Is Pharmacy still in Demand?

[samtron77v]

Hi I am a pre-pharmacy student. when I started my education 2 years ago all I heard about pharmacy was that you can get a job virtually anywhere you wished to work with the hours you wished to have.

Now online I see a lot of different views. Now people are saying it's very hard to find a job as a pharmacist and there is too much saturation of pharmacists and in order to get jobs you must intern for a few years. Also that you will get very odd hours.

Is this true? I am asking not from sources but for people who have pharm D's and are applying or were applying for jobs. Was it hard to find a job? which area are you from? how many hours did you have to work?

I'd appreciate a honest reply so much because I am having second thoughts into this field based on what I am hearing now.

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[BrightLight]

Truth never penetrates an unwilling mind.
--J. L. Borges

 

[StevePerry]

I'd appreciate a honest reply so much because I am having second thoughts into this field based on what I am hearing now.

To answer your question there hoss, I do believe your mother is still in demand.

 

[StevePerry]

Truth never penetrates an unwilling mind.
--J. L. Borges

Had to complement the dignified high road approach to that one.

 

[phathead]

I know many pharmacists who now have to flip burgers at local fast food establishments.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Like my mother always said, if you have to ask, the answer is "no".

 

[aussiepharmer]

.

 

[naus]

Had to complement the dignified high road approach to that one.

compliment

 

[harrybarry]

If any of you know of any areas hiring pharmacists, please let me know. My loan payments are about to kick in and I'm still unemployed.

 

[phathead]

Have they passed all their license requirements to truly become a pharmacist?

Yep. Pharmcokinetics also double as a way to make a killer pattie.

 

[NaOH]

Yep. Pharmcokinetics also double as a way to make a killer pattie.

Maybe I'll see if Frito-Lay will hire me back. I could work on ways to improve the shelf life of Doritos. Or a sustained release formulation that would fend off the munchies all day long!

 

[SHC1984]

It was 10 years ago.

 

[xtsukiyox]

Or a sustained release formulation that would fend off the munchies all day long!

But why would they want that? Wouldn't they want a sustained release formula to INCREASE munchies?

 

[NaOH]

But why would they want that? Wouldn't they want a sustained release formula to INCREASE munchies?

It's cool, we'll just charge what 3 normal bags would cost.

 

[owlegrad]

It's cool, we'll just charge what 3 normal bags would cost.

Not to mention patent life extensions preventing Nabisco from trying to market a generic version.

 

[rxlea]

Yeah, we can add more pepper to the chip and call it a new type of Dorito that we charge more for

 

[owlegrad]

Yeah, we can add more pepper to the chip and call it a new type of Dorito that we charge more for

Or just claim a new indication (instead of treating occasional munchies perhaps it can treat...empty stomach syndrome?) and BAM! new snack product with market exclusivity.

 

[BrightLight]

If any of you know of any areas hiring pharmacists, please let me know. My loan payments are about to kick in and I'm still unemployed.

Another pharmacist told me that Fresno and Madera are still need pharmacists, and both are in California which seems a popular state for many pharmacists to practice. But again, he is old.

 

[njac]

To answer your question there hoss, I do believe your mother is still in demand.

👍

 

[njac]

Another pharmacist told me that Fresno and Madera are still need pharmacists, and both are in California which seems a popular state for many pharmacists to practice. But again, he is old.

good luck getting a California license in less than 3 months from start to finish.

 

[MountainPharmD]

To answer your question there hoss, I do believe your mother is still in demand.

Best answer ever!

 

[Trent Steele]

Hi I am a pre-pharmacy student. when I started my education 2 years ago all I heard about pharmacy was that you can get a job virtually anywhere you wished to work with the hours you wished to have.

Now online I see a lot of different views. Now people are saying it's very hard to find a job as a pharmacist and there is too much saturation of pharmacists and in order to get jobs you must intern for a few years. Also that you will get very odd hours.

Is this true? I am asking not from sources but for people who have pharm D's and are applying or were applying for jobs. Was it hard to find a job? which area are you from? how many hours did you have to work?

I'd appreciate a honest reply so much because I am having second thoughts into this field based on what I am hearing now.

get out now.

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

Right now, it's not too bad. If you're flexible, you should end up with a job. I think in two years, it will be tough. With all the total # of schools graduating their classes, the supply will go up. If the economy is not drastically better by then . . .

 

[StevePerry]

compliment

No I actually did mean complement b/c I decided to take the jackass approach in my initial post to balance BrightLight's thoughtful quote response to the OP...

Jeez dude, I know my grammar, it's not like I went to D'Youville for undergrad or anything...

