Hospital job - NOT what I was expecting

[Chain janitor]

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Hi guys, I need to get something off my chest. So I made the switch from retail to hospital a little over a year ago, after 8 brutal years in retail. I was hoping I would relearn all the material I forgot after school and actually apply it in practice.
Frankly, I just feel like a glorified retail Rph. Yes I do some "clinical monitoring" but that literally takes 15 minutes. Mostly I am tubing up meds, checking cart fills, entering piles of phone orders, and doing mundane stuff I can probably do being half asleep. I did gain extensive experience in the iv room, but even that gets repetitive after some time.
My complaint is I am not a MUCH better pharmacist, and I want to be. I just don't have the time read a patient chart, look at labs for more that 5-10 seconds, read up info for more than a minute.
Is this normal for a staff position elsewhere? If so, why do hospitals have a retail bias? My job can be done with a few weeks of training and minimal competence. In fact, hospital pharmacies would run better with retail converts. Most hospital RPhs I work with are worse than the laziest retail RPhs I have worked with over 8 years.

 

[BenJammin]

Welcome to hospital pharmacy. We hope you enjoy your stay, it's good to have you with us even if it's just for the day.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

There are lazy people in both settings, and everywhere in between.

It’s up to you to CE on your own time... read up on new guidelines, etc. There is retail bias because like you said, all the material you forgot while in retail. Renal adjusting, aminoglycoside dosing, etc. takes a quick refreshing but it isn’t difficult by any means. Retail is harder than hospital imo. I know several people who switched from retail to hospital and I’d rather work with them any day of the week than the lazy person who’s been in hospital for 20yrs and grown used to being a sack of chit.

All that said, I thank god daily for my hospital job.


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[owlegrad]

Most hospital RPhs I work with are worse than the laziest retail RPhs I have worked with over 8 years.

And here you have the reason for the bias IMO. In my experience it's the slowest/worst people who put down others the most.

 

[Saiyo]

Hospital staffing really isn't that hard and most of the stuff they grilled you on in school that "you need to know" never come up again. And it turns out the things you do need to know are pretty easy to pick up when you see the same things everyday.

 

[sosoo]

as a professional, there's no need to put down on anyone. all corners of pharmacy practice is valuable and appreciated. including those working from home, from mailing centers, or in the basement.

 

[BidingMyTime]

As others have said, in most front-line pharmacist jobs, be it hospital, retail, or even nursing home consulting.....the job is going to be fairly similar day end to day out. There is a reason we get paid to do the job, and it's not because it's a fun, exciting job. You are performing a helpful service, even when it's the same thing you do, day after day. Once in a rare while, you might see something completely new and different, but that isn't the bulk of anyone's job. Even specialized pharmacists....if one is working solely in the ER, or as a pysch pharmacist, they are going to get rusty on anything outside of that area.

You also probably know a lot more than you think you know, it's easy to take what is our pharmacist's "common knowledge" for granted, and forget that it's not "common knowledge" for most people outside of pharmacy.

Read pharmacy books, articles, magazines, CE's, to keep your knowledge base growing.

 

[gwarm01]

Putting in telephone orders? You guys need to get on that CPOE train. Entering telephone orders should be fairly rare.

 

[AlwaysContrary]

OP, another thing to realize is that most jobs (including medicine, dental, and midlevels) will always be repetitive. A friend of mine who is a family doc would always complain about writing prescriptions for people with colds and allergies all day.

 

[Seriously Serious]

A retail pharmacist is a STAFF pharmacist, and you are working as a STAFF pharmacist in the hospital.. there are hardly any differences in responsibilities. In fact, I was told that from a manager in a hospital that they particularly like hiring from retail because they are conditioned in harsher environments and they come in with lower expectations (no lunch breaks, working at an abnormal pace, etc.).

The bias and "knowledge gap" you hear about are from the resident / 'clinical' pharmacist positions. This comes from the fact they receive more training than your typical PharmD. These positions typically place them out of the hospital pharmacy where the STAFF pharmacists work.

