy who started the thread? Was there a happy ending?
 
Did anyone here actually believed the OP?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

A
Is this real? 300k income as a pharmacist?
2
Replies
50
Views
6K
pharm B
pharm B
B
  • Locked
can you work in california as a pharmacist with a dwi conviction?
Replies
31
Views
2K
gyngyn
gyngyn
P
Immunizing pharmacist CVS
Replies
0
Views
561
pharmdeep
P
P
3 things future pharmacists should know about the profession Three Walgreens pharmacists share stories
Replies
7
Views
1K
Dred Pirate
Dred Pirate
N
District Support Pharmacist
Replies
5
Views
3K
sunnyandseventytwo
sunnyandseventytwo
Top