Pharmacy Boreout

[troponin2012]

Looking for some advice here. I've been a hospital staff pharmacist for almost 5 years now, but lately I've been suffering from "boreout." Nothing in my job challenges, excites, or even interests me anymore. I've become completely disengaged and unmotivated, yet continue to receive good reviews for my work. I can enter orders, dose aminoglycosides, convert IV to PO, etc in my sleep (and may even have at work). I guess I just find the job to be completely monotonous and repetitive. I just click and type the same thing over and over. An over. And over again. The only things I like about the job are the paycheck (darn golden handcuffs) and some of the people I work with. Recently, I've found it hard to get to work and maintain focus as my mind is wandering elsewhere the entire time I'm there. When I'm able to get away from the pharmacy during the workday, I usually find ways to maximize my time away from the pharmacy (i.e. sitting and staring at the computer screen acting like I'm reviewing notes). I've considered taking some time away but that doesn't seem to be a long term solution. Any advice is appreciated.

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[TheBlaah]

Could also go into retail. I'd think that certainly wouldn't be boring.

If that isn't an option, you could try initiating a new project depending on how receptive your hospital staff/administration is. It would be something new to breakup the monotony. Maybe consider precepting students or something.

 

[M0df]

So it takes about 5 years of full time work to reach the end game of your profession, where not much will challenge you. I have worked in different field previously, and boreout happens everywhere. However, it was a lower paying job. I don't have advice that hasn't been given on these boards before (hobbies, different environment, real estate, etc.). To me, boreout is a good problem to have.

 

[troponin2012]

Could also go into retail. I'd think that certainly wouldn't be boring.

If that isn't an option, you could try initiating a new project depending on how receptive your hospital staff/administration is. It would be something new to breakup the monotony. Maybe consider precepting students or something.

Retail is not an environment I probably would consider. Possibly with an independent but definitely not with a chain.

I do precept students from time to time. It passes the time, but they tend to fall asleep watching us enter orders. lol

Project wise I haven't found anything that really has peaked my interest at the hospital. However, I am working on a business startup (100% unrelated to pharmacy or medicine) which is a major reason I don't want to take on any projects at work.

 

[troponin2012]

So it takes about 5 years of full time work to reach the end game of your profession, where not much will challenge you. I have worked in different field previously, and boreout happens everywhere. However, it was a lower paying job. I don't have advice that hasn't been given on these boards before (hobbies, different environment, real estate, etc.). To me, boreout is a good problem to have.

Actually less than about 5 years. Maybe some people find it challenging, but within a year of actually working I feel that mastered the job. There's very little that catches me off guard. I disagree boreout is a GOOD problem. It's similar to burnout, but instead of being overwhelmed, I'm frustrated by the lack of challenge. I'm the kind of person that needs to be solving problems or being creative. I generally don't have many problems to solve here (I don't consider a wrong dosage or an order needing adjusted for renal or hepatic function that big of a problem). I think its more of job/career mismatch.

 

[SELDANE]

Actually less than about 5 years. Maybe some people find it challenging, but within a year of actually working I feel that mastered the job. There's very little that catches me off guard. I disagree boreout is a GOOD problem. It's similar to burnout, but instead of being overwhelmed, I'm frustrated by the lack of challenge. I'm the kind of person that needs to be solving problems or being creative. I generally don't have many problems to solve here (I don't consider a wrong dosage or an order needing adjusted for renal or hepatic function that big of a problem). I think its more of job/career mismatch.

If you're not in a position to make a career change ( kids/spouse to support or huge student loans) then I suggest you learn to grin and bare it. If on the other hand you are not tied down with debt or a family to support then make arrangements to go back to school or lay down a foundation that will help you establish another career/job.

 

[rph3664]

If you're not in a position to make a career change ( kids/spouse to support or huge student loans) then I suggest you learn to grin and bare it. If on the other hand you are not tied down with debt or a family to support then make arrangements to go back to school or lay down a foundation that will help you establish another career/job.

Having a family would make a career change more difficult, but not impossible. If it ever gets to a point where it's affecting the OP's health, s/he will NEED to make a change. No job is worth your life.

