Entry Level Pharmacist in Texas: $85,000 ($40/hour)

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rx2010

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Lol, what kind of job? And where?
I live in Dallas and it's super saturated for years.
 
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That's a nice schedule. No evenings or weekends.
 
Had 48/hr offered to me 2 years ago for hospital gig in TX. No thanks Jeff.
 
I mean, I know people who too a 110 to 90k paycut from a chain to get a position with similar hours.
 
That's not too bad. I know people from WAG who left to take a position like that with relatively the same pay so they can have more time to take care of their kids or whatever.
 
I can’t say I want that job... even if it came with 6 weeks of PTO and 10% 401k matching, 85k is just too low. In my area, pharmacists who work M-F 9-5 make 100k-125k depending on benefits. Most chains here are unionized (although corporate ceaselessly tries to dissolve the unions.) Pharmacists need to fight back. It’s a shame that APhA doesn’t fight for and protect pharmacists the way AMA does for physicians.
 
I don't see the problem here. Looks like a good gig.
 
researchpharma said:
It’s a shame that APhA doesn’t fight for and protect pharmacists the way AMA does for physicians.
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That’s mostly a myth. Go read any thread about the AMA. Most docs complain about them the same way we do about APhA.
 
owlegrad said:
That’s mostly a myth. Go read any thread about the AMA. Most docs complain about them the same way we do about APhA.
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Yes and no. AMA was and is much more malevolent about their business interests than APhA ever was. The old NARD, present NCPA was that hardnosed as well, because like the AMA, there's money riding on them succeeding. They have a bunch of political screwups in charge of politics now, but the committees that are actually effective are all there too, and their membership is restricted.

Kind of like pharmacy has a very influential NCPDP and SureScripts lobby that really does twist arms at the systems level, SureScripts and ArgusNet are the parties most responsible for dragging medicine kicking and screaming into the e-prescriber era, but 98% of all pharmacist don't have a clue about how they end up saving retail pharmacy jobs by their workflow impositions. Most physicians and even pharmacists don't even know they exist, let alone how much influence they have such that even AMA CPT and the joint HCSPCS committee has to deal with them collegially and not as inferiors.

My personal vote for the most powerful single person in pharmacy is not even a pharmacist. Her name is Margaret Weiker who was from Perot Systems but regardless of who she works for (I think she's currently the head for NCPDP nowadays), she always has the inner scoop about how to get the claim logistics to work, and if we as a professional group really understood how the WEDI and NUCC worked, I wouldn't be so sure that we'd ever leave it alone as getting that system right is that critical to our infrastructure. As it stands, Margaret is an able politician and administrator, knows basically every party in both government and industry and has good working relationships, but has no problem bringing down the hammer to make her will clear when she wants to. Everything that both makes your life easy and hard to get reimbursement, Margaret has had some say in that. But that sort of behind the scenes planning which gets downright Machiavellian is something that you never leave to the politicians, you leave to the real experts, and she's definitely the one I'd trust to look after those interests.
 
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TerryTerry said:
I don`t know what is the intention of post, but I am sure that there will be tons of people trying to get that job.
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It's to show the relatively low salary of $40/hr. Two years ago this would be unheard of. But compared to what retail offers today, this isn't bad.
 
mentos said:
It's to show the relatively low salary of $40/hr. Two years ago this would be unheard of. But compared to what retail offers today, this isn't bad.
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All I know is that there were tons of people working at $45/hour rate in independent pharmacies back in south florida since 2015.
$40/hour with benefits is actually not bad especially if they are willing to train brand new graduate with no experience.

I know some people here act like anything less than $55/hour rate is absolutely disgusting and insulting, but the reality is quite different now.
 
TerryTerry said:
All I know is that there were tons of people working at $45/hour rate in independent pharmacies back in south florida since 2015.
$40/hour with benefits is actually not bad especially if they are willing to train brand new graduate with no experience.

