An interesting study of European Pharmacies

[anewmanx]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

http://whocc.goeg.at/Literaturliste...yRegulationDeregulation_Summary_March2012.pdf

While reading through this I was staggered by the number of pharmacists per pharmacy in some of the countries studied.

Do you believe that as the number of pharmacists becomes more saturated in the United States, that wages will begin to decline to a comparatively similar level with European pharmacists?

 

[radio frequency]

I'm sure that's an interesting report, but I'm probably not going to read all 36 pages right now...

You should check out some info about Greece's pharmacy strikes (happening right now). It's really interesting!

http://qz.com/183989/greece-has-a-truly-absurd-number-of-pharmacists/

I would imagine as the number of pharmacists goes up, wages will decline. Probably not to European levels though as most Europeans are guaranteed health care and many other benefits that US citizens are not guaranteed. We also are not a socialist-oriented country, so declines that put pharmacists at the level of grade school teachers (for example) are pretty unlikely.

 

[owlegrad]

"Competition and healthcare are incongruous concepts."

Wow.

 

[Hope1974]

http://whocc.goeg.at/Literaturliste...yRegulationDeregulation_Summary_March2012.pdf

While reading through this I was staggered by the number of pharmacists per pharmacy in some of the countries studied.

Do you believe that as the number of pharmacists becomes more saturated in the United States, that wages will begin to decline to a comparatively similar level with European pharmacists?

First of all u can't compare apples to bananas. Pharmacists (workers in general)in all of the developed world EXCEPT for the United States automatically get health insurance when the start working. In addition they get a vacation of more than 2 weeks- something that seems to be the standard here. Take Germany for example- once u are employed u get health benefits and after one year of work about 4 weeks of vacation. And don't even get me started on the hours per day that u work. The average work week in Germany is less than 40 hours a week- and people don't do 14 or 12 hour shifts, AND they take lunch breaks. Hell in Europe u get long lunch breaks, some places close for lunch. AND, the salary is good.

I know in Germany and many parts of Europe, they have laws against chains like we have here. You can have 4 pharmacies owned by one person and that's it. Pharmacies are owned by pharmacists. And so they have a number of different pharmacies.

How do I know? I grew up in Europe and I know a German pharmacist.

 

[Hope1974]

I'm sure that's an interesting report, but I'm probably not going to read all 36 pages right now...

You should check out some info about Greece's pharmacy strikes (happening right now). It's really interesting!

http://qz.com/183989/greece-has-a-truly-absurd-number-of-pharmacists/

I would imagine as the number of pharmacists goes up, wages will decline. Probably not to European levels though as most Europeans are guaranteed health care and many other benefits that US citizens are not guaranteed. We also are not a socialist-oriented country, so declines that put pharmacists at the level of grade school teachers (for example) are pretty unlikely.

European countries are a mix of capitalism and socialism. Capitalism is the reason why u have 2 week vacations. Capitalism is the reason why companies don't have to provide u with health insurance. Capitalism is the reason why most of you have over $200,000 in student loans. Capitalism is the reason why u pay more interest on your student loans than you get on your bank account. Capitalism is the reason why we had the crash in the housing market. Capitalism is the reason why our representatives are influenced more by interest groups funding money, than to the real problems of the American people. Capitalism is the reason why pharmacies can get away with having a pharmacist work on their own with no help. Capitalism is the reason why states can charge you an arm and a leg for a license and then keep charging you annually or bi-annually for the license(in Germany u only pay once-just like the drivers license). But hey, if you think a pure capitalist society is better than more of a mix like the European countries, then more power to you.

 

[anewmanx]

First of all u can't compare apples to bananas. Pharmacists (workers in general)in all of the developed world EXCEPT for the United States automatically get health insurance when the start working. In addition they get a vacation of more than 2 weeks- something that seems to be the standard here. Take Germany for example- once u are employed u get health benefits and after one year of work about 4 weeks of vacation. And don't even get me started on the hours per day that u work. The average work week in Germany is less than 40 hours a week- and people don't do 14 or 12 hour shifts, AND they take lunch breaks. Hell in Europe u get long lunch breaks, some places close for lunch. AND, the salary is good.

I know in Germany and many parts of Europe, they have laws against chains like we have here. You can have 4 pharmacies owned by one person and that's it. Pharmacies are owned by pharmacists. And so they have a number of different pharmacies.

