Pharmacists: Do you like your job, and why?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

orthomyxo

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
2,933
Reaction score
34
Just wondering...

Also: What do you like/dislike most?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Just wondering...

Also: What do you like/dislike most?

I work hospital overnights. It's pretty quiet. Lots of overnight admission orders, good pay with shift differential. Plus I work 7 days, then have 7 days off. Then I work part time elsewhere. Between my primary and 2 part time jobs I should make $160k next year and still have time off. It can't be beat. I start my newest night job this month and the part time jobs in March.

What do I dislike? Paying taxes on my earnings!
 
I work hospital overnights. It's pretty quiet. Lots of overnight admission orders, good pay with shift differential. Plus I work 7 days, then have 7 days off. Then I work part time elsewhere. Between my primary and 2 part time jobs I should make $160k next year and still have time off. It can't be beat. I start my newest night job this month and the part time jobs in March.

What do I dislike? Paying taxes on my earnings!

if I don't get into residency, I was planning on doing something like this...I wanted to know how it works out for you. Like you work overnight in the hospital but then how do you fit in the 2 other jobs...like do you do them in the day time? I am afraid my sleep schedule will be soo messed up or I would have no life.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I work hospital overnights. It's pretty quiet. Lots of overnight admission orders, good pay with shift differential. Plus I work 7 days, then have 7 days off. Then I work part time elsewhere. Between my primary and 2 part time jobs I should make $160k next year and still have time off. It can't be beat. I start my newest night job this month and the part time jobs in March.

What do I dislike? Paying taxes on my earnings!

Your job sounds great except for taxes and not being able to sleep at night. :laugh:If I had your job, but it's in the daytime I would love it. 7 days work and 7 days off sounds great! :thumbup: Does your job require a residency?
 
I work hospital overnights. It's pretty quiet. Lots of overnight admission orders, good pay with shift differential. Plus I work 7 days, then have 7 days off. Then I work part time elsewhere. Between my primary and 2 part time jobs I should make $160k next year and still have time off. It can't be beat. I start my newest night job this month and the part time jobs in March.

What do I dislike? Paying taxes on my earnings!
7 days on and 7 days off?? That sounds amazing!!! If you don't mind me asking, what are your two part time jobs (if they're pharmacy related)?
 
I would love mine if we were staff appropriately.

Speaking of which, can someone not certified as a pharmacy technician or intern be in the pharmacy and fill meds?
 
I would say I love my job. I have great hours, great coworkers, a lot of variety and challenges that always keep it interesting. I also have the freedom to make as much out of my position as I want. I make great money, especially for non-retail. It's truly my dream job at this point in my life. I am a staff/clinical pharmacist at a hospital.
 
I'm pretty happy with my job so far....initially, it was rough 'cuz inexperienced, lots to learn, but after a while, everything is a lot easier. I am a clinical pharmacist at a small hospital and it's pretty nice so far. I get to know most nurses' names, doctors, etc...once a while, i run into some ass-holes at work (RN, MD) but still it's a lot nicer than dealing with customers at retails.

Money-wise, we are paid quite well at hour hospital. Me and my other fellow pharmacists roughly make 120K annually, and could be more when Overtime allowed (high census, people call in sick and Rx needs coverage). Vacation is great, too.

I hope this will last.....for a very long time...lol...kinda hard to find a job like this in such economy....
 
I would love mine if we were staff appropriately.

Speaking of which, can someone not certified as a pharmacy technician or intern be in the pharmacy and fill meds?

YES! I applied for a tech job at Walgreens and was not certified and had no experience at all and I got the job in less than one week. I was a terrible tech for the first month or two....thank goodness I had the nicest pharmacist to work with. :oops:
 
I would love mine if we were staff appropriately.

Speaking of which, can someone not certified as a pharmacy technician or intern be in the pharmacy and fill meds?

At our major chain, you have to at least be registered as a "tech in training" to fill.

Edit: just checked the Texas site, and you have to at least register as a "tech trainee" to perform any pharmacy duties.

http://www.tsbp.state.tx.us/techregistration.htm
 
Last edited:
I would love mine if we were staff appropriately.

Speaking of which, can someone not certified as a pharmacy technician or intern be in the pharmacy and fill meds?
I know that you don't have to be certified to work in the Target pharmacy, or at least the ones in Mass.

:xf:I just applied the other day...I hope I get the job :D
 
I like my job. I work for a PBM. Good pay, 40 hours a week with virtually no weekend and lots of PTO days. I know the money is good in pharmacy but at this point in my life, I don't need it as much. I am so used to the student lifestyle. Sometimes, I buy things not because I need it but because I know I can. It is really about my co-workers and my boss that make my work enjoyable and challenging.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I like the money, I too am averging between 160k and 180k with overtime and bonus but...

