I don't want to work nights or weekends!

[sanderson]

I've got a question about being a working pharmacist. I'm haven't applied to pharmacy school yet... I want to be 100% sure that I want to be a pharmacist before I pull the trigger. I've done tons of research about the application process and school itself, but I want to know more about what it's like when you get your first job as a pharmacist. Is it possible to find jobs where you don't have to work nights or weekends? Or do most newly licensed pharmacists have to "pay their dues" so to speak and work at what most would consider "undesirable hours." I just hate the thought of having to work nights and/or weekends. Also, Do most pharmacists work about 40 hours per week?

I'm not a lazy person, I just want to work normal hours so I can be available when my family and friends have their free time! One of the reasons I'm looking into becoming a pharmacist is because they seem to have such flexible schedules.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

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[piyi]

I've got a question about being a working pharmacist. I'm haven't applied to pharmacy school yet... I want to be 100% sure that I want to be a pharmacist before I pull the trigger. I've done tons of research about the application process and school itself, but I want to know more about what it's like when you get your first job as a pharmacist. Is it possible to find jobs where you don't have to work nights or weekends? Or do most newly licensed pharmacists have to "pay their dues" so to speak and work at what most would consider "undesirable hours." I just hate the thought of having to work nights and/or weekends. Also, Do most pharmacists work about 40 hours per week?

I'm not a lazy person, I just want to work normal hours so I can be available when my family and friends have their free time! One of the reasons I'm looking into becoming a pharmacist is because they seem to have such flexible schedules.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

Almost all the pharmacists that I've worked with have had to work some weekends; they would usually share the weekends among themselves and ended up with one or two weekends per month.

But this is just from my perspective among a few retail pharmacies.

 

[jawnly211]

wrong career then



or

start up your own pharmacy when you pick and choose your schedule

 

[azPharmD2B]

If the thought of working nights or weekends scares you away from pharmacy then you're probably interested in the profession for all the wrong reasons. Knowing about the application process and pre-reqs has nothing to do with what a pharmacist actually does. Try volunteering someplace locally to get a better idea of the profession.

As was already mentioned, most weekend work is rotated so you end up working 1 or 2 weekends a month. I've never worked where they rotated night shift, but they did have daytime pharmacists oncall for evening shifts if needed. Some mail order and compounding pharmacies are only open bankers hours.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Look at managed care. Our pharmacists don't work nights or weekends.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Look at another profession besides healthcare. Nights, weekends and holidays are all part of the deal. People do not get sick only from 9-5, Monday thru Friday.

 

[penguins429]

i worked in a specialty mail order pharmacy that was only open monday through friday 9am to 6pm -- sounds like something you might be interested in .... but these pharmacies aren't all over the place like walgreen's or cvs, so you would really have to do some searching ...

 

[Pharmcdc]

Look at another profession besides healthcare. Nights, weekends and holidays are all part of the deal. People do not get sick only from 9-5, Monday thru Friday.

👍

 

[njac]

good for you. I want to work nights and weekends. that way I can sleep in and make the sweet differential. 26% after 7pm on weekends at our hospital.

 

[tussionex]

Look at another profession besides healthcare. Nights, weekends and holidays are all part of the deal. People do not get sick only from 9-5, Monday thru Friday.

i second that thumbs up!👍

 

[pinkyrx]

I've got a question about being a working pharmacist. I'm haven't applied to pharmacy school yet... I want to be 100% sure that I want to be a pharmacist before I pull the trigger. I've done tons of research about the application process and school itself, but I want to know more about what it's like when you get your first job as a pharmacist. Is it possible to find jobs where you don't have to work nights or weekends? Or do most newly licensed pharmacists have to "pay their dues" so to speak and work at what most would consider "undesirable hours." I just hate the thought of having to work nights and/or weekends. Also, Do most pharmacists work about 40 hours per week?

There are plenty of pharmacist jobs out there with "banker" type hours. Of course, there are more Walgreens and retail chains, but those jobs are out there.

Even if you don't get a 9-5 job, chances are you'll have more days off during the week because you work longer shifts. Those days off can certainly be rewarding.

 

[rxlynn]

Some independent pharmacies have more daytime hours and less night and weekend hours. Also, you might consider working in the pharmaceutical industry (medical liasion, regulatory, etc.) - those pharmacists have much more daytime, office type work, although I think many of them do have to travel a good bit.

 

[KUMoose]

If you only want to work 8-5 hours, you're options are really limited. Even industry doesn't work 8-5 because there are always projects that have to be done on an unfriendly time table.

