Compensation for Consultation

[UCPharm]

The current Pharmacist is not paid for consulting patients about drugs.

However I wonder why pharmacists are not paid like MD's when they do a consult. Doesn't an MD charge patients a fee to see them for a consult? Do pharmD's also do similar types of consults but more in the drug therapy area. If the are similar then why are PharmD's not compensated similarly for their time and knowledge?

I bring up this question because in the current state of pharmacy practice in my opinion, the pharmacist is under appreciated and sometimes abused by the public. This is more evident in the retail pharmacy setting that PharmD's are treated like "public slaves". Don't misinterpret my intention or message. The issue is not whether or not a pharmacist is to help patients get the most optimal drug therapy available. A pharmacist is to help patients at all times because he/she is a professional. However, as a professional, shouldn't the pharmacist be compensated similarly for consulting patients like other professionals, MD?s? Shouldn't a pharmacist be compensated for their time and knowledge?

Just a thought and feel free to comment.

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[baggywrinkle]

The current Pharmacist is not paid for consulting patients about drugs.

However I wonder why pharmacists are not paid like MD's when they do a consult. Doesn't an MD charge patients a fee to see them for a consult? Do pharmD's also do similar types of consults but more in the drug therapy area. If the are similar then why are PharmD's not compensated similarly for their time and knowledge?

I bring up this question because in the current state of pharmacy practice in my opinion, the pharmacist is under appreciated and sometimes abused by the public. This is more evident in the retail pharmacy setting that PharmD's are treated like "public slaves". Don't misinterpret my intention or message. The issue is not whether or not a pharmacist is to help patients get the most optimal drug therapy available. A pharmacist is to help patients at all times because he/she is a professional. However, as a professional, shouldn't the pharmacist be compensated similarly for consulting patients like other professionals, MD?s? Shouldn't a pharmacist be compensated for their time and knowledge?

Just a thought and feel free to comment.

Keep in mind that the pharmacist is often the first interface with the health
care system. We see the people who never visit a doctor and will only
go to a hospital to die. These folks have no insurance and it is all about the money. Charging them for advice would drive them away.

That isn't to say you couldn't charge for cognitive services. It *IS* being
done. Nursing home consultants come to mind. Doc in the Box walk in clinics and outpatient surgery clinics require a pharmacist consultant to help them stay kosher with state & joint commision regulations.Perhaps you might offer a
traditional free service at one level, and a more extensive second tier service
for a fee by appointment only. Perhaps in your clients home. I have seen this done btw...

I read about a Washington D.C. pharmacist that did in home medication reviews for clients, and I know a Walgreens night shift pharmacist in Palm Bay
Florida who runs a doc in the box consulting business on the side. He (hi Norman ) is very active politically at the state level with FPA and also does continuing education presentations for a fee. No advanced degree, just a lowly B.S. Pharmacist like myself.

My point is, you are hardly a slave and the sky is the limit. How big can you dream? "They" will only treat you badly if you allow it.

Get jazzed, find a parade and jump in front of it! Think in terms of niches. Choose an area of pharmacy practice and master it. I just learned of an independent in Port Townsend who prepares chinese herbals for the local naturopaths. They didn't teach that in pharmacy school - it's up to you.

 

[Caverject]

I just learned of an independent in Port Townsend who prepares chinese herbals for the local naturopaths. They didn't teach that in pharmacy school - it's up to you.

Too bad your locked in at Wrong Aid.....I mean Rite Aid

 

[bananaface]

The smaller consultations we do with patients when they fill prescriptions are assumed to be bundled into the dispensing fee we recieve for filling a prescription. Some stores charge a base dispensing fee to cash customers, some do not.

As far as the second tier service goes, I do know of a compounding pharmacy in the Olympia, WA area (Randy's) that does offer services such as hormone replacement therapy consultation (ie: extensively discuss options with the patient), diabetes education, etc. They also collaborate with a nutritionist who will come into the store and hold consultations with patients. (And an accupuncturist... and a naturopath). I believe the sessions run by the pharmacist are $60 per half hour or like $90 per hour, ballpark. Patients are apparently willing to pay for this timeslot. They do extensive medication management as a part of the fee they charge for filling prescriptions. They charge cash for all services and the patient can submit their reciepts to insurance. The consultation sessions should be convered by insurance if the same consultation would have been covered if given by a physician, under WA's "any eligible provider" law.

side note:
If people are interested in compounding they should take the PCCA compounding course while in school. It is about $500 for students, then goes up to about $10,000 once you graduate. (travel expenses not included)

 

[ultracet]

are you serious?!? I had no idea it went up to $10,000 when you graduate....
i need to get on that.....

 

[DocRx]

For Pharmacist/Techs if your pharmacy is a member the cost is like $1000.00 for the class.

If you are not a member it is a one time fee of $10,000 for set up stuff, training, etc. this includes like 3 people or so going to Houston to learn.

