cannabis-a new frontier for pharmacists?

[pyxisdust]

I see many people complaining about a jobless future for pharmacists..
..But, I am seeing more and more jobs seeking pharmacists for cannabis dispensaries..and it has me thinking that maybe this will help increase demand and open a whole new set of possibilities for current and future pharmacists. Don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to open my own dispensary in a "legal" state. I know very little about the topic, but I'm def. going to look into this especially as I move closer and closer to retirement...
What are everyone's thoughts on this? How do you think this may change the roles of pharmacists?

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[Pharmacy is a Scam]

Hold your horses... they don’t teach you anything about cannabis in school so if you wanted to go down that path then you need to take the following steps:

1. Complete a PGY-1 residency. Community residencies preferred but hospital residencies will be considered as well.

2. Complete a PGY-2 cannabis residency.

3. Obtain a BCMJS (Board Certified Marijuana Specialist) certificate to demonstrate that #1 and #2 above have helped you achieve the skillset required to be a cannabis pharmacist.

Then let’s talk.

 

[mentos]

Hold your horses... they don’t teach you anything about cannabis in school so if you wanted to go down that path then you need to take the following steps:

1. Complete a PGY-1 residency. Community residencies preferred but hospital residencies will be considered as well.

2. Complete a PGY-2 cannabis residency.

3. Obtain a BCMJS (Board Certified Marijuana Specialist) certificate to demonstrate that #1 and #2 above have helped you achieve the skillset required to be a cannabis pharmacist.

Then let’s talk.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before you can do any of this, you'll have to pay 200k for a Doctorate in Cannabis (CanD). 4 more years of school for that prestigious degree. Then you can start calling yourself doctor twice!

 

[SoylentGreen]

It depends on your state board. I understand that some states require a pharmacist in the dispensary, some require a pharmacist as something like a consultant, and others will revoke your license if you touch it with a ten foot pole.

I'm sure the dispensaries feel they have no need for pharmacists and will employ us exactly as much as state law requires and no more. There will not be a requirement for inflated credentials for this role, unless state law requires it, because the dispensaries will want it done as cheaply as possible. I would imagine they would make lowball offfers to burnt out retail rphs - the job would probably be easy.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Already a dying career. When a state goes recreational, the bottom falls out of the medical industry. Why waste time getting a medical card when you can just go to the weed shop down the block with a driver's license? Marijuana is going to be legal federally within a decade.

 

[Subvisual]

It's the new snake oil diet panacea supplement of the day. It has the added risque interest factor due to being in a legally grey area.

The bandwagon population will get bored of it and move onto a new Dr. Oz huckster product in 12 months most likely. Medical marijuana and CBD oil are just a stopgag and all interest in them will probably vanish once weed is legalized.

 

[DagS132]

lol, why does a dispensary need a pharmacist? In my opinion, this would be like having a pharmacist working at a liquor store.

 

[zelman]

Already a dying career. When a state goes recreational, the bottom falls out of the medical industry. Why waste time getting a medical card when you can just go to the weed shop down the block with a driver's license? Marijuana is going to be legal federally within a decade.

Medical users don’t pay sales tax. If you’re Snoop Dogg that 6% adds up.

 

[johnpharm01]

Already a dying career. When a state goes recreational, the bottom falls out of the medical industry. Why waste time getting a medical card when you can just go to the weed shop down the block with a driver's license? Marijuana is going to be legal federally within a decade.

Not true. Depending on state MJ regs, medical marijuana is sold cheaper per ounce, without tax and in greater quantities than recreational marijuana. Now I do agree it would be a gamble on a career but it could be lucrative.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Better idea. Open pizza shop next door.

 

[Xenophylia]

I took the state mandated course just for sh*ts and giggles (and 4 credits of CE). PA requires a pharmacist, NP OR PA on site. I think there has to be a pharmacist available somewhere as a consultant though, Couldn't believe PAs and NPs had already wiggled their way in there....LOL- not that any of them would work for the kind of money the dispensaries pay. You can't write rxs at the dispensary though, so no advantage to a PA or NP. And yes- PA looks like it's heading down the recreational road so the end is already near for medical dispensaries. I guess the only purpose for that once it is legalized entirely is you will still need to go the medical route for your welfare card to pay for your high. And if you've ever spent any time at a dispensary, it doesn't take you too long to determine who their clientele is....LOL

 

[Swishers]

Hold your horses... they don’t teach you anything about cannabis in school so if you wanted to go down that path then you need to take the following steps:

1. Complete a PGY-1 residency. Community residencies preferred but hospital residencies will be considered as well.

2. Complete a PGY-2 cannabis residency.

3. Obtain a BCMJS (Board Certified Marijuana Specialist) certificate to demonstrate that #1 and #2 above have helped you achieve the skillset required to be a cannabis pharmacist.