I'd suggest reading the Pfizer guide and then find local pharmacists within the categories the pique your interest.

 

[sanderson]

Thanks for all your answers! I understand that people get sick all the time, not just 9-5 Monday through Friday. I just wanted to look more specifically into pharmacy careers that offered what you would call "bankers hours." That way I could have the best of both worlds... the ability to help people and a normal-ish schedule that would allow me to do all the things that I want to do personally. I wouldn't mind rotating and working some weekends... I just know I wouldn't do well working at night. Thanks to those who offered up some suggestions as to what specific pharmacy areas to look into that offer more daytime hours. Keep the suggestions coming if yall have any more!

 

[starsweet]

Look at managed care. Our pharmacists don't work nights or weekends.

Dumb question, but what do managed care pharmacists really do?

 

[deleted129840]

Dumb question, but what do managed care pharmacists really do?

Where I work it is mostly processing prior authorizations. Those with more training/experience also do formulary management, new drug reviews, drug utilization review, and so forth.

Shifts seem to be pretty steady regarding time of day on the weekdays (if you are hired into a day shift you would keep those hours). There is some weekend work required, I think, for the "front-line" call center people.

It does have the disadvantages of a typical office/desk job. and I think the people that are the best at it are those that are coming in with substantial retail and/or hospital experience. In general, despite pharmacist shortages, you would not tend to be hired into a M-F, no-weekends position without previous retail/hospital experience or a Pharm.D. + residency. Also you would be making substantially less $$ than in retail, unless you stayed for several years and went into a management position (with all the accompanying long hours and headaches).

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Don't listen to these people, if you are WILLING TO RELOCATE there are plenty of M-F 9-5 jobs. You might be bored out of your mind doing mind-numbing work, but it's steady. On the other hand, you could get a job in industry or something that's interesting as hell and has the same hours.

 

[Cellycel]

ohh mee too ..me too!..no weekends?? no nights!! Thatz what i want for xmas but I dont think ima get it tho!!

 

[Tessalon]

It does suck thinking about working evenings and nights, but it all depends on the area of pharmacy you want to go into. At our hospital we generally have "evening" and "midnight" pharmacists who consistently work those shifts, but when they go on vacation or need time off, the "dayshift" pharmacists will fill in. We also rotate to work every 3rd weekend - and that could mean day, evening, or nightshift. But there are some advantages to working a rotating schedule over always working weekdays - you can't really leave the hospital during your shift because you are so busy, so those days off give you time to get other things done during other people's "business hours."

You should also take into account that residency training can open up more doors as far as getting into a teaching role, industry, or a clinical specialist position, and they usually work business hours.

Pharmacy is also a good profession in terms of flexible schedules, too - which is something to think about in terms of having a family down the road. Basically don't let the nights and weekends scare you off. There are plenty of options.

 

[Fatpharm]

From what I found, pharmacy jobs with better quality of life pay less. The more regular jobs in retail would be the independents. They are not going to pay a lot comparatively to the chains.

With government jobs, you can't work over 40 hours and their is no overtime. The pay is low but there are very good benefits.

If you go clinical pharmacy, you more likely will get paid less and work more hours. You will have to do two years of residency for ~$40,000 a year. Then you will have to work ~60 hours a week for the same pay a chain would give you for 40 hours a week. People I talked to love their jobs and even though they have to work nights and weekends. They say their is some flexibility to their schedules.

 

[spacecowgirl]

From what I found, pharmacy jobs with better quality of life pay less. The more regular jobs in retail would be the independents. They are not going to pay a lot comparatively to the chains.

If you go clinical pharmacy, you more likely will get paid less and work more hours. You will have to do two years of residency for ~$40,000 a year. Then you will have to work ~60 hours a week for the same pay a chain would give you for 40 hours a week.

This is not true. I know there are clinical jobs that are 40 hours, pay > 100K and 1 year of residency. They are hard to find, but they are there.

 

[retiredrph]

If you really do not want to work other than m-f days then you need to take a long and careful look at pharmacy. I've known pharmacy for 40 years. I've worked in retail, clinic , hospital done drug utilization for an HMO etc. Basically worked in almost every practice area. There very very few jobs in pharmacy where you won't rotate weekends and second shifts. Most places with 24 hour service do have staff that only work the night shift. But at the minimum you will work some first shifts and second shifts weekends in some type of rotation. As long as you understand the odds of getting what I call a dream job in pharmacy (m-f days) are about 10% and you accept that then go to pharmacy school. If your not willing to accept a 90% chance of something other than m-f days then I would look at some other type of career. I have an MBA and used that to get out of the grind. Probably 70% of jobs are in retail. You have to be a special person to enjoy the rigors of todays retail pharmacy. I stongly suggest you visit your local pharmacist and explain your concerns and see if they will let you hang around or even give you a part time job. Then you can see up close and personal what retail is all about. What are your desires to regarding career advancement?