 

[baggywrinkle]

Too bad your locked in at Wrong Aid.....I mean Rite Aid

I am content working as corner druggist in a slow store (900-1000/week). None of the hassels of running a business. It pays extremely well ($45/hour) for what I actually *DO*. Once I walk out the door I am DONE, and believe it or not retail pharmacy can be challenging in a cognitive sort of way. I carry close to a thousand dollars in reference material in my pocket pc and I still
routinely am obliged to give the dumb blank look to questions posed. There
is a natural products database at Skyscape that I am lusting after and a course offered for health care professionals by Canadian Botanist Terry Willard
which might help fill in some of the gaps

It is all in your perspective. I am not a "Rite Aid Pharmacist", I am a practicing Pharmacist who is currently at Rite Aid. Have license, will travel

BTW, one of my colleagues just picked up a twenty thousand dollar cash
bonus by moving from Walgreens to Albertsons and at the Washington Pharmacy Association website there is a consulting pharmacist position for
the nursing home division at Payless. Extensive travel required and licensure
in Oregon is a plus......I drive 13 miles a day to my humble little pharmacy

 

[pharmer]

side note:
If people are interested in compounding they should take the PCCA compounding course while in school. It is about $500 for students, then goes up to about $10,000 once you graduate. (travel expenses not included)

I took this course in the summer of 2002 as my school paid for the class and left lodging and travel up to us (the student). My advice on taking this course is if you have a compounding class offered at your school (my school had a full year of compounding lab) you learn just as much if not more in it then this course down at PCCA for a week. Save yourself the money and time and don't go unless you have other reasons for going down there (i.e. excuse to get away and party like a rock star in another city/state).

pharmer

 

[DrPharm]

Although I would like a higher salary when I graduate....

Pharmacists get paid 100K...doesn't that pay for the consulting that they do? Come on now...what else do they do? The tech does most of the work.

 

[bananaface]

Pharmacists get paid 100K...doesn't that pay for the consulting that they do?

When we say pharmacists are looking to get paid for consultation, we are referring to their company being paid by the patient, not the pharmacist being paid by the company. In other words, something needs to go into the pot that pharmacist's salaries are drawn from.

I have worked in probably 20 different stores in my life (floating). In one very slow store I visited, the tech did all the work while the pharmacist sat in a chair and did crossword puzzles all day. In every other place I have been, the pharmacists have been working hard. When needed, pharmacists will help technicians out with their duties. We are all part of a team. Sometimes pharmacists end up working harder in proportion when there are alot of pharmacist-only tasks needing to be done.

 

[DrPharm]

Dude......Seriously WAKE UP

Unlike you, not everyone is about the money.

From my post, did I even mention or implied that I'm "all about the money?" I was just stating an opinion/question about pharmacist compensation. Read and comprehend before you made judgement calls.

Thanks.

 

[Caverject]

From my post, did I even mention or implied that I'm "all about the money?" I was just stating an opinion/question about pharmacist compensation. Read and comprehend before you made judgement calls.

Thanks.

You did not and I misread your post. I am sorry.

 

[bananaface]

Have license, will travel

Looking for extra hours? My boss is going on vacation soon.

 

[Mags]

check out MTMS!! its bound to be a resolution issue at APhA nationals this year...

 

[jdpharmd?]

side note:
If people are interested in compounding they should take the PCCA compounding course while in school. It is about $500 for students, then goes up to about $10,000 once you graduate. (travel expenses not included)

They are two different classes. As a student, they offer a 2-day "boot camp" for compounding skills for a few hundred dollars. After graduation, PCCA offers a longer, more involved training for pharmacists who are going to work in/own a PCCA member compouding pharmacy. After training, PCCA still offers access to their members-only website, tons of phone/fax help, formulas, stability information, consultation, etc. I've heard that the buy-in is about 10 grand, but it's worth it (from what I've come across). Side note: Do a compouding rotation, it's pretty fun.

 

[Brill]

They are two different classes. As a student, they offer a 2-day "boot camp" for compounding skills for a few hundred dollars. After graduation, PCCA offers a longer, more involved training for pharmacists who are going to work in/own a PCCA member compouding pharmacy. After training, PCCA still offers access to their members-only website, tons of phone/fax help, formulas, stability information, consultation, etc. I've heard that the buy-in is about 10 grand, but it's worth it (from what I've come across). Side note: Do a compouding rotation, it's pretty fun.

A plug for UH : We get to take a semester long compounding course at PCCA. Learned a lot of neat stuff. We also have the option to take an advanced compounding course there as one of our electives.

 

[Caverject]

A plug for UH : We get to take a semester long compounding course at PCCA. Learned a lot of neat stuff. We also have the option to take an advanced compounding course there as one of our electives.

Go Cougars!! ROAR!!!