 

[bacillus1]

How about going into management? That'll change things up a bit.

 

[Lnsean]

that's the thing with pharmacy...you start out relative at the top of your profession with little upward progression. after 5 years, anyone with an ounce of ambition would feel numb and unchallenged. you could get into management ( and i don't mean being pharmacy manager...i mean upper management)....but then it wouldn't be pharmacy anymore.

taking time away or going on vacation (and many will suggest this) isn't going to solve the problem. it will just distract you for a bit. for most people, that is enough...enough to reinvigorate them until they need another get-a-way. however, you have to realize that this is an internal battle for what is essentially your internal peace, and seeking answers from the outside world isn't going to do anything to alleviate that pain.

 

[confettiflyer]

Write down what you like to do and find a structured way to turn that hobby into a revenue generating business. If, after a few years, the money is good enough to pay your bills (or you reduce your outflow somehow), you can make the move to part-time/per-diem pharmacy work and devote more hours to the hobby-turned-business.

 

[Gosondth]

I agree with the hobby idea. Other possibility is change responsibilities.

Possible nonstaffing roles that might change things up a bit:
Clinical coordinator: project-based pharmacy but usually without direct reports
Informatics/IT: deal with all the base faults of the current system's EMR
Med safety: pretty self explanatory
Manager/director: managing people is always a moving target that I doubt anyone can truely "master"

The burnout thing tends to cycle around 2 - 3 years for myself. My professional evolution progressed from hospital staff to outpt clinic specialist to outpt clinic sup (with staffing responsibilities) to outpt clinic mgr (no staffing responsibilities). Full time operations oversight with continuous process improvements will keep things interesting.

 

[BMBiology]

I'm the kind of person that needs to be solving problems or being creative.

Creative people have a hard time in this profession. Your coworkers expect you to do the same thing over and over and over. Any new idea is quickly shot down.

I am also tired of pharmacy. I dont want to take things for granted and say I don't need pharmacy. It has supported my lifestyle very well but you don't need to be smart in order to be a "good" pharmacist. The work is not hard and once you have learned it, it is just about doing the same thing over and over (just a little faster).

Find something you like.....something you can make good money from. Yeah, money matters a lot. If it is taking time away from your personal life and your work, you need to be rewarded and you need some kind of metric to know how well you are doing. It also gives you a reason to keep doing it so you can leave the profession whenever you want. Investing does it for me.

Hang out with other people. I have been hanging out with people who don't work, people who did not graduate from college. It is really refreshing. They don't care about their career, their 401 k, buying a house. They just care about having a good time...kinda reminds me when I was an undergraduate.

Find your significant other! Enough said....

 

[MackandBlues]

this happened to me.... so I went to medical school

 

[streetpreacher]

The same thing happened to me in roughly the same timeframe. I decided to buy a pharmacy that was already operating with a friend of mine and we kept the pharmacist who was currently working there on staff. It has worked out well, I get to focus on the business end of things and add new business to the pharmacy (it is LTC/compounding/DME). My friend who purchased it with me just kept his job (we previously worked together) and I am basically running the business day to day.

I wish I could tell you it changed everything, but essentially everything becomes just "work" even if you are the one running the show. This has worked out well for me, primarily because the business end of pharmacy is more interesting to me (finding new ways to grow the business, getting higher margins, working out deals with facilities, etc) but it definitely wouldn't be for everyone.

Hopefully you can find something interesting that will come along.

 

[awval999]

Our generation is bunch of ungrateful *******.

I come from a farm town. My father worked for cable (still does, and still hates his job) hanging cable lines, fixing problems, dealing with customers. My friend's fathers worked on the farm. Bailing hay. Tending to livestock.

You make six figures and you're whining because you "aren't challenged" at work. Boo hoo! Many in this country would be eternally grateful for a job making six figures even if it was cleaning septic tanks or working at the sewage treatment plant. Our brothers and sisters working for the slave ships would like nothing more than a comfy office chair in the pharmacy basement.

Wah wah you don't get "self-actualization" from your job. Get it from your hobbies, your friends, your children or your spouse. I am flipping ecstatic that I tolerate my job and I get a nice $3000 paycheck twice a month, I'm a hospital pharmacist just like you. And yes, my job is easy. Who cares?

