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Study for Naplex over a week and take it. You pass, great! You fail move on. It's better to get licensed and have it in your back pocket, things don't always work out like you expect. I have several friends that went into Pharma and 2008 hit and they lost their jobs. Some of them never fully recovered while others remained unemployed for a year. You never know what could happen, that stupid test might make your life a little more comfortable during a time of need. The events of 2008, crash of oil & gas and this pandemic should let you know that very few jobs/careers are guaranteed for your entire working life.
Like I told the individual in the other thread, I'll say that you should seriously consider taking it. The biggest hurdle to becoming a licensed pharmacist isnt the exams - it's the time, cost, and sacrifice of graduating from an accredited pharmacy school. You've already done that. Once you have it, it's yours to maintain for the rest of your life. The only thing that is guaranteed about the next couple decades of your career is that unpredictable circumstances arise. Sometime in the future, a license may come in useful in a way that doesnt seem apparent now.
At the end of the day, maybe if you don't see the usefulness now you won't see the usefulness even if you do have one.
Rather, maybe the better question to ask is what unpredictable scenarios could happen in the next 30 years?
- What kind of family will you have to support? Will there be a second income? How many children?
- How will the pharma industry change? How will my functional area change?
- How will politics in the future affect employment of US HCPs in pharma? Will there be a push for licensed HCPs in certain pharma roles in an effort to reduce foreign workforce in this sector?
- How will pharmacy practice change? Will there be a totally new and as yet in-conceived way pharmacy is practiced...that you may want to be a part of some day?
- What trends will emerge amongst clinical study conduct and how will sites and investigators wish to interact with sponsor companies? Will it have impact to how US licensure is perceived on both sides of the fence?
- Will there be a war with a draft? If so, would you go to the front lines or will you be able to work in the pharmacy without a license?
- Will there be another national emergency where any licensed HCP or pharmacist is in desperate need? At that time however far from now, what will you attitude or desire towards civic duty be? Perhaps the life experiences you've had up to that point will influence you in a different way than expected
- Will you always want to be in this department, or is it possible you'd be interested in another department? There are some hiring managers and interviewers who care about things like a pharmacist license even in the industry - but will you get one of those and how much would they actually end up caring?
- Is there a chance you'll meet your spouse at a CE event, or reconnect with someone in your network who happens to offer you a great opportunity? Not unheard of.
...the list can go on...
You could say it's a waste of time and money to get a license, but finishing pharmacy school could also be viewed as a waste of time and money without a license. People get jobs in pharma industry with a 4 year degree BS Biology - so what were the extra years of PharmD for? It's not like a license will cost thousands of dollars and an additional year of study, or months and months of study. After finishing years of pharmacy school and paying 150k-200k, whats another 2k and 2 months? I don't think anyone here with a license is going to put in that much more effort to convince you - I already feel a little ridiculous writing all this out. To be frank, I never questioned the value of getting one so I can't really speak as someone who was in your shoes. In fact, of all pharmacists I know that went into industry around the same time as myself, not one questioned the value of getting licensed. Only 1 didn't, but it was because she kept putting it off until it go to the point where it just wasn't happening. However, I do realize you're graduating at a different time and the pharmacy landscape has changed since. Who's to say it wont change again in the future?
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Do what you do, don’t think anyone can convince you otherwise. Seems like you have already made up your mind. Only thing anyone can say is “it is better safe than sorry” in this case. You lose nothing getting licensed and believe it or not I know a few companies In big pharma that say a licensed from any state is necessary. Don’t know why that is, but they do and sure they would over look it for a great candidate.
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You’ll find it’s easiest to pass the Naplex and MPJE right out of school. Once you pass, it’s just cruise control and finishing CEs which you’ll end up doing anyways. In a world where they are adding silly requirements for pharmacists, what’s to say you won’t be pushed out because someone decides to institute a requirement for all industry pharmacist to be licensed. It’s cheap insurance. Most renewals are less than 500$ per two years, so 250$ a year tops. Cheap insurance. One prn shift A year and it payed for itself. That’s my argument for it.
You could always simply take the NAPLEX just to keep the score on your NABP profile. You don't necessarily have to take a states MPJE or register for the state pharmacist license. It's going to be easiest to pass it now and you get that credit forever. That way your only expense is the NAPLEX pending any future requirements to get a state RPh license
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