How pharmacy works after graduation?

[pharmacy1012]

Hello,
I am entering pharmacy school in the fall of 2018 and am starting to get second thoughts about it. How does the pharmacy outlook look for graduates in 4 years? Also after graduation will getting hours be a problem even if you do get hired for a position in retail? Regarding hospital pharmacy any information would be helpful as I am only really familiar with retail right now. I've been looking more and more into pharmacy and am trying to decide if it really is the job for me while I still have the time to change my mind. I am 19 years old and in a 2 year pre-pharmacy program and am expected to matriculate to pharm school this upcoming fall.

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[zelman]

Things look bleak.

 

[Godsgirl16]

Hello,
I am entering pharmacy school in the fall of 2018 and am starting to get second thoughts about it. How does the pharmacy outlook look for graduates in 4 years? Also after graduation will getting hours be a problem even if you do get hired for a position in retail? Regarding hospital pharmacy any information would be helpful as I am only really familiar with retail right now. I've been looking more and more into pharmacy and am trying to decide if it really is the job for me while I still have the time to change my mind. I am 19 years old and in a 2 year pre-pharmacy program and am expected to matriculate to pharm school this upcoming fall.

I’m 20 in my first year of pharm school so I kind of know what it was like in your shoes a year ago. Although retail is a big part of Pharmacy and has little requirements besides PharmD after graduation, other fields like hospital, industry, clinical, research may require some residency and/or fellowship after you graduation. If you like working with patients and educating them on their medications as well as being part of a team, then Pharmacy may be for you. Keep in mind that unlike a decade or two ago, you have to maintain a somewhat “competitive profile” throughout school if you want a residency or some jobs for that matter.

 

[PharmacistFl12]

Hello,
I am entering pharmacy school in the fall of 2018 and am starting to get second thoughts about it. How does the pharmacy outlook look for graduates in 4 years? Also after graduation will getting hours be a problem even if you do get hired for a position in retail? Regarding hospital pharmacy any information would be helpful as I am only really familiar with retail right now. I've been looking more and more into pharmacy and am trying to decide if it really is the job for me while I still have the time to change my mind. I am 19 years old and in a 2 year pre-pharmacy program and am expected to matriculate to pharm school this upcoming fall.

Just to put in perspective, here in Florida in one district there are about 30 Rph waiting to get enough hours just to keep their full-time position. Because of the glut, companies are hiring many floaters and not giving them full-time hours.

 

[phuongkim]

For sure the market is not good for pharmacist with retail experience. CVS let me go after working 15 years with them and replaced me with a new grad. It's been almost 10 months and havent found anything other than some per diem here and there for independents. I guess the positive is I get to spend more time with my boys and do more mommy stuff but overall it's been rough.

 

[Lnsean]

people that were hired the previous year are still trying to get 40 hours/week in my district.

 

[lord999]

And I'm seeing something along the lines of 40-50 applicants per industry/academic partnership fellowship where there used to be 10, and the applications are much more competitive. My Rutgers colleagues have to screen in the triple digits per position right now. It's not easy in the specialty fields either. The trajectory of the profession is toward labor pooling of pharmacists and even hospital is seen as a low/no growth area.

If you're wanting to fight for the privilege of working as a pharmacist even after graduation, come on in. However, this profession will no longer be a full career option for the bottom performers.

 

[mentos]

Amazon will probably destroy the retail industry by the time you graduate. It has already hurt cvs and wag stock prices just from considering entering the field.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Run the other way. It is only going to get worse. It is definitely not worth it to take out $200k+ in loans to go into this profession.

 

[donromeo]

Anything goes anyway

 

[imcallingcorp]

Just to put in perspective, here in Florida in one district there are about 30 Rph waiting to get enough hours just to keep their full-time position. Because of the glut, companies are hiring many floaters and not giving them full-time hours.

so sad. out her in jersey just as bad

 

[imcallingcorp]

For sure the market is not good for pharmacist with retail experience. CVS let me go after working 15 years with them and replaced me with a new grad. It's been almost 10 months and havent found anything other than some per diem here and there for independents. I guess the positive is I get to spend more time with my boys and do more mommy stuff but overall it's been rough.