Dislike everything else. :laugh:

Those numbers look good but when I throw 170k into a salary comparison to Oregon it comes up with a equivalent salary in Oregon being 112,000. The staff pharmacists here make more than that with no OT or bonuses...New York is just an expensive place I guess

I know salary comparison websites are not exact.
 
7 days on and 7 days off?? That sounds amazing!!! If you don't mind me asking, what are your two part time jobs (if they're pharmacy related)?

My primary job starts at 9:45pm and ends at 7:15am. I sleep during the day. I use a sleep mask and have no problems with sleep.

My 2nd job is going to be managing an independant pharmacy. I'll work 9 to 6 for 3-4 days during my week off. I always flip my days/nights back during my 7 off. I will also pop in during late afternoons on my work week to order meds, etc.

Job #3 will be entering orders from home at night for about 2 hours. My old job got eliminated which left several hospitals with no one to process their orders. My husband goes to bed at 10pm and I will log onto my computer and do order entry for a couple of hours a night, maybe more on weekends.

I didn't graduate until I was 50, so I need to save for retirement now.
 
Correction, after today, I hate my job. Absolutely. Period.
 
I love my job...cause I own everything in the building (well, 50%, my business partner owns the other half). :D
 
Just wondering...

Also: What do you like/dislike most?

I used to work in Walgreens as an intern, and it was terrible. I have to deal with angry customer nearly every single day.

The ones that gave me most of my headache were old women. They are whiny and deleterious *****es, moaning all the way from the front door to the pharmacy.

After a while,I a switch to engineer, and I am much happier.
 
I like the money, I too am averging between 160k and 180k with overtime and bonus but...

Dislike everything else. :laugh:


wow that is good money! how the hell are you pulling that!
 
I just started as a consultant pharmacist with a LTC pharm and I love the almost daily travel and close to retail pay. The worst day at my job is 10x better than the best day I ever had in retail.....

100K+ but nothing like the other figures here....:(
 
I just started as a consultant pharmacist with a LTC pharm and I love the almost daily travel and close to retail pay. The worst day at my job is 10x better than the best day I ever had in retail.....

100K+ but nothing like the other figures here....:(

Kudos for landing a job you enjoy. Nothing worse than hating going to work!
 
I can't believe I didn't contribute to this thread.

I love my job. Because...

I work from home.
I travel to my sites but I set my own schedule.
It allows me to be creative and produce tools.
I have time to read.
It pays well...bonus is nice...and stock options are great.
I talk to my boss once every 2 months or so... he leaves me alone.
I make lots of pretty graphs...
I learn new things everyday..

And because I have time to reflect on what I do and what I learn, I feel that my knowledge base and skills earned and learned by doing this job allow me to provide significant improvement to hospital pharmacy operations everywhere in the US.

I can go on and on...but

nothing beats working for yourself. Z-Inc will happen soon again.
 
I can't believe I didn't contribute to this thread.

I love my job. Because...

I work from home.
I travel to my sites but I set my own schedule.
It allows me to be creative and produce tools.
I have time to read.
It pays well...bonus is nice...and stock options are great.
I talk to my boss once every 2 months or so... he leaves me alone.
I make lots of pretty graphs...
I learn new things everyday..

And because I have time to reflect on what I do and what I learn, I feel that my knowledge base and skills earned and learned by doing this job allow me to provide significant improvement to hospital pharmacy operations everywhere in the US.

I can go on and on...but

nothing beats working for yourself. Z-Inc will happen soon again.

That's what I'm talking about.
 
My primary job starts at 9:45pm and ends at 7:15am. I sleep during the day. I use a sleep mask and have no problems with sleep.

My 2nd job is going to be managing an independant pharmacy. I'll work 9 to 6 for 3-4 days during my week off. I always flip my days/nights back during my 7 off. I will also pop in during late afternoons on my work week to order meds, etc.

Job #3 will be entering orders from home at night for about 2 hours. My old job got eliminated which left several hospitals with no one to process their orders. My husband goes to bed at 10pm and I will log onto my computer and do order entry for a couple of hours a night, maybe more on weekends.

I didn't graduate until I was 50, so I need to save for retirement now.



What company are you working from home for? Do you know of any other companies that also let you enter orders from home?
 
I'm not a pharmacist (yet), but I own an Independent. 75% share, sales of 8 million. 1 FT pharmacist, 1 PT Pharmacist, and 3 techs. That leaves me with ~ 275K at the end of the year. LOL I love my job. I do absolutely nothing at all.

In the near future If I become the pharmacist I could cut a salary of 110K by firing the FT, and make ~385K.

At present I am weighing my options. I could either pursue medicine or Pharmacy...
 