I know some people here act like anything less than $55/hour rate is absolutely disgusting and insulting, but the reality is quite different now.
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Yes considering the schedule (no weekends or evenings) and guaranteed 40 hours vs floating and fighting for more than 32 hours, this sounds awesome. Also this is in Texas where there is no income tax!
 
mentos said:
Yes considering the schedule (no weekends or evenings) and guaranteed 40 hours vs floating and fighting for more than 32 hours, this sounds awesome. Also this is in Texas where there is no income tax!
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I am not trying to be negative, but people who say they are thinking about leaving chains to keep their sanity will also be attracted to positions like these. This might not be an ideal job but there will be some people who would be willing to try it out. Independent pharmacist position with benefit is not very easy to find. Many owners are greedy a-holes who will just pay you 1099.

Some people I know work in similar environments. All they do is sign their names for dispensed sterile compoundings in closed door facility. They love it. Most headache stuffs are taken care by the PIC or individually assigned duty officials. For some people job like this can be good. Nothing is guaranteed, but it`s definitely better than having no job. Being able to put sterile pharmacy experience in the resume alone might make it worth spending some time there.
 
Lubeckd said:
minimum wage is 15 dollar in nyc. I think CA it is as well isnt it
no one will take that risk, in nyc alone 40 is standard even for new pharmacy
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Minimum wage is $12 in CA. In NYC I am reading that the minimum wage is $13.50 if your business has fewer than 11 employees and $15 if your business has 11+ employees. So something like this (small independent pharmacy) can legally get away with this.
 
Pharmacy is a Scam said:


$30k/year PIC posting today in CA. That’s approximately $14/hr. Like I said, I predict salaries will average out to $20-25/hr over the next few years.
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Look at the hours, 9:30-3:30 is 6 hours. Assume 30min for lunch, so it's only 5.5 hours x 5 days = 27.5 hours/week hence part time.

27.5 hours/week * 52 weeks/year = 1,430 hours/year
$30,000/year * 1 year/1,430 hours = $20.98/hour

Still ridiculous, but not $14/hr.
 
mentos said:
Look at the hours, 9:30-3:30 is 6 hours. Assume 30min for lunch, so it's only 5.5 hours x 5 days = 27.5 hours/week hence part time.

27.5 hours/week * 52 weeks/year = 1,430 hours/year
$30,000/year * 1 year/1,430 hours = $20.98/hour

Still ridiculous, but not $14/hr.
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Fair enough. But if PIC is $21/hr then staff is for sure <$20/hr. We haven’t hit rock bottom yet.
 
Pharmacy is a Scam said:


$30k/year PIC posting today in CA. That’s approximately $14/hr. Like I said, I predict salaries will average out to $20-25/hr over the next few years.
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What they mean to say is they need some "Cannon Fodder" until they file chapter 11. lol . until business picks up.....LMAO
 
mentos said:
You realize that a lot has changed in 2 years right? Chains used to give $60+/hr now they give $48-50/hr.
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Oh definitely. I've been told from my superiors to stay away from TX due to saturation and salary, and proof is in the pudding. That's all I was saying.

It has gotten exponentially worse nationwide since then, and every year will continue to do so.
 
cant stress how important it is to get in as a tech with a hospital...or very early on as an an intern. that is your ticket out of this retail nonsense . (i've never worked retail)
 
Problem is, in some areas where I have been, when I applied for tech jobs & said I was in pharmacy school, I was NOT hired. When I was an intern, a coworker with a GED, who had been a pharm tech at Walgreens, got job offers for pharm tech II & senior pharm tech jobs. She accepted one, getting over $50k/yr with benefits - NO College, NO loans, NO wasted time spent studying, & NO license to have at risk, so NO need for malpractice ins. More than a PGY1 - $45k/yr with numerous non-compensated hours for preparing presentations, even "community experience" , being re required to attend Midyear at MY expenses to SELL their program! Thanks APhA, Boards of Pharmacy, AACP, ASHP for not protecting pharmacists.
 
i worked with a tech, she was our buyer, she was making 80k going around the country doing training with pyxis.
 
lcow2004 said:
Can you PM me the link to this job? I would very much like to apply for it come with good benefits and good hours.
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I'm not sure how to PM you, but you can PM me and I'll reply back.
 