I know the feeling. after selling my store having no luck finding a job. been actively lookin for about 2 months

 

[Momus]

Hello,
I am entering pharmacy school in the fall of 2018 and am starting to get second thoughts about it. How does the pharmacy outlook look for graduates in 4 years? Also after graduation will getting hours be a problem even if you do get hired for a position in retail? Regarding hospital pharmacy any information would be helpful as I am only really familiar with retail right now. I've been looking more and more into pharmacy and am trying to decide if it really is the job for me while I still have the time to change my mind. I am 19 years old and in a 2 year pre-pharmacy program and am expected to matriculate to pharm school this upcoming fall.

No.

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

The job market does not look good and 200k in loans is not worth it. The return on investment just does not make sense.

I love my job but I would not risk going to pharmacy school today if I was your age.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

And I'm seeing something along the lines of 40-50 applicants per industry/academic partnership fellowship where there used to be 10, and the applications are much more competitive. My Rutgers colleagues have to screen in the triple digits per position right now. It's not easy in the specialty fields either. The trajectory of the profession is toward labor pooling of pharmacists and even hospital is seen as a low/no growth area.

If you're wanting to fight for the privilege of working as a pharmacist even after graduation, come on in. However, this profession will no longer be a full career option for the bottom performers.

We're interviewing for PRN people right now, and the absolute trash I have to sort through from 2015 grads is astounding.

 

[quickpic007]

We're interviewing for PRN people right now, and the absolute trash I have to sort through from 2015 grads is astounding.

Humor us!!!

 

[pharmacy1012]

The pharmacy manager that I work under currently as a tech has told me before he really enjoys my work ethic and would basically have a job lined up for me after graduation. Of course there is no way to know how many hours I would get and my salary, but knowing this should this be enough to change my mind about continuing in the pharmacy path? By the time I graduate I would have over 6 year of experience at a Walgreens pharmacy. Other things I have been considering is possibly PA (and researching med school also).

 

[PharmDBro2017]

The pharmacy manager that I work under currently as a tech has told me before he really enjoys my work ethic and would basically have a job lined up for me after graduation. Of course there is no way to know how many hours I would get and my salary, but knowing this should this be enough to change my mind about continuing in the pharmacy path? By the time I graduate I would have over 6 year of experience at a Walgreens pharmacy. Other things I have been considering is possibly PA (and researching med school also).

In 4-5 years or however long it takes you to graduate with a PharmD, that position will be taken by someone else.

 

[Modest_anteater]

And I'm seeing something along the lines of 40-50 applicants per industry/academic partnership fellowship where there used to be 10, and the applications are much more competitive. My Rutgers colleagues have to screen in the triple digits per position right now. It's not easy in the specialty fields either. The trajectory of the profession is toward labor pooling of pharmacists and even hospital is seen as a low/no growth area.

If you're wanting to fight for the privilege of working as a pharmacist even after graduation, come on in. However, this profession will no longer be a full career option for the bottom performers.

Great post. Very articulate and powerful.

 

[Lnsean]

The pharmacy manager that I work under currently as a tech has told me before he really enjoys my work ethic and would basically have a job lined up for me after graduation. Of course there is no way to know how many hours I would get and my salary, but knowing this should this be enough to change my mind about continuing in the pharmacy path? By the time I graduate I would have over 6 year of experience at a Walgreens pharmacy. Other things I have been considering is possibly PA (and researching med school also).

lol...this is so cute

 

[Amicable Angora]

Hello,
I am entering pharmacy school in the fall of 2018 and am starting to get second thoughts about it. How does the pharmacy outlook look for graduates in 4 years? Also after graduation will getting hours be a problem even if you do get hired for a position in retail? Regarding hospital pharmacy any information would be helpful as I am only really familiar with retail right now. I've been looking more and more into pharmacy and am trying to decide if it really is the job for me while I still have the time to change my mind. I am 19 years old and in a 2 year pre-pharmacy program and am expected to matriculate to pharm school this upcoming fall.

It's difficult to predict exactly how the market will change in the 4-5 years that it takes you to finish your education. The overall sentiment is that things are going downhill. Perhaps a more reliable gauge is asking yourself what bottom-line, worst case scenario you are okay with. Hospital pharmacy is nice and all, but if you are not ready or willing to accept the possibility that you will be working retail (the majority of people do), absolutely do not continue to pharmacy school. If you are not willing to float or work undesirable shifts - ex: evenings or nights - you may want to reconsider.

