Is pharmacy still worth it?

[mitrieD]

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As someone who is interested in pharmacy but still undecided, is pharmacy worth it anymore? Is it as saturated as people make it out to be? I don't mind having to move across the country for a job since I wouldn't expect to find a job opening near me. Is the job security bad? I'm asking here since I figure pharm students and grads would know better than pre-pharms. Anyways thanks for taking the time to read this post.

 

[KillaQueen]

As someone who is interested in pharmacy but still undecided, is pharmacy worth it anymore? Is it as saturated as people make it out to be? I don't mind having to move across the country for a job since I wouldn't expect to find a job opening near me. Is the job security bad? I'm asking here since I figure pharm students and grads would know better than pre-pharms. Anyways thanks for taking the time to read this post.

This question is asked maybe once a week. Use the search bar in the top right hand corner.

 

[Lnsean]

If you love pharmacy then do it. If you're in it for the job security and money...the good days are behind us.

 

[mentos]

As someone who is interested in pharmacy but still undecided, is pharmacy worth it anymore? Is it as saturated as people make it out to be? I don't mind having to move across the country for a job since I wouldn't expect to find a job opening near me. Is the job security bad? I'm asking here since I figure pharm students and grads would know better than pre-pharms. Anyways thanks for taking the time to read this post.

No. Yes. Yes.

 

[mitrieD]

No. Yes. Yes.

Why in your opinion?

 

[AlwaysContrary]

You've come to the wrong forum to ask this question. SDN can be a cold, dark place.

 

[Triple Cheeseburger]

As someone who is interested in pharmacy but still undecided, is pharmacy worth it anymore? Is it as saturated as people make it out to be? I don't mind having to move across the country for a job since I wouldn't expect to find a job opening near me. Is the job security bad? I'm asking here since I figure pharm students and grads would know better than pre-pharms. Anyways thanks for taking the time to read this post.

Saturated to some degree, definitely more pharmacists than positions but that doesn't mean you can't find work.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I would not advice anyone to go into pharmacy school now - like other said, search and you will find tons of responses on this.
That being said, we do have trouble finding good qualified experienced RPhs, but have tons of non-qualified applicants, and eventually we find good people.

There are simply to many other options with better job security that you can go into without taking out crazy loans. IF you were a superstar that got great scholarships - I would say to still go for it, the problem is that it is so hard to stick out from the crowd with so many grads. Plus retail is turning into sweatshop like work conditions (that might be an exaggeration, but not to far considering what I hear)

 

[Charcoales]

No. Tons of debt. Get to be middlemen who get yelled at by patients and docs. Have to deal with the inefficient, slow healthcare system that makes you want to rip your hair out. True salary is 50% after taxes/401k/insurance... If you work retail you better pray you get a slowish store otherwise prepare to be demeaned daily and asked to do the impossible (basically forced to cut corners often and hope you aren't the one on someone's list to be cut)

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

The pharmacy forum on SDN should have a giant warning label like cigarette packs:

"WARNING: this career causes saltiness and feelings of lack of fulfillment"

 

[DrVader]

As someone who is interested in pharmacy but still undecided, is pharmacy worth it anymore? Is it as saturated as people make it out to be? I don't mind having to move across the country for a job since I wouldn't expect to find a job opening near me. Is the job security bad? I'm asking here since I figure pharm students and grads would know better than pre-pharms. Anyways thanks for taking the time to read this post.

If you're pre pharmacy now, but the time you become a pharmacist, you won't be able to find a job. Can people find jobs now? Yes, of course. But by the time you become a pharmacy, the field will be super pharmacy.

 

[boriqua]

Only if you a go-getta and good at getting connects. If you just plan on going to school for 6 years and nerding it out and then expect to get a job afterwards, no

 

[mitrieD]

If you're pre pharmacy now, but the time you become a pharmacist, you won't be able to find a job. Can people find jobs now? Yes, of course. But by the time you become a pharmacy, the field will be super pharmacy.

How did the pharmacy school board (or whatever it's called) allow for so many schools to open up? This resulted in essentially making many pharmacists unemployed with a lot of debt after so much investment. Med schools and dental schools are doing a good job with population control so what happened here?