 

[MountainPharmD]

No I actually did mean complement b/c I decided to take the jackass approach in my initial post to balance BrightLight's thoughtful quote response to the OP...

Jeez dude, I know my grammar, it's not like I went to D'Youville for undergrad or anything...

Whats wrong with D'Youville? I heard its like D'bomb yo.

 

[lorain]

Right now, it's not too bad. If you're flexible, you should end up with a job. I think in two years, it will be tough. With all the total # of schools graduating their classes, the supply will go up. If the economy is not drastically better by then . . .

thats what my projection is also talking with different industry folks in my dealings

in the next 2 years, you *should be fine provided you can move....after that, who knows? if the economy picks up and companies expand, it'll help a bit

 

[PharmaTope]

short answer: NO

 

[moissanite69]

5 yrs ago: yes.
Now: No
Future: Who knows, but the surplus of pharmacists + new grads tell me that it's a big NO.

 

[SHC1984]

thats what my projection is also talking with different industry folks in my dealings

in the next 2 years, you *should be fine provided you can move....after that, who knows? if the economy picks up and companies expand, it'll help a bit

So anyone graduating AFTER 2013 is f*cked?? Well thank god I graduate in 2013.

 

[Hello2011]

Pharmacy has waaaay more demand than most jobs that pay 30k a year!

 

[lorain]

So anyone graduating AFTER 2013 is f*cked?? Well thank god I graduate in 2013.

again its just projections, things can improve

the problem is that companies are building stores at a slower rate than b4

but there are other avenues i see opening for rph, although they wont pay as much as retail.

my recommendation is for pre pharms to get out, and for in schoolers to become as clinically strong as possible

 

[SHC1984]

my recommendation is for pre pharms to get out, and for in schoolers to become as clinically strong as possible

👍

I agree 100%. Pre-pharms should def look into other fields that make more money with better job security. I know I would.

And pharmacy students have to try to be the best and be better than everyone else in pharmacy. Only the best will get jobs. The C=degree students are going to be out of luck. 🙁

 

[VCU07]

again its just projections, things can improve

the problem is that companies are building stores at a slower rate than b4

but there are other avenues i see opening for rph, although they wont pay as much as retail.

my recommendation is for pre pharms to get out, and for in schoolers to become as clinically strong as possible

This! I told one of my long time friends to look into other fields. She declined and will be starting pharmacy school next year. It may end up being the biggest mistake of her life assuming things continue as they are 😕

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

thats what my projection is also talking with different industry folks in my dealings

in the next 2 years, you *should be fine provided you can move....after that, who knows? if the economy picks up and companies expand, it'll help a bit

I ran two projection analyses. One involved mostly hard numbers via pharmacy manpower, # pharmacists over 65, projected economy data, and # grads in next few years. For the other one, I used mostly anecdotal data (what I've seen and what I've heard from other people). The hard data analysis projected the overall demand to slightly exceed supply for the next 2-3 years. After that, supply reaches and eventually exceeds demand. For the anecdotal analysis, it was 2 years.

 

[moolman]

My view is that pharmacy is just turning into any field where you have to compete and look for jobs. It used to be that if you were breathing and had a license you could find a job easily. It's still possible to find a job even in sacred LA or SF if you look carefully and network. You have to start doing things to make yourself stand out from the crowd, just like the other professions. I'm in CA, so I can only speak for my area.

People who graduated this year had a fairly hard time jobs but it was about the same as last year. It took some people months but eventually they found something. Even if it was out in the middle of central CA, they still found a job. The good interviewers were immediately hired and found jobs, just like any other profession. Some people even found jobs in LA and the bay area, so don't dispair. Most of them networked, did rotations there, knew someone, etc.

In NorCal, it's going to be a hell storm up here next year when the new school in Sac CNCP graduates their first class. What is it, 90 new people. It was hard enough finding jobs without these 90 people this year. I don't think we're going to see depressed wages of $40 an hour but we will start to see in CA, a slow down in increases. Wages will be stuck and not increase with inflation and while pharmacist will be well paid, not at the level we once were because no matter what kind of pharmacy you do or where you work, the wages at CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid matter to you. When those people get raises, you eventually get a raise, even if you are upper management, when they get a raise, you eventually get a raise. Even if you work at a hospital, your hospital has to raise your wages to keep up with CVS. So it does matter.

These selfish people opening up FOR PROFIT pharmacy schools are lining their pockets with money from the rest of the profession and sadly we're powerless to do anything about it. We're not to the point where Law schools are at but in CA with this new school in Sac and the 4 other schools, in Long Beach, Oakland, Fresno and North Hollywood opening up next year, they are raping the profession for a couple of bucks.