I'm not a pharmacist (yet), but I own an Independent. 75% share, sales of 8 million. 1 FT pharmacist, 1 PT Pharmacist, and 3 techs. That leaves me with ~ 275K at the end of the year. LOL I love my job. I do absolutely nothing at all.

In the near future If I become the pharmacist I could cut a salary of 110K by firing the FT, and make ~385K.

At present I am weighing my options. I could either pursue medicine or Pharmacy...



well, let's see... if $8 mil is from prescription volume...that's about 427 scripts a day if it's a M-S operation. That's a lot of prescriptions for 1 FT and 1 PT pharmacists.

And you own this or your parents?

:smuggrin:
 
No kidding! I did 32 today in 5 hours at my float job. I'm spent :sleep:


:laugh:
 
well, let's see... if $8 mil is from prescription volume...that's about 427 scripts a day if it's a M-S operation. That's a lot of prescriptions for 1 FT and 1 PT pharmacists.

And you own this or your parents?

:smuggrin:

We have 2 pharmacists, 1 intern, and 2~3 techs on days we do 400 or more.
 
well, let's see... if $8 mil is from prescription volume...that's about 427 scripts a day if it's a M-S operation. That's a lot of prescriptions for 1 FT and 1 PT pharmacists.

And you own this or your parents?

:smuggrin:

I did 420+ with 1 tech up until about 1/2:30 and had 2 or 3 more come in in the afternoon. It was the worst day I ever worked and would be almost impossible to sustain on a daily basis. Realistically, you would need a much larger support staff.
 
I like my job. Things are totally different now since I'm away from school. I'm not at the edge of my seat anymore. I can give all of myself, because I'm no longer angry with what goes on at school.

I counsel a lot of people. It's rewarding.
 
Although my salary is nice, retail rx makes me miserable. I commute to a rural town, so the customers are pretty much raised in a barn. Plus the tech help is weaksauce. This is at a WalMart so this, I guess, is expected and is the norm for this company. My one partner and I are the only competent ones in the entire operation which makes our daily grind a living hell.

I would love to have a job that I enjoy and acutally use more than part of my brain. I would definately sacrifice a little bit of my salary for something more interesting. Maybe a Medical Liason if something like this ever opens up.
 
My primary job starts at 9:45pm and ends at 7:15am. I sleep during the day. I use a sleep mask and have no problems with sleep.

My 2nd job is going to be managing an independant pharmacy. I'll work 9 to 6 for 3-4 days during my week off. I always flip my days/nights back during my 7 off. I will also pop in during late afternoons on my work week to order meds, etc.

Job #3 will be entering orders from home at night for about 2 hours. My old job got eliminated which left several hospitals with no one to process their orders. My husband goes to bed at 10pm and I will log onto my computer and do order entry for a couple of hours a night, maybe more on weekends.

I didn't graduate until I was 50, so I need to save for retirement now.

My gosh, although the money you rake in must be nice, do you have time to have a life? I see you're not too far from me, what hospital are you at?
 
Although my salary is nice, retail rx makes me miserable. I commute to a rural town, so the customers are pretty much raised in a barn. Plus the tech help is weaksauce. This is at a WalMart so this, I guess, is expected and is the norm for this company. My one partner and I are the only competent ones in the entire operation which makes our daily grind a living hell.

I would love to have a job that I enjoy and acutally use more than part of my brain.
$4 generics'll do it to you every time. ;)
 
I like my job. Things are totally different now since I'm away from school. I'm not at the edge of my seat anymore. I can give all of myself, because I'm no longer angry with what goes on at school.

I counsel a lot of people. It's rewarding.

PharmDstudent, seems like you love your job. What kind of specialty?
It seems to me that it's not common for pharmacists to have the opportunity to counsel patient all days. It will be probably my ideal job if I have opportunity to talk and counsel patients all days.
 
Its not jut WalMart, the $4 generics is pretty much the norm across the board these days, including independents.
I think the reputation of having $4 generics is what makes it so bad. Whenever people complain about prices, they always say something to the effect of "I should'a went to Wal-Mart. They're cheaper."
 
I think the reputation of having $4 generics is what makes it so bad. Whenever people complain about prices, they always say something to the effect of "I should'a went to Wal-Mart. They're cheaper."

Peesh, I wish people only wanted their medications cheap. Around here people want them free. Where I am a company called Publix gives some antibiotics away for free (the ones that are dirt cheap anyway). I cannot tell you how many people seem to be genuinely upset that "I" want to charge them anything for their medication. It's always, "Isn't that supposed to be free? It's free at Publix". OK here's the prescription, enjoy! Why would you go anywhere else and expect them to also be free? Mind boggling! Of course it almost never is the free stuff anyway, and that's why your here you little liar. :laugh:
 
Top