 

[AlwaysContrary]

dental schools are doing a good job with population control

run on over to the dental forum and you will see that you are incredibly wrong. Grass is always greener

 

[PharmtoCS]

Definitely not. The large amount of loans you will end up taking out + the 4 years you will spend in school is not worth the payoff.

There are other professions, i.e. computer programming, finance, accounting, engineering, etc. that offer better job prospects and work conditions and do not require you to take out $200k+ in loans and spend another 4 years of your life in school.

 

[PAtoPharm]

run on over to the dental forum and you will see that you are incredibly wrong. Grass is always greener

In the case of dentistry vs. pharmacy -- yes, the grass really is greener on the dentistry side of the chance. Regardless of which source you reference, the job market projections for dentists are much better than those for pharmacists (based on BLS and HRSA stats). In fact, according to the HRSA, dentistry is one of the only health professions that is projected to have a SHORTAGE of practitioners in 10 years. Maybe new grads are having a hard time finding jobs in large, desirable cities, but according to the stats, at least, their field is much better off than pharmacy's (and will continue to be).

 

[MrBonita]

The golden age of pharmacy was walgreens and cvs expanding in the 90s till now. Then you had target, walmart, kroger all deciding to open pharmacies in store with 4 dollar rx in the year 2000. All that expansion is maxed out. To arrive soon, amazon.com to offer free same day home delivery of medications and huge discounts and the pharmacy retails will collapse just like the big strip malls. That is the general thinking of some Wall Street analyst as RAD, WBA and CVS have all been downgraded and values of the stocks have gone down. If you like Jim Cramer, he thinks pharmacy is on the rise. Best thing to do if you really want to go to pharmacy is first work or volunteer in outpatient and inpatient pharmacy settings. Then only accept admission to affordable public pharmacy schools and avoid degree mills that put you in dept till death.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

I'm going to copy and paste your sig into my sig. Is that ok? What a handy sig....

 

[DrVader]

How did the pharmacy school board (or whatever it's called) allow for so many schools to open up? This resulted in essentially making many pharmacists unemployed with a lot of debt after so much investment. Med schools and dental schools are doing a good job with population control so what happened here?

You have to think like a businessman. More schools mean more fees, more power to the boards. Ultimately, pharmacies sell you a dream, they don't care about you once you finish the program. Everyone...no matter what their degree need to see universities for what they are and that is a business.

 

[Son_Goku]

Only worth it if <50K tuition.

The golden age of pharmacy was walgreens and cvs expanding in the 90s till now. Then you had target, walmart, kroger all deciding to open pharmacies in store with 4 dollar rx in the year 2000. All that expansion is maxed out. To arrive soon, amazon.com to offer free same day home delivery of medications and huge discounts and the pharmacy retails will collapse just like the big strip malls. That is the general thinking of some Wall Street analyst as RAD, WBA and CVS have all been downgraded and values of the stocks have gone down. If you like Jim Cramer, he thinks pharmacy is on the rise. Best thing to do if you really want to go to pharmacy is first work or volunteer in outpatient and inpatient pharmacy settings. Then only accept admission to affordable public pharmacy schools and avoid degree mills that put you in dept till death.

I want whatever he's smoking.

What was his reasoning?

 

[statepharmagent]

If you don't mind getting paid less than an RN soon for more schooling then go for it. That's if you even find a job.

 

[RangerRx99]

No. Too much loan and you come out with an hourly job offer in the beginning especially in my district. Then wait to see who will leave/move out of town so you can get a full time offer.

 

[RXthrowaway3]

No, its not worth it. I'd suggest you become a coal miner instead.

 

[HandsomeVampire]

nope
too many new schools got greedy and now more than ever before, pumping out pharmacists.
However the market itself is not expanding as much as it used to (such as creating positions for pharmacy at every corner, store level, or building new hospitals, etc).
It will not sustain at this rate. Baby boomers are refusing to retire.

 

[Sabril]

You've come to the wrong forum to ask this question. SDN can be a cold, dark place.

last year I helped a kid put his paperwork together to apply to pharmacy school. He had no experience and knew nothing about pharmacy. But he got accepted in one try. Reading these posts now made me realize I just screwed that kid up royally. I learned my lesson. The next time I meet any pharmacy hopefuls, I should start trolling them instead. If only there was an online forum that I can go on to learn more trolling skills...