Just how physical are pharmacy jobs?

[biogirl215]

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I was Googling pharmacy jobs the other day and noticed most had requirements like lifting 25-50 pounds, pushing carts, repeated crouching/bending, carrying things, etc. Just how much are things like these part of your job (i.e., if you couldn't do them them, could you still do the job to the full extent?)?

Thanks for your time!

 

[PharmDstudent]

I just stood for 8.5 hours straight. My only break was for lunch, and I could barely keep my food down due to the anxiety/stress. Other than that, it isn't really physical. It's more tiring. My feet hurt!

 

[tussionex]

pyxis cabinets weigh about 300 pounds. they are fun to move.
i have moved many of them.

stick to order entry/making iv's/doing chart reviews....etc

or start lifting weights!

 

[biogirl215]

tussionex,
Was that something you could opt out of doing if you resally wanted to, or was it a "do it or else" thing?

 

[KARM12]

tussionex,
Was that something you could opt out of doing if you resally wanted to, or was it a "do it or else" thing?

I think it is just the nature of the job depending on your setting. Like putting away things, getting stuff from off the shelf, just lots of moving around back and forth in general. It all depends on where you work. In my pharmacy, there isn't a lot of tech help. The pharmacist ends up doing lots of the dirty work that at other chains the tech would probably take care of.

 

[ethyl]

If you're lucky, you get to sit on a stool while verifying!

 

[steveysmith54]

i hear a lot of pharmacists have foot problems. Is that true?

 

[cycloketocaine]

I just stood for 8.5 hours straight. My only break was for lunch, and I could barely keep my food down due to the anxiety/stress. Other than that, it isn't really physical. It's more tiring. My feet hurt!

It sucks to stand that long with my bad knee. After about 6 hours, it really starts to throb.

 

[PharmDstudent]

It sucks to stand that long with my bad knee. After about 6 hours, it really starts to throb.

I usually sit for the last two hours between 8 and 10pm, so it's not normally like that, thankfully. We have buy-out scripts from this grocery store chain, so it's making everything more complicated. They've given us enough tech hours to handle it, but we didn't get the hours until today. We've averaged an extra 100 scripts the last four days.

I accidentally went into work assuming my regular schedule, because my manager didn't have enough time to make out the schedule, so I worked a 9 hour shift instead of a 6 hour. Things should calm down some once we have more people working.

 

[tussionex]

tussionex,
Was that something you could opt out of doing if you resally wanted to, or was it a "do it or else" thing?

we're not really a " do it or else " kinda place! i was only moving large objects b/c it's part of a project i'm working on....most of the time our pharmacists are sitting down. we have desks for order entry, a seat to check cart, our hoods are low so you can sit at them [i'd rather stand at a hood, but that's just me]. i'm suprised we all dont have the "secretary spread". our techs do way more running around and physical work.

ps - i HAD to move the 300 # pyxises b/c my asst director thinks he's macho and i didn't want him to think that, i, the chick needed his help!

 

[Epic]

Pyxis has wheels

 

[Requiem]

My nan can definitely lift 25-50 lbs. Suck it up. If you have no conditions and you can't do that stuff, get to the gym!!

I bench 210lbs x8, bring on pyxis!!

 

[Epic]

But that is canadian lb.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I used to bench 300+...then I got into pharmacy school and got all soft. I want to hurry up and graduate. I miss being able to dunk a basketball...

 

[steveysmith54]

Pyxis has wheels

Maybe in your fancy hospital it does. 😉

 

[Requiem]

I used to bench 300+...then I got into pharmacy school and got all soft. I want to hurry up and graduate. I miss being able to dunk a basketball...

Haha were you actually into weights though?

Screw one rep max, let's see you put it up 8 times! I can do 225x6, etc. I'm not sure how that would translate into a one-rep max, I haven't attempted one.

And to Epic: a Canadian lb is equivalent to or even slightly heavier than an American pound these days 😀

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

I wouldn't recommend nuclear pharmacy either if physical activity is an issue. Each syringe/dose we ship out is sent out in a "pig", which weigh 3-4 lb each (so you'll be picking up 100's of these each day). Then pigs are shipped out in military ammo-style cans...those can get up to 40 lb when full. So you get a nice work out 😉

Oh..and one of the other pharmacists wore a pedometer @ work the other day...we were curious how much walking we do throughout the shift. 4 miles during 1st and 2nd run.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Haha were you actually into weights though?

I played nose tackle my junior and senior year in high school....converted DB. 😱 Anyway, yeah, they made us....

Screw one rep max, let's see you put it up 8 times! I can do 225x6, etc. I'm not sure how that would translate into a one-rep max, I haven't attempted one.

Probably not eight times. I did 305 once....that was my best ever. Definitely not now though. I haven't been near a gym since 2004.

And to Epic: a Canadian lb is equivalent to or even slightly heavier than an American pound these days 😀

It's true. 🙁

 

[tussionex]

Pyxis has wheels

this is NY....we chain that s**t to the wall ultimately!

yes, they DID have wheels, but they don't really steer well...kinda like a gimpy grocery cart

 

[Bonny2007]

requirements like lifting 25-50 pounds, pushing carts, repeated crouching/bending, carrying things, etc.

All I pick up at work is a receiver,
and I'm not pulling your leg.

I work with a very helpful team (all women) 😎

 

[Epic]

All I pick up at work is a receiver,
and I'm not pulling your leg.

I work with a very helpful team (all women) 😎

Receiver? Is that a pharmacy apparatus of some sort?

 

[Bonny2007]

Yes, I distill moonshine at work.

 

[Epic]

Yes, I distill moonshine at work.

Receiving flask for a distillate? You boil stuff in the pharmacy??

 

[Bonny2007]

It's not receiving (GB,jur),
It's vocation.

 

[Epic]

It's not receiving (GB,jur),
It's vocation.

Now I finally understand...that

we don't speak the same language..

 

[biogirl215]

I wouldn't recommend nuclear pharmacy either if physical activity is an issue. Each syringe/dose we ship out is sent out in a "pig", which weigh 3-4 lb each (so you'll be picking up 100's of these each day). Then pigs are shipped out in military ammo-style cans...those can get up to 40 lb when full. So you get a nice work out

That was a really helpful reply! In general, are there areas of pharmacy other drug info that don't require heavy lifting and so forth (maybe clinical?)?

Thanks.

 

[KARM12]

That was a really helpful reply! In general, are there areas of pharmacy other drug info that don't require heavy lifting and so forth (maybe clinical?)?

Thanks.

Maybe not heavy lifting...but lots of running around in general. Up and down through various floors of the hospital. Following the teams for rounds. You'll almost always take the stairs because it is faster. When I was on rotation, my clinical pharmacist and I had to lift all the boxes of materials for our coumadin clinic and that got pretty heavy. Testing machines, patient charts, files....can be quite a workout.

 

[biogirl215]

They don't have tech-like people to do that for you?

 

[KARM12]

They don't have tech-like people to do that for you?

Clinical pharmacists usually don't have a tech following them around.

 

[biogirl215]

bump....

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Yes, I distill moonshine at work.

Hells yeah, we's going international.