 

[ornithoptor]

The difference is your retail vs hospital career path is that now you will be able to take on other roles in hospital setting. I am not just taking about clinical. If you don’t like routines at hospital, you have options of moving into managerial role, IT, finance, safety, procurement. If you are in a larger system, there are a lot exciting jobs around. For me, no two days are the same.
If you are ambitious, and seeking challenges, hospital is a great starting point, asking for projects and become subject matter expert, pave your own unique path.
Good luck.


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[Sparda29]

Hi guys, I need to get something off my chest. So I made the switch from retail to hospital a little over a year ago, after 8 brutal years in retail. I was hoping I would relearn all the material I forgot after school and actually apply it in practice.
Frankly, I just feel like a glorified retail Rph. Yes I do some "clinical monitoring" but that literally takes 15 minutes. Mostly I am tubing up meds, checking cart fills, entering piles of phone orders, and doing mundane stuff I can probably do being half asleep. I did gain extensive experience in the iv room, but even that gets repetitive after some time.
My complaint is I am not a MUCH better pharmacist, and I want to be. I just don't have the time read a patient chart, look at labs for more that 5-10 seconds, read up info for more than a minute.
Is this normal for a staff position elsewhere? If so, why do hospitals have a retail bias? My job can be done with a few weeks of training and minimal competence. In fact, hospital pharmacies would run better with retail converts. Most hospital RPhs I work with are worse than the laziest retail RPhs I have worked with over 8 years.

That's why hospital RPhs dislike retail RPhs, y'all don't fight for the right to be lazy.

At one of the hospitals I work at, there is an unspoken agreement among the pharmacists to only be quick on the STAT orders and take our sweet ass time with everything else.

 

[Chain janitor]

I should've mentioned I LOVE this job. I don't feel like I am at work 99% of the time. Its 1000x better than retail. Managers are great. I will probably work here as long as I am able.
When I started, I did read up on guidelines, protocols, drugs I wasn't familiar with for the first 3-4 months. However, I seldom, if ever need to know any of it. Of course I forgot most it. I was hoping I would get better with time And hopefully be that go to pharmacist some years down the line. But it is looking pretty bleak right now.
I would still never go back to retail by choice. I work at my old company once in a while just to remind myself how good I have it now.

 

[MrBonita]

I worked at a hospital pharmacy and have to agree with the statement on hospital pharmacist being slow and lazy. Its not the same environment. All pharmacist look at how many orders each has done and tries to make sure they don't do more. I just remember one pharmacist would always go up to the clock and change it 10 minutes fast so he could go home early.

 

[Fluffhead.D]

A retail pharmacist is a STAFF pharmacist, and you are working as a STAFF pharmacist in the hospital.. there are hardly any differences in responsibilities. In fact, I was told that from a manager in a hospital that they particularly like hiring from retail because they are conditioned in harsher environments and they come in with lower expectations (no lunch breaks, working at an abnormal pace, etc.).

The bias and "knowledge gap" you hear about are from the resident / 'clinical' pharmacist positions. This comes from the fact they receive more training than your typical PharmD. These positions typically place them out of the hospital pharmacy where the STAFF pharmacists work.

I’m trying to transition from retail/outpatient/compounding after a decade plus to hospital. Fully conditioned like a grunt and no hospital jobs to be found unfortunately. I hope your managers comments are true, because I’d be your guy!

 

[gwarm01]

The realities of hospital and clinical pharmacy never quite live up to the legends. I think it's common for newer pharmacists to feel disappointed in what they actually do. I once discussed this with a pediatric oncology pharmacy specialist and they felt the same way. I think the quote was something like "I just thought it was going to be something more."

I became much happier once I stopped chasing that dream. Maybe I've matured or maybe I'm just jaded, but I had a revelation after a series of dream jobs turned out to just be jobs.

Think about what you have. By virtue of working in a hospital you are already the envy of most pharmacy students, even the ones who currently scoff at the idea of "just staffing." You have a job that likely pays more than 90% of jobs in this country, working in a relatively clean and safe environment. You have breaks, you can go to the bathroom, you can get a cup of coffee (not exactly setting the bar high here but these are great perks for a pharmacist). You've got a job that probably isn't that hard, even on the bad days.