 

[PharmacistFl12]

The pharmacy manager that I work under currently as a tech has told me before he really enjoys my work ethic and would basically have a job lined up for me after graduation. Of course there is no way to know how many hours I would get and my salary, but knowing this should this be enough to change my mind about continuing in the pharmacy path? By the time I graduate I would have over 6 year of experience at a Walgreens pharmacy. Other things I have been considering is possibly PA (and researching med school also).

That pharmacy manager is so full of it. Don't believe a single word from him. He's just saying that to get you to work hard for him. First of all, he has no say as to who gets hired (trust me I know, I work for WAGs). In 4-5 years when you graduate, he might be out of a job too if the script volume at his store is not high enough.

 

[PangoPillPusher]

In my division at my company, they just fired 8 pharmacists and we're still 17 heavy. Some of the ones that were fired had 15+ years with the company. But it's cheaper to replace them with a new grad if need be. Every pharmacist is scared about their job there. We also have a floater who had been super casual (about 1-2 shifts per period) until they were fired from their hospital job. It's been 18 months and they still haven't found anything.

Bleak is putting it very mildly.

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[PangoPillPusher]

The pharmacy manager that I work under currently as a tech has told me before he really enjoys my work ethic and would basically have a job lined up for me after graduation. Of course there is no way to know how many hours I would get and my salary, but knowing this should this be enough to change my mind about continuing in the pharmacy path? By the time I graduate I would have over 6 year of experience at a Walgreens pharmacy. Other things I have been considering is possibly PA (and researching med school also).

Your manager might not even be there or with the company by then. Plus, the hiring and firing and placement of pharmacists isn't up to them.

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[pharmacy1012]

In my division at my company, they just fired 8 pharmacists and we're still 17 heavy. Some of the ones that were fired had 15+ years with the company. But it's cheaper to replace them with a new grad if need be. Every pharmacist is scared about their job there. We also have a floater who had been super casual (about 1-2 shifts per period) until they were fired from their hospital job. It's been 18 months and they still haven't found anything.

Bleak is putting it very mildly.

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Would you be willing to say in which area you work at and what company? I’m wondering if this is a problem everywhere or just in the major city areas.

 

[PangoPillPusher]

Would you be willing to say in which area you work at and what company? I’m wondering if this is a problem everywhere or just in the major city areas.

I am in the Midwest, I'm in a rural area as is the above mentioned floater, but our division spans from rural to midsized and large cities. This problem is actually affecting our entire corporation, which is nationwide under several names/banners. It doesn't matter that business keeps increasing either.

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[quickpic007]

In my division at my company, they just fired 8 pharmacists and we're still 17 heavy. Some of the ones that were fired had 15+ years with the company. But it's cheaper to replace them with a new grad if need be. Every pharmacist is scared about their job there. We also have a floater who had been super casual (about 1-2 shifts per period) until they were fired from their hospital job. It's been 18 months and they still haven't found anything.

Bleak is putting it very mildly.

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reading this type of post really makes me reflect on the lens through which I see pharmacy. How is this situation even possible in retail? Is my part of the country so unbelievably bad that all major national retailers have been consistently hiring since I graduated 4 years ago? Some even with sign on of 30K.

maybe i should go back to OT hogging and sock away more money.

 

[Modest_anteater]

In my division at my company, they just fired 8 pharmacists and we're still 17 heavy. Some of the ones that were fired had 15+ years with the company. But it's cheaper to replace them with a new grad if need be. Every pharmacist is scared about their job there. We also have a floater who had been super casual (about 1-2 shifts per period) until they were fired from their hospital job. It's been 18 months and they still haven't found anything.

Bleak is putting it very mildly.

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"it's been 18 months and they still haven't found anything"
Walmart is always hiring. Not as a pharmacist but maybe as a stocker or greeter or cashier. After 6 months unemployment runs out so best to get a job by then. Also the bigger the gap in ur resume the more it looks like you are damaged goods and companies will avoid you like the plague.

 

[Saiyo]

Walmart is always hiring. Not as a pharmacist but maybe as a stocker or greeter or cashier. .

......zzzzz