Clinical pharmacy......is it a dream?

[GreyFox2002]

I'm an entering P1 student, and like most entering PharmD students, I dream of becoming anything but a retail pharmacist. This isn't a knock on retail pharmacists. After all, they are the highest paid for a reason. Unfortunately, the reasons that I have read about, heard about, and seen, makes retail pharmacy less enticing to me.

Suppose I am willing to take the 15k annual paycut, plus lose the signing bonus, to practice clinical pharmacy. First of all, is there a big difference in benefits to clinical pharmacy? Secondly, is it difficult to find positions in clinical pharmacy, in terms of availability or competitiveness for positions/residencies? Is clinical pharm not all cracked up to what it really is? Is there a future for this part of the field, and is there a possibility for decent salary growth for the position in the future?

Thanks for your advice.

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[sdn1977]

I'm an entering P1 student, and like most entering PharmD students, I dream of becoming anything but a retail pharmacist. This isn't a knock on retail pharmacists. After all, they are the highest paid for a reason. Unfortunately, the reasons that I have read about, heard about, and seen, makes retail pharmacy less enticing to me.

Suppose I am willing to take the 15k annual paycut, plus lose the signing bonus, to practice clinical pharmacy. First of all, is there a big difference in benefits to clinical pharmacy? Secondly, is it difficult to find positions in clinical pharmacy, in terms of availability or competitiveness for positions/residencies? Is clinical pharm not all cracked up to what it really is? Is there a future for this part of the field, and is there a possibility for decent salary growth for the position in the future?

Thanks for your advice.

Big difference in benefits? What benefits are you referring to? Healthcare, dental, vision or professional?

Finding positions - No, not difficult for a good candidate. Moderate to very difficult for a poorly prepared candidate.

Is clinical (aaaargh - are you referring to a hospital position) all its cracked up to be? - Yes, can be...but it comes with its own problems. Problems go with all jobs.

Is there a future? - Yes

Is there salary growth in the future - Yes

Sorry to be so abrupt, but this has been discussed over & over. You might want to use the search function for more detail.

 

[ZpackSux]

I'm not in a clinical setting. But my job is 100% clinical. I work for a clinical consulting firm...in charge of 35 hospitals clinical pharmacy services.

But you're not going to come out of pharmacy school and just walk into a job like this.

I've been out of school for 12 years... 3 years of staff pharmacist position...4 years of clinical pharmacist position...and 5 years of director of pharmacy position..and now a clinical consulting pharmacist..

 

[ZpackSux]

Big difference in benefits? What benefits are you referring to? Healthcare, dental, vision or professional?

Finding positions - No, not difficult for a good candidate. Moderate to very difficult for a poorly prepared candidate.

Is clinical (aaaargh - are you referring to a hospital position) all its cracked up to be? - Yes, can be...but it comes with its own problems. Problems go with all jobs.

Is there a future? - Yes

Is there salary growth in the future - Yes

Sorry to be so abrupt, but this has been discussed over & over. You might want to use the search function for more detail.

What a mean woman

 

[AggieRX]

Hey Zpack...

What exactly do you do for the consulting firm?

 

[sdn1977]

What a mean woman

You know I've answered this question a gazillion times & at great length I might add . See - I can be brief & to the point!

I can just see Caverject - what happened to her? Cat got her tongue??

 

[ZpackSux]

Hey Zpack...

What exactly do you do for the consulting firm?

I work for a Group Purchasing Organization. We have a set of clinical pharmacy initiatives which we help our client hospitals implement. Right now I'm writing a review article on an anesthetic...I don't know why..but I get really sedated as I'm writing about it. My theory is that as I analyze the clinical trials of this drug, those receptors affected by the drug must be stimulated by a sheer cognitive stimuli...

When I'm not writing...I'm on the road every other week..2 days..visiting hospitals I'm in charge of.

 

[ZpackSux]

You know I've answered this question a gazillion times & at great length I might add . See - I can be brief & to the point!

I can just see Caverject - what happened to her? Cat got her tongue??

You have never addressed anything about clinical pharmacy... have you?

 

[july]

...

 

[sdn1977]

You have never addressed anything about clinical pharmacy... have you?

Not in this thread.

Sir, can I introduce you to the search function. You'll find it at you upper right hand....do a search.

I think you'll find whole pages of text that I've written on this topic, as well as Kwizard - oh...and you for that matter.

But...if you'd like....sure, just for your sake, I can begin again......

Clinical (oh - can I tell you how much I hate that word!!) pharmacy is well and alive - in many hospitals & outpt settings.....

I worked for 27 years as a "clinical" pharmacist in the OR/ICU setting. I've done pain management (writing & adjusting IV/PCA orders, converting to po & vice-versa), written tpn orders, managed heparin protocols, changed antibiotics & other renally excreted drugs appropriate to renal function & have even compounded IV drug products which are not available commercially.

I have sat on P&T committees, M&M committees, Investigational Drug/Device Committees, was a regular member of the ICU committee & have had to write protocols or change protocols as the times changed.

I on occasion have to rotate into the snf (skilled nursing facility) & mhu (mental health unit) & these are their own separate set of pharmaceutical rules & regulations mostly having to do with chemical restraints.

And...I've had to check my share of pyxis, supervised the IV unit, mixed my share of antineoplastics and tpa & certainly - the bane of all hospital pharmacy personnel - checked the hospital stock for outdates .

I no longer do this full time. I am part-time & part-time in a retail setting, which allows me more patient contact. I left full-time hospital work for many reasons, one of which was lack of patient contact.

I have held many titles, but mostly Clinical Manager. If you compare Zpak & myself, he would be my boss & I would be the one working in the units.

