Do you consider pharmacy a job or a career?

[Commodity]

I look at pharmacy as a job, not a career. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a lot of latitude for expanding your job. I say this as someone who is headed to retail.

This is a 'profession' with no ability to provide a service for a fee as attorneys or physicians can do. We are at best wage earners and to me a very low class citizen.

I'm not trying to be rude, I would just like some perspective.

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[Angela1234]

A job. I feel that the customers treat us as no more than a McDonald's service. One got mad that they had to wait 20 minutes. I had never even wanted to do retail, but because of how bad the job market is. The only job I could find was in retail and 3,000 miles away from my family. So not only was I unhappy, I was miserable.
I would consider it a career if I could find a job in the type of pharmacy I am interested, in mail order, long term care, or a hospital pharmacy. However, at this point, I will be happy to have any job at all since I am unable to pay my rent or student loans.

 

[spacecowgirl]

A career. I am a "clinical" pharmacist at a hospital.

 

[Momus]

A prison. I just do my time and get out.

 

[Sparda29]

A bit of both. I like racing cars and playing poker on my off time, pharmacy pay funds that.

 

[Unchained]

A bit of both. I like racing cars and playing poker on my off time, pharmacy pay funds that.

He's got the right idea. The wages of pharmacy allow you to live a very good life. It's a job. Don't look to it to fulfill your life goals. You likely will be disappointed unless you can get one of the unicorn jobs. Then you can be happy in your job but broke because you make less. You can get respect in retail however. Just stay in one position for an extended period and build your clientele. People can't afford to got to a physician in this economy and your knowledge is priceless in helping them.

 

[pezdispenser]

Just a job. I still love my job--work at home, no customer contact, get paid (reasonably well) for every minute working, no studying on my own time. But I fully realize there is no career advancement in this job. So I'm happy that it gives me plenty of time and money to spend on my other hobbies like cars, traveling and investing. 🙂

 

[farmadiazepine]

A demotion from pharmacy school

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

I look at my position as a career, I am working toward specializing and currently work as a clinical pharmacist at a specialty hospital. I am very pleased with potential job advancement opportunities.

Not sure what Unchained is talking about it, hourly wage is very close to retail(within couple bucks) and when you factor in my pension and employer 5% 401k contribution without any employee match, employer covered health insurance premium and PTO package I would say I take home more than most of my colleagues in retail.

Pharmacy can be a career but I agree for most, it will be a job. I find my position challenging and fun and it pays for my hobbies outside of work! To the pharmacy students...stay away from retail if you can!

 

[Lnsean]

A career. I am a "clinical" pharmacist at a hospital.

No offense to any clinical pharmacist on here...but from what I've seen at some big hospitals...i don't even know how they justify most of these positions. Granted I've met a few really good clinical pharmacists that really do make a difference and earn their pay...one of them was my professor...but the majority of these positions are really fluff.

 

[zelman]

No offense to any clinical pharmacist on here...but from what I've seen at some big hospitals...i don't even know how they justify most of these positions. Granted I've met a few really good clinical pharmacists that really do make a difference and earn their pay...one of them was my professor...but the majority of these positions are really fluff.

A lot of them are pharmacy school employees who are donated a workspace by the hospital.

 

[spacecowgirl]

No offense to any clinical pharmacist on here...but from what I've seen at some big hospitals...i don't even know how they justify most of these positions. Granted I've met a few really good clinical pharmacists that really do make a difference and earn their pay...one of them was my professor...but the majority of these positions are really fluff.

You obviously have no idea what I do.

If contributions are just the # of RXs processed, then you are exactly what everyone is complaining about with pharmacy becoming a commodity.

 

[kwakster928]

Career

You can make it a job if you like. But, what motivates you to get a better job?

 

[Lnsean]

A lot of them are pharmacy school employees who are donated a workspace by the hospital.

This is what I figured. A lot of it is bureaucracy.

 

[Lnsean]

You obviously have no idea what I do.

If contributions are just the # of RXs processed, then you are exactly what everyone is complaining about with pharmacy becoming a commodity.

No one is making this personal. I was merely stating my opinion and observation.

 

[ucrx]

Career for me. I have plenty of room for growth. I have a unicorn job, although I really don't think these are as rare as people make it seem.

A lot of them are pharmacy school employees who are donated a workspace by the hospital.

This is not the case at my hospital. We do have a few pharmacy school faculty members practicing at our site, but the majority of our pharmacists are hospital employees. We have a mixed practice model, verifying medications as we go through our day. We have proved our worth to the hospital and have been approved for new positions. I document every intervention to help support "proving" our worth to the institution.

 

[Rattlergirl53]

I felt it would be a job stuck in retail while I was working there but I just matched for a Managed Care (with Amb care components like disease state management and MTM) residency.

I will be trying my best to make it career but I also have interests outside of pharmacy I will pursue in my lifetime.

 

[spacecowgirl]

No one is making this personal. I was merely stating my opinion and observation.

My bad, you prefaced it with a "no offense" 🙄 My opinion and observation is that people who measure contribution by the output of Rxs contribute to the perception that pharmacy is a commodity.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I have a unicorn job, although I really don't think these are as rare as people make it seem.

They are not that rare. I get a lot of emails and recruiting calls about jobs - I'm not looking, but there are a lot of clinical jobs available. IF - you have the appropriate training and experience. I feel like I have a ton of opportunity to move if I wanted to 👍

 

[owlegrad]

They are not that rare. I get a lot of emails and recruiting calls about jobs - I'm not looking, but there are a lot of clinical jobs available. IF - you have the appropriate training and experience. I feel like I have a ton of opportunity to move if I wanted to 👍

What you don't know is that those are not real jobs and those emails/calls are just an HR thing because they really already have someone lined up for the spot.

 

[spacecowgirl]

What you don't know is that those are not real jobs and those emails/calls are just an HR thing because they really already have someone lined up for the spot.

 

[Lnsean]

My bad, you prefaced it with a "no offense" 🙄 My opinion and observation is that people who measure contribution by the output of Rxs contribute to the perception that pharmacy is a commodity.

I prefaced it that way so that no one clinical pharmacist would think that I was referring to his/her job specifically. It was a generalization that I've seen. There are tons of clinical pharmacist and I'm sure you are the few that make it rain every day. 🙄

 

[vistaril]

He's got the right idea. The wages of pharmacy allow you to live a very good life. It's a job. Don't look to it to fulfill your life goals. You likely will be disappointed unless you can get one of the unicorn jobs. Then you can be happy in your job but broke because you make less. You can get respect in retail however. Just stay in one position for an extended period and build your clientele. People can't afford to got to a physician in this economy and your knowledge is priceless in helping them.

if the person can't afford to go to a physician how will they end up with the prescription which serves as the starting point(in almost all cases) for the interaction with the pharmacist?

 

[zelman]

if the person can't afford to go to a physician how will they end up with the prescription which serves as the starting point(in almost all cases) for the interaction with the pharmacist?

The FDA has approved a variety of medications which are available without a prescription.

Sorry for the sarcasm. Couldn't resist.

Haven't you ever heard of the pharmacist as "Redneck Doctor"? We are often the first or only healthcare provider patients will seek out. No appointment. No copay. And the illegal immigrants aren't afraid we will get them deported.

 

[KARM12]

Pharmacy is my career, but I also have a unicorn job.