How do I know? I grew up in Europe and I know a German pharmacist.

Germany is a really interesting example. I'm glad you brought it up!

My wife and I have looked extensively at Germany and Switzerland.

The union guaranteed wage of a pharmacist is quite a bit less in Germany that what they make in the US, but the lack of chains leads to more pharmacy ownership; resulting in higher wage for the owner. I suppose it's a double edged sword.

 

[radio frequency]

European countries are a mix of capitalism and socialism. Capitalism is the reason why u have 2 week vacations. Capitalism is the reason why companies don't have to provide u with health insurance. Capitalism is the reason why most of you have over $200,000 in student loans. Capitalism is the reason why u pay more interest on your student loans than you get on your bank account. Capitalism is the reason why we had the crash in the housing market. Capitalism is the reason why our representatives are influenced more by interest groups funding money, than to the real problems of the American people. Capitalism is the reason why pharmacies can get away with having a pharmacist work on their own with no help. Capitalism is the reason why states can charge you an arm and a leg for a license and then keep charging you annually or bi-annually for the license(in Germany u only pay once-just like the drivers license). But hey, if you think a pure capitalist society is better than more of a mix like the European countries, then more power to you.

I'm not sure how you derived the idea that I prefer pure capitalism from my post, but that's news to me. You might re-read and reconsider next time before jumping to conclusions.

Also, having $200k+ in student loans is dumb with a capital D (and no, it's not the federal government's fault entirely -- it's the fault of a culture that doesn't value saving and students who never learn finance, combined with materialism, bad parenting, and states defunding their colleges). I would never have gone to pharmacy school if I'd have had debt levels remotely like that.

 

[DruggieDoRight]

European countries are a mix of capitalism and socialism. Capitalism is the reason why u have 2 week vacations. Capitalism is the reason why companies don't have to provide u with health insurance. Capitalism is the reason why most of you have over $200,000 in student loans. Capitalism is the reason why u pay more interest on your student loans than you get on your bank account. Capitalism is the reason why we had the crash in the housing market. Capitalism is the reason why our representatives are influenced more by interest groups funding money, than to the real problems of the American people. Capitalism is the reason why pharmacies can get away with having a pharmacist work on their own with no help. Capitalism is the reason why states can charge you an arm and a leg for a license and then keep charging you annually or bi-annually for the license(in Germany u only pay once-just like the drivers license). But hey, if you think a pure capitalist society is better than more of a mix like the European countries, then more power to you.

You could always move away from Florida to one of the glorious European countries?

 

[fauxden]

European countries are a mix of capitalism and socialism. Capitalism is the reason why u have 2 week vacations. Capitalism is the reason why companies don't have to provide u with health insurance. Capitalism is the reason why most of you have over $200,000 in student loans. Capitalism is the reason why u pay more interest on your student loans than you get on your bank account. Capitalism is the reason why we had the crash in the housing market. Capitalism is the reason why our representatives are influenced more by interest groups funding money, than to the real problems of the American people. Capitalism is the reason why pharmacies can get away with having a pharmacist work on their own with no help. Capitalism is the reason why states can charge you an arm and a leg for a license and then keep charging you annually or bi-annually for the license(in Germany u only pay once-just like the drivers license). But hey, if you think a pure capitalist society is better than more of a mix like the European countries, then more power to you.

This is hyperbolic.

I'm too lazy, and know it's pointless, to argue with you. But, I will make one point- how does capitalism = state regulation in the form of fees for a license? That is bureaucracy, that is the government.

 

[anewmanx]

You could always move away from Florida to one of the glorious European countries?

I know I'm not the person you wrote this response to, kudos on the hilarious simpsons reference, but I seriously have considered moving to a European country after I finish Pharmacy school. I just don't see the American culture as compatible to how I want my children raised any longer.

I think it's a nice viable option for people.

 

[Hope1974]

You could always move away from Florida to one of the glorious European countries?

I'm working on that. 🙂

 

[Hope1974]

This is hyperbolic.

I'm too lazy, and know it's pointless, to argue with you. But, I will make one point- how does capitalism = state regulation in the form of fees for a license? That is bureaucracy, that is the government.

Right. That is our government.