Consider your job problem taken care of. The job is locked down, you're good in that department. Now focus on the things in life that make you happy. Unless you are insane, those things are probably not related to pharmacy. Make that your priority.

 

[Saiyo]

. Unless you are insane, those things are probably not related to pharmacy.

"Choose a job you like and youll never work a day in your life" Are you sure you chose the right profession? Just kidding, everyone I know is pretty miserable, and I like to use that quote sarcastically around my friends.

 

[gwarm01]

"Choose a job you like and youll never work a day in your life" Are you sure you chose the right profession? Just kidding, everyone I know is pretty miserable, and I like to use that quote sarcastically around my friends.

I regularly get e-mails from a chartered fishing boat that I went on once. All I can think is that guy is living the life I'd rather have.

 

[Son_Goku]

Most people who hate their jobs really just hate the people that they work with/deal with.

 

[hye345]

Most people who hate their jobs really just hate the people that they work with/deal with.

This is true. Especially in pharmacy, Where once you get the learning curve, there isn’t a ton of variety. Nine times out of 10, coworkers make or break the situation.

 

[Sabril]

This is true. Especially in pharmacy, Where once you get the learning curve, there isn’t a ton of variety. Nine times out of 10, coworkers make or break the situation.

i work in independent and cannot agree enough on this. I work at the only pharmacist at my store and my two techs are my nightmare. They both hate each other (more than they hate me?) and both have seven millions times more attitude than talent. I wonder if this is also the common problem in hospital?

My friend worked for hospital for a while and he dreaded of the day-to-day politics. He took up the night shift and worked alone and could not be happier.

I am trying to find out what field of pharmacy that I can work alone and stay away from the politics as much as possible. As long as I keep that job and pay the bill I would be the happiest person on Earth. The only ones I can think off is someone who works the night shift and a nuclear pharmacist. Anyone cares to chime in? Thanks

 

[BidingMyTime]

i work in independent and cannot agree enough on this. I work at the only pharmacist at my store and my two techs are my nightmare. They both hate each other (more than they hate me?) and both have seven millions times more attitude than talent. I wonder if this is also the common problem in hospital?

Absolutely it is a problem. Politics and jr high schoolish popularity/cliqueish behavior is rampant in hospitals.

I worked in one toxic environment, back when daily carts were done, a technician told me that she thought another technician was switching out medicines in the cart after she had filled them. It wouldn't surprise me if that were true. That was the one and only job, when I realized my very first day on the job, that I had made a mistake in taking the job. I left within a year.

But yes, back-biting, passive-aggressive behavior tends to be the norm in hospitals, especially between departments.

 

[Sparda29]

i work in independent and cannot agree enough on this. I work at the only pharmacist at my store and my two techs are my nightmare. They both hate each other (more than they hate me?) and both have seven millions times more attitude than talent. I wonder if this is also the common problem in hospital?

My friend worked for hospital for a while and he dreaded of the day-to-day politics. He took up the night shift and worked alone and could not be happier.

I am trying to find out what field of pharmacy that I can work alone and stay away from the politics as much as possible. As long as I keep that job and pay the bill I would be the happiest person on Earth. The only ones I can think off is someone who works the night shift and a nuclear pharmacist. Anyone cares to chime in? Thanks

Night shift rocks because you can do whatever the **** you want. I did a few, and all I did was a couple of cart fills, STAT orders, and watch Netflix. Then I printed out all the med requests at 6AM and left them for the day shift to handle.

 

[SterlingMaloryArcher]

Pharmacy as a whole sounds like "just a job"

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Pharmacy as a whole sounds like "just a job"

Welcome to being an adult and the real world of working any job...


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[WVUPharm2007]

I tried to warn all of you. It's all the same **** in a different bag. Bitchy public...bitchy nurses. PCQ calls...poorly filled out med rec sheets. Insurance formularies...internal formularies. Blah blah... Blah blah.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Most people who hate their jobs really just hate the people that they work with/deal with.

Huh. I work alone. Don't mind my job at all. It's at CVS, too. The place everyone else seems to hate.

You might be onto something.

