Clincial pharmacist

[Praharsh ShAH]

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I am a foreign pharmacist. I am doing my internship right now, but i do not like the retail side so planning to move to hospital setting for internship. But i have heard that as a clinical pharmacist, we are not paid as much as a retail pharmacist. Is it true? Thats quite wired because being a clinical pharmacist, we have to be much more careful than that of retail side.

Is there much difference in salary of clinical pharmacist and retail pharmacist? In the beginning, clinical pharmacist will be paid lit less but what after 3-5 years of experience? is it comparable to retail side or not?

I really appreciate your help.

Thanks

 

[Hope1974]

Yup, thats absolutely true. But you have to consider the benefits and free-time and lunch. Students coming out of school used to start off with 120k. But, now, salaries have gone a little down. When I ask students in my class that signed with CVS, 2 people told me 115 and one told me she signed up with them but they haven't told her her salary yet. LOL In hospital you start off with like 80s, 90s and in some places, areas with tons of pharmacists like Fort Lauderdale, 70s/80s.

However, in retail most pharms hardly take breaks or even lunch (I know, I worked for CVS full time my first 3 years of pharm school and floated to many stores). And, if they take a lunch, its so short 30min. Some stand and eat at their station. You can forget a decent break at a busy store. Really, retail is unhealthy. The pharmacists make more, but they earn every dollar they make. From my hospital rotations I have seen many pharmacists take breaks, take a day off, talk on the phone with friend or family (you can do that in retail, but I wouldn't advise much of that today-ur easily replaceable), have nice lunches, free food from drug reps, plenty of breaks-its laid back, and from what I've heard they have better benefits(depends on the hospital).

 

[Praharsh ShAH]

thank you so much. But what is the situation once you have experience of 5 years. Still it would be low like 90k...? As per my knowledge, in retail, they wont pay you based on your experience. What is the situation in clinical side?

 

[skeksis]

My hospital happens to pay more than retail, and I'm very happy to have landed a position there in the last couple weeks (I've been vying for it for over a year now!)... Anyway, as I understand it, there's a set range of pay at my hospital, say an $8-10 difference from the low end to the high end for clinical or staff. As you build tenure, you climb the range.

 

[Rebel78]

Thats quite wired because being a clinical pharmacist, we have to be much more careful than that of retail side.

Really?

I worked at Walgreens, and now I work at a teaching hospital, wouldn't say I'm more careful now than I was then, I'm just at paranoid as ever 😀