Read other posts in this forum, about people working at the slave ship (ie: CVS) where they are anxious, dread work, and are depressed. And here we are, hospital pharmacist extraordinaire whining that he "isn't challenged". Do you have any idea how many retail slaves would take your job? The lower middle class janitors are your hospital that would do anything to have your "not challenged" problems?

 

[BenJammin]

Bunch of damn whiners in this thread. You can't see it but I'm collecting all of your tears and watering my trees with them.

 

[RimzyA]

I think your concerns about being bored are valid, but I think there is a lot of pressure put on people's jobs to bring them happiness. The truth is, the job that might challenge you and bring you happiness may not pay as well either, so the choice becomes take a pay cut or find something else to do that brings you Joy and keep the job. I don't know what the right thing to do is exactly...

I find that work for me is just work, I got an education and I am using the training I have to make a better living, i am still an intern but I like my job, some days are terrible but sometimes I do something and feel like I have touched a person's life and helped them.

I volunteer and do other things that bring me joy without getting a paycheck. You have to prioritize what's more important to you, feeling challenged at work or earning a good living. Good luck.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I kind of went through this a couple of years ago but it was more about balancing work and life with kids. Then I just got over it because of everything awval999 said. Find some challenges. Find something to fix, to improve. I'm sure there are projects that need doing if you need a challenge.

I've had jobs in and out of pharmacy where I dreaded it from the last minute at the end of my shift until the first minute of the next shift (cleaning motel rooms, working at WAGS, waitressing). That is a very different kind of job disatisfaction. Suck it up.

 

[Lnsean]

Our generation is bunch of ungrateful *******.

I come from a farm town. My father worked for cable (still does, and still hates his job) hanging cable lines, fixing problems, dealing with customers. My friend's fathers worked on the farm. Bailing hay. Tending to livestock.

You make six figures and you're whining because you "aren't challenged" at work. Boo hoo! Many in this country would be eternally grateful for a job making six figures even if it was cleaning septic tanks or working at the sewage treatment plant. Our brothers and sisters working for the slave ships would like nothing more than a comfy office chair in the pharmacy basement.

Wah wah you don't get "self-actualization" from your job. Get it from your hobbies, your friends, your children or your spouse. I am flipping ecstatic that I tolerate my job and I get a nice $3000 paycheck twice a month, I'm a hospital pharmacist just like you. And yes, my job is easy. Who cares?

Read other posts in this forum, about people working at the slave ship (ie: CVS) where they are anxious, dread work, and are depressed. And here we are, hospital pharmacist extraordinaire whining that he "isn't challenged". Do you have any idea how many retail slaves would take your job? The lower middle class janitors are your hospital that would do anything to have your "not challenged" problems?

Everyone has their own definition of happiness. I don't get the condescending tone. You came from a farm town? That's your business and your perspective.

 

[NateRobinson]

THIS is why I love retail. I love the challenges. Yes, the metrics are hard and stressful, but its a challenge. It's like a game. I want to be the best at what I do, and so I love it when my store isn't performing well on a certain metric. It gives me the challenge of getting it higher and better.

And if a certain pharmacist/tech is performing, I can document them.

Being a PIC in retail >>>>> hospital pharmacy. It's so monotonous and boring. I dunno how you guys handle it to be honest.

 

[Lnsean]

THIS is why I love retail. I love the challenges. Yes, the metrics are hard and stressful, but its a challenge. It's like a game. I want to be the best at what I do, and so I love it when my store isn't performing well on a certain metric. It gives me the challenge of getting it higher and better.

And if a certain pharmacist/tech is performing, I can document them.

Being a PIC in retail >>>>> hospital pharmacy. It's so monotonous and boring. I dunno how you guys handle it to be honest.

not sure if serious or stupid

 

[Rukn]

THIS is why I love retail. I love the challenges. Yes, the metrics are hard and stressful, but its a challenge. It's like a game. I want to be the best at what I do, and so I love it when my store isn't performing well on a certain metric. It gives me the challenge of getting it higher and better.

And if a certain pharmacist/tech is performing, I can document them.

