How fast-paced is pharmacy?

[jjoeirv]

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When you work in a pharmacy, is it fast-paced like working in a fast-food restaurant? How many medications do you typically dispense to people in an 8-hour shift?

 

[jdpharmd?]

Originally posted by jjoeirv
When you work in a pharmacy, is it fast-paced like working in a fast-food restaurant? How many medications do you typically dispense to people in an 8-hour shift?

ALthough I would hardly compare pharmacy to working in a fast-food restaurant, retail can be pretty demanding. Our store has done anywhere from 60 to 600 prescriptions per 12 hour day (not including people picking up scripts done on previous days). There are so many other jobs that a pharmD can pursure, I hesitate to scare you away by saying that it is fast-paced, but there is a huge shortage of pharmacists right now and I'd have to say that usually it is pretty fast-paced. The good news is that it highly depends on where and when you work, and if you're looking for a slow store, I'm sure that you can find one. Avoid Mondays at all costs in a busy store! 😀

Jd

 

[Triangulation]

The store i'm in has a blistering pace about 80% of the time, fast pace about 15%, and maybe slow the other 5.

I guess that's what you're asking. If you're asking something more abstract. it's also very fast paced in terms of the innovations and opportunities in the field.

 

[pomelolover]

i work at a major retail chain in a suburban neighborhood and it is extremely busy all the time. there is hardly enough time take a bathroom break before customers start getting mad. last week we had a line all the way past aisle 1b. customers started signing a petition to say the the wait was too long (mind, u its a high-income socioeconomic demographic). with 2 pharmacists working the day shift 8-6pm and one pharmacist from 6-10 pm we shell out about anywhere from 200 scripts to 1000 scripts a day. we are the busiest pharmacy in the vicinity of about 10 miles. i am sure other pharmacies are busy/busier like this too. i worked at a independant compounding pharmacy which was much slower but still feverishly busy.

 

[LVPharm]

Originally posted by jjoeirv
When you work in a pharmacy, is it fast-paced like working in a fast-food restaurant? How many medications do you typically dispense to people in an 8-hour shift?

The retail pharmacy I intern at is a rather low volume store, but that's because it's located in a rural, but developing suburb of Las Vegas.

Fast-paced? It depends on the location (like in my case), and the type of pharmacy:
Supermarket and mass-merchandiser pharmacies tend to have a lower volume (pharmacies in "warehouse stores" seem to be exceptions). The retail chains will tend to have the higher volume stores (and drive-thru's....which are VERY "fast-food-like" 😡 )

I know quite a few pharmacists who thrive on a fast, but manageable pace...it keeps you busy and makes the 12 hour day go by quicker. If this doesn't appeal to you, just remember there is more to that degree than working retail; but if you should decide that you wanted to work retail, you get to choose the setting.