Now...Zpak - are you happy???? You know I could go on and on and on.....but, then, that would bring Caverject back to life rolling his eyes...

But, I know if I go on for more than 3 paragraphs, you stop reading .

 

[Tessalon]

I'm an entering P1 student, and like most entering PharmD students, I dream of becoming anything but a retail pharmacist. This isn't a knock on retail pharmacists. After all, they are the highest paid for a reason. Unfortunately, the reasons that I have read about, heard about, and seen, makes retail pharmacy less enticing to me.

Suppose I am willing to take the 15k annual paycut, plus lose the signing bonus, to practice clinical pharmacy. First of all, is there a big difference in benefits to clinical pharmacy? Secondly, is it difficult to find positions in clinical pharmacy, in terms of availability or competitiveness for positions/residencies? Is clinical pharm not all cracked up to what it really is? Is there a future for this part of the field, and is there a possibility for decent salary growth for the position in the future?

Thanks for your advice.

Bottom line is that if you are wanting to do "clinical" pharmacy, you are going to have to do well in pharmacy school to make yourself a very competitive residency candidate. I think residency positions are becoming more and more popular for students to look into, however quite a few people will not even match, let alone get their first choice for a spot. I was one of the ones "willing to take the pay cut" and I applied for a residency spot. I was up against 40 other applicants for 5 spots for my first choice, and I know there were some great candidates out there. I was really sweating the match! Luckily I matched, but 3 of my friends didn't.

As far as future salary, I'm not overly concerned. Even though retail pays great, I knew I probably wouldn't be happy over the long haul. So instead of working retail for a few years and getting burnt out and possibly cutting back hours or shifting jobs, I think a somewhat lower paying job that I really enjoy over many years will be just a lucrative. Keep your eyes open for different areas you are interested in. You will figure out what type of career you are more likely to enjoy. It's different for everyone.

 

[ZpackSux]

what are you saying now?

 

[gaba101]

I'm an entering P1 student, and like most entering PharmD students, I dream of becoming anything but a retail pharmacist. This isn't a knock on retail pharmacists. After all, they are the highest paid for a reason. Unfortunately, the reasons that I have read about, heard about, and seen, makes retail pharmacy less enticing to me.

Suppose I am willing to take the 15k annual paycut, plus lose the signing bonus, to practice clinical pharmacy. First of all, is there a big difference in benefits to clinical pharmacy? Secondly, is it difficult to find positions in clinical pharmacy, in terms of availability or competitiveness for positions/residencies? Is clinical pharm not all cracked up to what it really is? Is there a future for this part of the field, and is there a possibility for decent salary growth for the position in the future?

Thanks for your advice.

First of all, what is clinical pharmacy??? Define "clinical pharmacy" in your own words (without referring to any sources). Secondly, this question has been addressed many times. "Search this thread"

I ask because IMO, most students new to the field of pharmacy (read--just beginning to enter pharmacy school) really don't know what "clinical" pharmacy is--I'll bet you that most students think "clinical"pharmacy is anything that is NOT retail/independent pharmacy (which is most accessible to pre-pharmacy student volunteers) that deals w/ the hassels of insurance, which drives students away.

 

[UofPacific2009]

Tessalon, can you please tell me what your 3 friends are going to do now that they haven't matched for a residency. I'm planning on applying for a residency but want to know what to do just in case I don't get into a residency.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

If I applied for a residency at WVU, I'm pretty sure they would laugh at me.

The idea of another year of rotations doesn't jive well with me....

 

[sdn1977]

what are you saying now?

Dr Sux...what part of this do you not understand ?

Has the consultant world entirely scrambled your brains? Tessalon & I have written nearly thesis length explanations & your were our supervisors in your previous life........

I knew those dops weren't doing anything!

 

[Farmercyst]

Dr Sux...what part of this do you not understand ?

Has the consultant world entirely scrambled your brains? Tessalon & I have written nearly thesis length explanations & your were our supervisors in your previous life........

I knew those dops weren't doing anything!

Spent most of their days planning the purchase of an RV so they could get out of the office and schmooze. Or was it snooze?

 

[ZpackSux]

Dr Sux...what part of this do you not understand ?

Has the consultant world entirely scrambled your brains? Tessalon & I have written nearly thesis length explanations & your were our supervisors in your previous life........

I knew those dops weren't doing anything!

 

[ZpackSux]

Spent most of their days planning the purchase of an RV so they could get out of the office and schmooze. Or was it snooze?

Days?

Try months!!

 

[Caverject]

You know I've answered this question a gazillion times & at great length I might add . See - I can be brief & to the point!

I can just see Caverject - what happened to her? Cat got her tongue??

I see you have finally been enlightened to what i've been saying for a long time....use the search function

 

[sdn1977]

I see you have finally been enlightened to what i've been saying for a long time....use the search function

Tell that to Zpak!!! I told him you'd be back anytime I get to talking too long .

 

[Tessalon]

Tessalon, can you please tell me what your 3 friends are going to do now that they haven't matched for a residency. I'm planning on applying for a residency but want to know what to do just in case I don't get into a residency.

Since the subject is still a little raw with them at the moment, I have tried not to pry too much. But I do know that one has put in applications to both retail and hospital, and she had an interview for a staff pharmacy position scheduled. She also had an offer from Rite Aid on the table as backup. As far as the other two go, I still don't know what their plans are. Make sure you do have a backup plan in case it doesn't work out - and don't burn any bridges on rotations because you may be in a place you may need to ask for a job later. I had a few backup options, and I had phone numbers in hand of who I was going to call first if I didn't match.

 

[guptek]

do u know if students from western get matched? and if so how often?

 

[guptek]

also those who got matched what were ur stats going into and out of pharm school..if u dont mind sharing!