floater vs part time pharmacist ?

[MIRPh]

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Hi everyone,
I just got my RPh license last month in MI. Since I am a stay at home mom, I would prefer to work about 2-3 days/week i.e. 14-21 hrs.. This would give me a balance between home,work.. Am I being too optimistic that I can get what I ask for? With the above hours, any chance of getting one retail store or will I have to float?
My last question, can I specify which days & what shifts I want to work if I keep the above hrs or will I have a different work shift every week?

I'm sorry ,I rambled on.. I'm sort of out of the loop & appreciate ur suggestions..I just dont know what I can demand or expect in the present job situation. Thanks.

 

[R2pharmD2]

In my retail experience, new grads always start as floaters and have very little say over when/where/what shift they work. I've never heard of a retail pharmacist working only 7 hour shifts either. I'm not suggesting what you're looking for is impossible, but based on my experience it is improbable.

 

[farmadiazepine]

At least in my area, if you are part time, you can work once a week, once every 2 weeks, once every month, etc. I think its up to once every 6 months. I know of an RPh who works like once every 2 or 3 months. She does marketing for a pharmaceutical company as her main job, and she works at the retail chain like I said once every 2 or 3 months. That's it.

If you find a busy 24 hour store that has some time for over lap, like one of our stores, there are 6 or 7 hours shifts in which a pharmacist comes in at 2 pm and stays till 8 or 9 pm, then the overnight RPh comes in.

So what your asking is NOT unrealistic, but it is asking for much, because you can't simply be a new hire, have the company train you, and then you telling them you can only work on this and that day for only this and that many hours. You gotta be willing to compromise.

 

[MIRPh]

Yeah, thanks for both ur suggestions...I guess compromise is the name of the game..🙄
To add to the mess, my problem is after completing my intern hours in retail, I took a long break to study for naplex,mpje. So,I'm out of touch with the actual day to day work issues like how to work thru the continual insurance rejects in the comp. system etc. Assuming I get hired some place, are new hires given a training with the company's computer system and other responsiblities???
Like I said, I'm out of the loop,hope my doubts r not unfounded??😱 hee heee....Help.....Thanks

 

[clachan3]

Hi everyone,
I just got my RPh license last month in MI. Since I am a stay at home mom, I would prefer to work about 2-3 days/week i.e. 14-21 hrs.. This would give me a balance between home,work.. Am I being too optimistic that I can get what I ask for? With the above hours, any chance of getting one retail store or will I have to float?
My last question, can I specify which days & what shifts I want to work if I keep the above hrs or will I have a different work shift every week?

I'm sorry ,I rambled on.. I'm sort of out of the loop & appreciate ur suggestions..I just dont know what I can demand or expect in the present job situation. Thanks.

I think you would be better off working as a part time pharmacist. There are stores that need regular part time pharmacist. Hospitals should have part time positions also. That way you can just work at one location.

I personally did not like driving an hour to work. I did that for a year. My scheduler did not care about what shift I worked the day before. I would close at 10pm, drove an hour back home, then had to drive another hour to another location to open at 8am. I think that was ridiculous. I had no idea why I put up with it.

Which is why I don't think a lot of pharmacists would enjoy traveling long distance and have to go to different locations every time, but if it's between a few locations near where you live then it might be tolerable.

As far as what days or shifts you may have a very hard time finding a position that does not require any flexibility on your part, but you never know, there could be a perfect match somewhere