Compounding pharmacist....

[CuriousPharmD]

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I've been working at a hospital as a pharmacy tech. compounding a lot of IVs and TPNs and I really enjoy the work and I can see myself doing that for a long time. Is there anything similar to this kind of work for a pharmacist where they get to compound IVs and TPNs all day???

 

[genesis09]

Join one of the compounding Pharmacist companies. I do know they exist because one of profs talked about it. Most of this companies also do non-sterile drugs. Talk to your dosing lab prof, and see if he/she knows anyone.
Second question, how can you stand compounding because it is so annoying. I hated making the ointments with the petrolatum. This semester, we do sterile compounding, and next, we do advanced non-sterile compounding; then, I'm done.

 

[CuriousPharmD]

I dont want to make ointments and creams and stuff similar to that, i'm more interested along the lines of sterile compounding that involves iv admixtures, tpns, chemo medications, and preparing injections......

 

[genesis09]

I dont want to make ointments and creams and stuff similar to that, i'm more interested along the lines of sterile compounding that involves iv admixtures, tpns, chemo medications, and preparing injections......

Normally hospitals do their sterile compounding inhouse, and most of the sterile compounding, which I know of, is done through hospitals. A lot of that compounding is done by pharm techs. Most of the compounding pharmacists I know of, do mostly non sterile drugs. Take a look at the Pfizer Pharmacy career guide, maybe it'll have something.

 

[PharmD2MD]

Techs handle most of the hands on preparation of IV's and other sterile preps. There's no need in most cases to pay a pharmacist to actually do the the mixing, when they are really needed to do the checking.

However, if you like making stuff, maybe see if you can shadow a pharmacist at a home infusion company. I did hospital pharmacy, so I can't really speak to home infusion...they might get more hands on work there.

Another option is nuclear pharmacy- a rare, but lucrative specialty. Might be worth looking into.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Techs handle most of the hands on preparation of IV's and other sterile preps. There's no need in most cases to pay a pharmacist to actually do the the mixing, when they are really needed to do the checking.

However, if you like making stuff, maybe see if you can shadow a pharmacist at a home infusion company. I did hospital pharmacy, so I can't really speak to home infusion...they might get more hands on work there.

Another option is nuclear pharmacy- a rare, but lucrative specialty. Might be worth looking into.

I think it's the same in home infusion - techs make and pharmacists check. The home infusion pharmacist I shadowed spent most of his time consulting with patients on the phone.

 

[sdn1977]

I've been working at a hospital as a pharmacy tech. compounding a lot of IVs and TPNs and I really enjoy the work and I can see myself doing that for a long time. Is there anything similar to this kind of work for a pharmacist where they get to compound IVs and TPNs all day???

Yes....you can find a link by checking out the National Association of Compounding Pharmacies and the National Home Infusion Association. These are both under the National Boards of Pharmacy Practice.

You'll need extra training & certification to do speciality compounding. It can be fun & these folks are extremely knowledagble about chemicals, how they mix, how stable they can be. They are also willing to try most anything to get the pt what he or she needs to have if its not available in the marketplace.

Good luck! My experience is they love to have interns to teach - a great opportunity for a student!

 

[CuriousPharmD]

Yes....you can find a link by checking out the National Association of Compounding Pharmacies and the National Home Infusion Association. These are both under the National Boards of Pharmacy Practice.

Can you provide the links for these specfically. I seem to have a bit of a hard time to find the specific links for these sites. thanks.

also if anybody else has info. on what type of pharmacist jobs are available where you spend most of your day compounding iv admixtures, tpns, chemo and injections would be appreciated. I guess my ideal job would be what I do as an iv pharmacy tech. where I prepare all the stuff stated above but get payed at a pharmacist pay...

 

[genesis09]

Oncology pharmacists help to make chemo and other related drugs. As it has been stated before most of the hospital compounding is done by techs not pharmacists.

 

[sdn1977]

OK - check out these links:

ncpanet.org - National Association of Compounding Pharmacists
nhianet.org - National Home Infusion Association
pccarx.com - a resource for the compounding pharmacist - provides lots of ce & certifications which allow you to buy raw chemicals

When I was working in hospital pharmacy full time, our chemo pharmacist (wasn't me - thank goodness) rarely mixed the chemos. Occassionaly he did or one of the rest of us did, but it was mostly techs.......He had lots of other duties which took up his time. But, fortunately, he was usually the final check unless he was off that day!

 

[gsinccom]

OK - check out these links:

ncpanet.org - National Association of Compounding Pharmacists
nhianet.org - National Home Infusion Association
pccarx.com - a resource for the compounding pharmacist - provides lots of ce & certifications which allow you to buy raw chemicals

When I was working in hospital pharmacy full time, our chemo pharmacist (wasn't me - thank goodness) rarely mixed the chemos. Occassionaly he did or one of the rest of us did, but it was mostly techs.......He had lots of other duties which took up his time. But, fortunately, he was usually the final check unless he was off that day!

thank you