 

[pharmasaur]

I also agree after completing residency that inpatient practice is not as clinical as it was painted out to be...half the time I am retiming orders and answering phone calls about missing medications

 

[SELDANE]

Nuances between hospital and retail aside, pharmacy is essentially the transfer of product.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

I also agree after completing residency that inpatient practice is not as clinical as it was painted out to be...half the time I am retiming orders and answering phone calls about missing medications

Missing med = nurse won’t get off their fat arse and look for it...


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[Apotheker2015]

Most people who hate their jobs really just hate the people that they work with/deal with.

Techs, patients... um...store associates...

 

[lane one]

While most of you are correct that the jobs are similar, I think it's highly dependent on your facility. I get to see some wild stuff at my hospital, but granted its a major university medical center. Whoever said that co-worker matter also hit the nail on the head. Consider this difference between retail and hospital...

In a hospital pharmacy, the pharmacy technician is the least medically trained person that you work with.
In a retail pharmacy, they're the most medically trained that you work with.

Take a second to let that sink in...

 

[PharmDBro2017]

While most of you are correct that the jobs are similar, I think it's highly dependent on your facility. I get to see some wild stuff at my hospital, but granted its a major university medical center. Whoever said that co-worker matter also hit the nail on the head. Consider this difference between retail and hospital...

In a hospital pharmacy, the pharmacy technician is the least medically trained person that you work with.
In a retail pharmacy, they're the most medically trained that you work with.

Take a second to let that sink in...

Most medical trained... such as high school diploma?


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[Son_Goku]

While most of you are correct that the jobs are similar, I think it's highly dependent on your facility. I get to see some wild stuff at my hospital, but granted its a major university medical center. Whoever said that co-worker matter also hit the nail on the head. Consider this difference between retail and hospital...

In a hospital pharmacy, the pharmacy technician is the least medically trained person that you work with.
In a retail pharmacy, they're the most medically trained that you work with.

Take a second to let that sink in...

You've completely missed the point.

We don't care who is more educated.

We only care about who is going to bitch at us less.

 

[lane one]

Most medical trained... such as high school diploma?


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Exactly. Dealing with intelligent people is more enjoyable to me, but to each their own.

You've completely missed the point.

We don't care who is more educated.

We only care about who is going to bitch at us less.

Well then I obviously have no idea what you're talking about. If you're just trying to hide from people and not get bitched at you picked the wrong profession.

Personally I find educated people easier to deal with, but ymmv.

 

[Son_Goku]

Exactly. Dealing with intelligent people is more enjoyable to me, but to each their own.



Well then I obviously have no idea what you're talking about. If you're just trying to hide from people and not get bitched at you picked the wrong profession.

Personally I find educated people easier to deal with, but ymmv.

Don't know where you got that idea. I simply said I'd rather work with whoever is going to bitch at me less per verbatim.

Try not to make any more mistakes.

 

[Apotheker2015]

While most of you are correct that the jobs are similar, I think it's highly dependent on your facility. I get to see some wild stuff at my hospital, but granted its a major university medical center. Whoever said that co-worker matter also hit the nail on the head. Consider this difference between retail and hospital...

In a hospital pharmacy, the pharmacy technician is the least medically trained person that you work with.
In a retail pharmacy, they're the most medically trained that you work with.

Take a second to let that sink in...

Deep...

Retail pharmacist here. I’ve developed the ability to completely *tune out their conversations. It’s like I’m under water. They have to tap my shoulder to get my attention.
Stories about their dog, their cats, the boyfriend.

 

[lane one]

Deep...

Retail pharmacist here. I’ve developed the ability to completely out their conversations. It’s like I’m under water. They have to tap my shoulder to get my attention.
Stories about their dog, their cats, the boyfriend.

True that. It's an essential pharmacist skill.

 

[spacecowgirl]

The hospital where I interned was a hot mess, everyone was unhappy and the battles between nursing and pharm were terrible. The job I took after residency was completely the opposite. No backstabbing culture, great cooperation across departments - overall great place. The more removed the C-Suite people are, the worse the culture, in my n=2 experience.

True that. It's an essential pharmacist skill.

Essential life skill. That said, it does make work life better to have at least a base interest in your coworkers' lives. You spend more time with them than with your own family, I don't understand why people don't nurture their work relationships and then act surprised when there is conflict.