Being a PIC in retail >>>>> hospital pharmacy. It's so monotonous and boring. I dunno how you guys handle it to be honest.

You seem messed up in the head

Your job is to ultimately get the right medicine with the right directions to the right patient

Everything else is secondary

 

[panasoniku]

THIS is why I love retail. I love the challenges. Yes, the metrics are hard and stressful, but its a challenge. It's like a game. I want to be the best at what I do, and so I love it when my store isn't performing well on a certain metric. It gives me the challenge of getting it higher and better.

And if a certain pharmacist/tech is performing, I can document them.

Being a PIC in retail >>>>> hospital pharmacy. It's so monotonous and boring. I dunno how you guys handle it to be honest.

Really? Hospitals have metrics too. Cut costs, reduce FTEs, optimize drug delivery times, formulary reduction and/or substituion. When the COO calls you on your phone on a Sat night....

 

[bacillus1]

Really? Hospitals have metrics too. Cut costs, reduce FTEs, optimize drug delivery times, formulary reduction and/or substituion. When the COO calls you on your phone on a Sat night....

We just got new or increased metrics
1)Ensure 95% of the discharge prescriptions are ordered for 90 day supply if it's for a med that's on our mandatory 90 day supply list, or write comments in the order why this is not appropriate; I think this is the dumbest metric we have.
2)Make sure 85% of patients receive discharge counseling (up from 70%)
3)Now we have to peer review each others' vanc and warfarin notes.

This is on top of our metrics for order verification time and over 40 notes per month. Ugh.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Everyone has their own definition of happiness. I don't get the condescending tone. You came from a farm town? That's your business and your perspective.

Has nothing to do with the poster and his farm town background. The OP crying about boredom in an economy where other pharmacists would die for his job is pretty sick.

 

[Lnsean]

Has nothing to do with the poster and his farm town background. The OP crying about boredom in an economy where other pharmacists would die for his job is pretty sick.

Sure it does. The farmer boy is trying to impose his perspective of happiness on another person in a condescending way. OP is bored with his job...it's his life and his call...he isn't here to ask people to validate it. Those are his feelings and his only. He's here to ask for advice and input...probably from people who are experiencing the same thing. Farmer guy came from humble beginnings? Good for him...who cares. Telling someone that they should be happy because you are? I'd tell that person to gtfo.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Sure it does. The farmer boy is trying to impose his perspective of happiness on another person in a condescending way. OP is bored with his job...it's his life and his call...he isn't here to ask people to validate it. Those are his feelings and his only. He's here to ask for advice and input...probably from people who are experiencing the same thing. Farmer guy came from humble beginnings? Good for him...who cares.

And you're not being condescending towards his viewpoints?

It's an online forum, it's expected to get input of all sorts, positive or negative.

 

[Lnsean]

And you're not being condescending towards his viewpoints?

It's an online forum, it's expected to get input of all sorts, positive or negative.

In case you didn't notice...it was on purpose.

 

[ewax]

someone said this before...if you're young enough and want to leave the "golden handcuffs" but still want to stay in healthcare, go to med school.

'

 

[Sine Cura]

Aspiring to be the best RXM in your district (with no aspirations to field management) is like trying to win the Special Olympics ...?

 

[knight on horse]

Looking for some advice here. I've been a hospital staff pharmacist for almost 5 years now, but lately I've been suffering from "boreout." Nothing in my job challenges, excites, or even interests me anymore. I've become completely disengaged and unmotivated, yet continue to receive good reviews for my work. I can enter orders, dose aminoglycosides, convert IV to PO, etc in my sleep (and may even have at work). I guess I just find the job to be completely monotonous and repetitive. I just click and type the same thing over and over. An over. And over again. The only things I like about the job are the paycheck (darn golden handcuffs) and some of the people I work with. Recently, I've found it hard to get to work and maintain focus as my mind is wandering elsewhere the entire time I'm there. When I'm able to get away from the pharmacy during the workday, I usually find ways to maximize my time away from the pharmacy (i.e. sitting and staring at the computer screen acting like I'm reviewing notes). I've considered taking some time away but that doesn't seem to be a long term solution. Any advice is appreciated.