Then let’s talk.

Does over a decade of relevant extracurricular experience count for anything? I'm asking for a friend.

 

[Xenophylia]

Maybe the schools could convert "real life experience" to credits earned to help fill seats!!! Are you listening academia?

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

Does over a decade of relevant extracurricular experience count for anything? I'm asking for a friend.

Unless your friend was the president of the marijuana club during pharmacy school or did a summer internship in a licensed dispensary, then no, I’m afraid any other forms of experience do not meet the rigorous ACPE standards and therefore cannot count as relevant experience.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Not true. Depending on state MJ regs, medical marijuana is sold cheaper per ounce, without tax and in greater quantities than recreational marijuana. Now I do agree it would be a gamble on a career but it could be lucrative.

AP analysis: Medical pot takes hit when weed legal for all

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — When states legalize pot for all adults, long-standing medical marijuana programs take a big hit, in some cases losing more than half their registered patients in just a few years, according to a data analysis by The Associated Press. Much of the decline comes from...

www.apnews.com

 

[Xenophylia]

I'm certainly not surprised by the above, other than those wanting welfare to pay for their stash it would be much less hassle to just go and buy it otc.... Much like everything in pharmacy, the bottom is going to fall out of med marijuana as well. A lot of the "entrepreneurs" that were going to open dispensaries never even got them off the ground in PA since they only gave out a small number of licenses... And the dispensaries pay really low anyway...there was an add running for 40k a year for full time pharmacist for a while. Granted, its a really easy job- pretty much just supervise techs and "recommend" product if anyone asks. Guy I talked to was a newly minted pharmD- his first and only job ever- and you could almost hear his brain rattling around in his head from atrophy as he explained what (little) he did. He supervised about 8 techs, who pretty much did everything except breathe for him. Said he was doing about 50 rxs a day- couldn't believe all the help he had! In the end, med cannabis may have added a handful of new jobs in PA, most of which I'm sure will disappear if its ever fully legalized...

 

[Xenophylia]

And the online education- 4 hours of academics pretty much telling you "we don't know what it does or how it works" and that "efficacy details are sketchy at best". They also kept straight faces when talking about using it for pseudo diseases like fibromyalgia. I think the presenters may have smoked a few bowls before filming to help them look sincere and not laugh at the low credibility of their subject matter...

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

i actually have a potential job opportunity at a medical marijuana dispensary. starting pay is 90k and bumps up to 95k after 3 months. people tell me it's career suicide, but i'm not sure. i'm most likely gonna be fired from wags soon, so i need a new place to work. plus as i've seen here these marijuana jobs are easy? maybe i can progress in this industry and do well

 

[Xenophylia]

i actually have a potential job opportunity at a medical marijuana dispensary. starting pay is 90k and bumps up to 95k after 3 months. people tell me it's career suicide, but i'm not sure. i'm most likely gonna be fired from wags soon, so i need a new place to work. plus as i've seen here these marijuana jobs are easy? maybe i can progress in this industry and do well

95K for that isn't bad. I would have done the job I interviewed for for that had it been full time with benefits. Not much responsibility unless you're the dispensary manager. And yeah, would likely be more stable than retail, at least for now- without all those middle managers aiming for the target on your back.

 

[owlegrad]

i actually have a potential job opportunity at a medical marijuana dispensary. starting pay is 90k and bumps up to 95k after 3 months. people tell me it's career suicide, but i'm not sure. i'm most likely gonna be fired from wags soon, so i need a new place to work. plus as i've seen here these marijuana jobs are easy? maybe i can progress in this industry and do well

The fact that you are so worried about it implies to me that you will not have peace of mind working there. If it was me, I would take the job. Your state BOP isn't going to take your license since it is legal in your state. The FED aren't knocking down the doors and arresting people for recreational sales in states where that is legal so it's pretty bonkers to think they will do so for medical dispensaries.

 

[Xenophylia]

Yeah...the federal legality of it would be the least of my worries. The feds have bigger fish to fry....at least I hope so!

 

[duremars]

This sounds promising. Given the fact that in some states cannabis is allowed to spread and is widely used to treat certain diseases, there is a serious need for good specialists in this field. Pharmacists would be able to correctly determine the required dose for treatment for each customer and contribute to the development of a new field of medicine. Also, besides cannabis, it would be possible to spread some kratom types. I read a lot about its medicinal properties and what dosages are needed to treat diseases, but without a specialist, I would not want to start treatment.