Doesn't look like a conventional position. I got an offer with similar salary for a medical science liaison position. There were some other industry positions with slightly bit higher pay. I was told that growth could be exponential with job security. Decided to take a PIC position at a well run independent in a small town. May consider if I end up not buying a pharmacy in the future though.
 
gwarm01 said:
Does "entry level" imply there is some sort of progression structure? Or is it code for cheap new grad?
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Usually it means "you know nothing, Jon Snow, so we have to train you on everything and wait who knows how long before you actually become productive and bring value instead of being a sunk cost" which is true for vast majority of new grads anyway...
 
Employed 2017 PharmD said:
Problem is, in some areas where I have been, when I applied for tech jobs & said I was in pharmacy school, I was NOT hired. When I was an intern, a coworker with a GED, who had been a pharm tech at Walgreens, got job offers for pharm tech II & senior pharm tech jobs. She accepted one, getting over $50k/yr with benefits - NO College, NO loans, NO wasted time spent studying, & NO license to have at risk, so NO need for malpractice ins. More than a PGY1 - $45k/yr with numerous non-compensated hours for preparing presentations, even "community experience" , being re required to attend Midyear at MY expenses to SELL their program! Thanks APhA, Boards of Pharmacy, AACP, ASHP for not protecting pharmacists.
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"Thanks APhA, Boards of Pharmacy, AACP, ASHP for not protecting pharmacists. "

And how do you suggest they protect us exactly? The market forces are way too potent of a force to stop much of anything. This situation may not be corrected in our lifetimes. Don't be mad at these orgs. Be mad the degree is too easy to earn now and the barriers of entry have been flattened.
 
LivingMyBestLife said:
"Thanks APhA, Boards of Pharmacy, AACP, ASHP for not protecting pharmacists. "

And how do you suggest they protect us exactly? The market forces are way too potent of a force to stop much of anything. This situation may not be corrected in our lifetimes. Don't be mad at these orgs. Be mad the degree is too easy to earn now and the barriers of entry have been flattened.
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Lol! Sure - you don’t have 2 accounts? You must have forgot that you are on your “super snowflake, naive, struggling homeless Walmart stocker account”. What I love most about this account is, above all else you still see the world as beautiful.
 
LivingMyBestLife said:
"Thanks APhA, Boards of Pharmacy, AACP, ASHP for not protecting pharmacists. "

And how do you suggest they protect us exactly? Don't be mad at these orgs. Be mad the degree is too easy to earn now and the barriers of entry have been flattened.
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What would you do to improve the situation? Higher PCAT and GPAs? Longer programs? Required residencies?
 
JustFillIt said:
Lol! Sure - you don’t have 2 accounts? You must have forgot that you are on your “super snowflake, naive, struggling homeless Walmart stocker account”. What I love most about this account is, above all else you still see the world as beautiful.
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No I only have this account. More than one account violates Student Doctors terms of service. Please review their ToS again.
 
LivingMyBestLife said:
I think regulatory action based on NAPLX pass rates. If a school does not have a 90% first time pass rate for the NAPLX they loose Federal funding for that year.
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Also need a baby version of the BCPS exam in place so students take in the third year of pharmacy school. Based on that score they can match into a PGY-1. Similar to medical school with their Step exams and Shelf exams
 
Rx1992 said:
Also need a baby version of the BCPS exam in place so students take in the third year of pharmacy school. Based on that score they can match into a PGY-1. Similar to medical school with their Step exams and Shelf exams
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Isn't that what they plan to do with the PCOA? When I took the exam as a third year, scores didn't really matter and were just used for us to gauge how we were doing compared to the national average. But our school administration claimed that at some point they will be a part of residency applications, similar to Step exams.
 
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