 

[pharmdinfl]

I would love a "banker hours" schedule too ...but for right now I'm doing the whole every other weekend and half evening/half morning shifts throughout the week. It's taken a lot of getting used to. As much as I love getting home early when I have the early shift, I also love the benefit of waking up late when I have the evening shift.

Eventually I'd like to find a job that does the 4-10 hour day shifts instead of working 5-8 hour shifts....I think I'd rather have more days off and work the 2 extra hours each day.

 

[octopus]

i work m-f 9-5 no nights, weekends, holidays. i'm a clinical pharmacist at a homecare infusion place in a big city. it's pretty sweet.

 

[dgroulx]

I hate working mornings. My favorite shift is 2pm to 10pm. I can sleep in, get in a good bike ride, run errands, then go to work. It's perfect.

 

[njac]

I hate working mornings. My favorite shift is 2pm to 10pm. I can sleep in, get in a good bike ride, run errands, then go to work. It's perfect.

exactly. as an intern I work 3-1130, my pharmacists work 1-1130. I think it's an ideal shift, I wouldn't be going to bed before midnight even if I got off at 5pm.

 

[sanderson]

Honestly, I haven't even given a lot of thought to the idea of career advancement. I was under the impression that there isn't so much of a "career ladder" to work your way up in the field of pharmacy. I know that if you work in retail you can advance to being a manager, and if you work in industry there are opportunities for advancement.

I've always been interested in heathcare and science. All throughout college, I thought I was going to go to medical school and become a doctor. Then after a lot of thought, I decided it wasn't for me. Since then I've looked into becoming a physician's assistant, getting an advanced degree in Biotechnology, and most recently, pharmacy. On the surface, pharmacy looks great. It had a lot of the attributes I was looking for in a profession: Science/medicine-oriented, the opportunity to help people, lots of variety in terms of the type of work you can do and the fields you can go into with your degree, flexible schedule (which clearly means something other than what I thought it did. I would think "flexibility" would mean that one could easily avoid working on nights and weekends if he/she wanted to. But from the responses I've seen here and other research that I've done, that is clearly not the case), integral part of a healthcare team, limitless job opportunities all over the country, increased demand for the profession in the coming years, good pay, etc. It all looks great on paper. But after digging further, I'm under the impression that working in retail is a complete nightmare and it's difficult to find jobs where you don't have to work night and/or weekends. And if you do work during the day as a clinical pharmacist, there's a good chance you'll be working an absurd number of hours per week (I shadowed a solid tumor oncology clinical pharmacist last week and she worked A LOT more than 40 hours per week). I'm sure those jobs exist, like you said, they're incredibly hard to come by. I guess I was just under the impression that they were more prevalent.

Thanks for your honesty! I really appreciate it.

 

[sanderson]

The above was supposed to be a reply to retiredrph's post! Sorry!

 

[smrtypntz]

i worked with a clinical pharmacist in research at the hospital and he seemed to have a pretty easy schedule. came in when he wanted to and left when he wanted. no weekends unless he wanted to come in. but i didnt see him do anything that was really specific to pharmacy. mainly answer the phone, schedule appts, look over docs to make sure they were right, interview patients,communicate with the PI's etc. It seemed pretty laid back really.

 

[eddie269]

Don't be so hard on the OP's questions. He's right in that one of the advantages of working as a pharmacist is its flexible schedule. If you really want to work those hours, look at independent pharmacies.

If you really want to be sneaky, work part time at 2 different places. You should look for a part time gig working maybe Mon-Wed and then fill in as a floater for another chain when needed. You can request filling in all unfilled Thurs-Fri shifts in the region (which I guarantee there will be slots open). You just might have to drive an hour each way and work in a very undesired location (1000plus scripts/day in the ghetto where robberies frequently occur) but hey, it'll fit your schedule.

IF I work retail, I personally want to find a pharmacy where I can rotate weekends or work 1 weekend every 3 weeks or something. I know many Kaiser pharmacists who request to work 6 days in a row and then enjoy a 4 day weekend/vacation.