Doesn't this mean you have time to think on your grand plans

Staring at the screen sounds like you are resting your mind. Be sure that you are not losing your mental powers

 

[awval999]

Sure it does. The farmer boy is trying to impose his perspective of happiness on another person in a condescending way. OP is bored with his job...it's his life and his call...he isn't here to ask people to validate it. Those are his feelings and his only. He's here to ask for advice and input...probably from people who are experiencing the same thing. Farmer guy came from humble beginnings? Good for him...who cares. Telling someone that they should be happy because you are? I'd tell that person to gtfo.

No, the OP clearly came here to get advice.

I gave him my advice. Life ain't perfect. A job isn't the only place to get self-actualization. Work to live, not live to work. I don't want him to go quit his cushy hospital job that pays six figures to chase "a dream" that may not materialize. The grass isn't always greener. This is legitimate advice. I told a bit of my life story to punctuate while I appreciate my lot in life. Perhaps the OP was from privileged upbringing or just having 1st world problems and it's helpful to remind him that everyone is not as fortunate as he is. Perhaps this will have him reconsider his feelings and he will be a more happy in his current position.

 

[Lnsean]

No, the OP clearly came here to get advice.

I gave him my advice. Life ain't perfect. A job isn't the only place to get self-actualization. Work to live, not live to work. I don't want him to go quit his cushy hospital job that pays six figures to chase "a dream" that may not materialize. The grass isn't always greener. This is legitimate advice. I told a bit of my life story to punctuate while I appreciate my lot in life. Perhaps the OP was from privileged upbringing or just having 1st world problems and it's helpful to remind him that everyone is not as fortunate as he is. Perhaps this will have him reconsider his feelings and he will be a more happy in his current position.

Yea he came here to get advice not for other people tell him his feelings are wrong.

 

[awval999]

Yea he came here to get advice not for other people tell him his feelings are wrong.

The OP ends his original post with "Any advice is appreciated." His feelings aren't "wrong". Feelings can't be wrong. They are feelings.

My advice is, and has been, enjoy the income that your job provides to find other passions that can fulfill your desire for self-actualization. These passions may be family, charity, travel, or a new hobby. Do not cut off your nose to spite your face; ie: quit your easy job to move to a more difficult one, because the grass isn't always greener.

/advice given

 

[Jbrl]

The OP ends his original post with "Any advice is appreciated." His feelings aren't "wrong". Feelings can't be wrong. They are feelings.

My advice is, and has been, enjoy the income that your job provides to find other passions that can fulfill your desire for self-actualization. These passions may be family, charity, travel, or a new hobby. Do not cut off your nose to spite your face; ie: quit your easy job to move to a more difficult one, because the grass isn't always greener.

/advice given

I think that if you'd said it this way from the beginning it would have been better received and still retained the same wisdom

Do you volunteer at all, OP? It's quite easy to lose perspective when you don't see the other side on a regular basis. A soup kitchen. An animal shelter. A cancer society. Anything that channels your desires. And, if you still find your life lacking, look for something else that will utilize those skills of yours. Life's too short to spend half of your waking life feeling deeply unfulfilled... First world problems or not, yours are real.

 

[Lnsean]

The OP ends his original post with "Any advice is appreciated." His feelings aren't "wrong". Feelings can't be wrong. They are feelings.

My advice is, and has been, enjoy the income that your job provides to find other passions that can fulfill your desire for self-actualization. These passions may be family, charity, travel, or a new hobby. Do not cut off your nose to spite your face; ie: quit your easy job to move to a more difficult one, because the grass isn't always greener.

/advice given

no, no....you're fine. It's the other guy who feels that his humble farmer beginnings should be a litmus test for everyone's sense of happiness.

 

[KARM12]

Agree with some of the other posters. I do look to my job to bring me happiness. I look to what I have outside of work...family, hobbies, volunteer experiences. My job is what I do to support the peoples/things I love outside of work.

 

[Superwoman1990]

I've never heard anyone bored of their retail job, just....stressed.
Perhaps give retail pharmacy a go? Industry? Go back for a masters like MPH/MBA? Whatever you do, don't settle like the other posters are saying...life is too short to do mundane work.