Pursuing Pharmacy with a Disability

[LApgx]

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Hello everyone!
What are your opinions on someone with a disability pursuing pharmacy?
I have a visual impairment, and I am very concerned about how my disability will affect me in the path to (and if I succeed–the practice of) pharmacy.
Do you think it is possible for someone who is visually impaired to succeed in this field? Do you know any pharmacists who have disabilities?
I appreciate any and all input!
Thank you!

 

[PA_dud3]

Hello everyone!
What are your opinions on someone with a disability pursuing pharmacy?
I have a visual impairment, and I am very concerned about how my disability will affect me in the path to (and if I succeed–the practice of) pharmacy.
Do you think it is possible for someone who is visually impaired to succeed in this field? Do you know any pharmacists who have disabilities?
I appreciate any and all input!
Thank you!

I think it would depend on the visual impairment. Obviously though a visual impairment would probably be the worst kind of disability for a pharmacist to have, just on the basis of verification, etc. Though if it's not too severe and you're up front about it I don't think it would be a problem. I've seen some pharmacists with very thick glasses and they probably weren't going anywhere anytime soon, but that might not relate to your specific condition. Best of luck to you regardless!

 

[Gombrich12]

You're ruling out 95% of pharmacist jobs depending on how bad your vision is. Also what kind of visual endurance do you have? Wil your eyes be able to take 6 hours a day of checking tiny labels and computer screens?

 

[BMBiology]

I know plenty of pharmacists who ruined their eyes by looking at monitors all day long. It might worsen your condition. I don’t think it is worth it.


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[pencilandpen]

you gotta elaborate more on the exact nature of your visual impairment for us to be of more help honestly

 

[lord999]

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-ove...-schedule-positions/standards/0600/gs0660.pdf

So, this is the US Federal standard. You have to be able to distinguish basic colors, shapes, etc. on dosage forms. Serving on the admissions committee for two schools, it really depends on the visual impairment. If it's correctable, then it's possible. If not correctable, it's a likely rejection for medical reasons.

And yes, I've heard of colorblind pharmacists getting admitted which was and is against the ACPE standard. That was why Columbia closed all those years ago, because they lost a lawsuit among other things back in the 1960s for incompetent management of this criteria.

Columbia College of Pharmacy Is Closing Down This Summer

 

[sozetone]

Hello everyone!
What are your opinions on someone with a disability pursuing pharmacy?
I have a visual impairment, and I am very concerned about how my disability will affect me in the path to (and if I succeed–the practice of) pharmacy.
Do you think it is possible for someone who is visually impaired to succeed in this field? Do you know any pharmacists who have disabilities?
I appreciate any and all input!
Thank you!

Honestly, as a manager at wal-mart i have seen it all. I am sorry you are dealing with your visual problems. That said, Corporate does what they want. IF you get on board, and they find out you will most likely be a target. They start by scrutinizing your work to create a paper trail, document discussions, and eventually move to performance based coachings. Standard procedure. It may take 6 months--- a year , but they do target people who can't keep up at a SUPER fast pace now a days. Sad i know, but i'm giving you the hard truth about corporate retail. Hang in there...maybe clinical or hospital may work out?

 

[PharBeyondDriven]

Honestly, as a manager at wal-mart i have seen it all. I am sorry you are dealing with your visual problems. That said, Corporate does what they want. IF you get on board, and they find out you will most likely be a target. They start by scrutinizing your work to create a paper trail, document discussions, and eventually move to performance based coachings. Standard procedure. It may take 6 months--- a year , but they do target people who can't keep up at a SUPER fast pace now a days. Sad i know, but i'm giving you the hard truth about corporate retail. Hang in there...maybe clinical or hospital may work out?

We all know this is true. Yet one more reason to unionize. If you become even slightly disabled, they will quickly throw you out like yesterday's garbage.

 

[sozetone]

Even mention the word "union", they will fire everyone associated. Then replace with new grads just like they want to now.

 

[FinallyOnTrack]

Hello everyone!
What are your opinions on someone with a disability pursuing pharmacy?
I have a visual impairment, and I am very concerned about how my disability will affect me in the path to (and if I succeed–the practice of) pharmacy.
Do you think it is possible for someone who is visually impaired to succeed in this field? Do you know any pharmacists who have disabilities?
I appreciate any and all input!
Thank you!

There are pharmacist jobs out there that don’t require you to verify prescriptions - you could work as a Prior Authorization Pharmacist or work for a PBM / Insurance company.. what some people don’t understand is that the field of pharmacy is constantly growing and expanding I to other areas of expertise..

Best of luck to you!


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[sozetone]

There are pharmacist jobs out there that don’t require you to verify prescriptions - you could work as a Prior Authorization Pharmacist or work for a PBM / Insurance company.. what some people don’t understand is that the field of pharmacy is constantly growing and expanding I to other areas of expertise..

Best of luck to you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

growing and expanding would not be two terms used when describing pharmacy. sorry. thats pharmacy school language. Real world is different.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Regardless, it's going to be an uphill battle finding employment, ESPECIALLY if it's not in retail. There are far too many desperate new grads with $200k+ in loans and not enough jobs already.

 

[MrBonita]

Drug vials used to make IVs are really small and so are some pills. Unfortunately many pills and bottles look the same. If you can't tell the difference between a red ant and a black ant then good luck with pharmacy.

 

[LApgx]

you gotta elaborate more on the exact nature of your visual impairment for us to be of more help honestly

I appreciate that all of you are being honest with me.
I have a blind spot in the center of my visual field, and my condition is permanent. I have to read things in large print, and I cannot see faces very well from a meter or so away. I can distinguish between colors.
I was planning on using devices to help me see and read if I did end up going to pharmacy school.
I didn't think I would be successful in retail–I probably would be considered too slow. Do you have suggestions for other jobs within pharmacy that someone like me could pursue?
Thank you for all of your responses!

 

[BidingMyTime]

There are pharmacist jobs out there that don’t require you to verify prescriptions - you could work as a Prior Authorization Pharmacist or work for a PBM / Insurance company.. what some people don’t understand is that the field of pharmacy is constantly growing and expanding I to other areas of expertise.

People "don't understand", because it's not true. The pharmacy field is not growing and expanding. While pharmacists do work for PBM's/insurance companies these jobs are 1) extremely geographically limited and 2) very few in number.....60% of pharmacists work in retail, 30% in hospital--if someone wants to be a pharmacist, they should plan on working in 1 of these 2 areas, because it's very unlikely they will get a job outside of these areas.

 

[uicgrad]

True story. I worked at a Walgreens in the north suburbs of Chicago with a legally blind pharmacist. She used a handheld magnifying glass to verify pills in the vials. When she typed she had to put her eyes about 5 inches above the keyboard to type. When I worked with her she had probably already been practicing for about 20 years. She was truly legally blind to the extent that she could not drive a car. In truth she was one of the fastest and most accurate and knowledgeable pharmacists I had ever worked with. Her pharmacist husband was a VP at Walgreens corporate. He was known as the inventor of SIMS. He used to drop her off and pick her up from work since she could not drive. As far as I know she is still working at the same store.

 

[Carboxide]

I appreciate that all of you are being honest with me.
I have a blind spot in the center of my visual field, and my condition is permanent. I have to read things in large print, and I cannot see faces very well from a meter or so away. I can distinguish between colors.
I was planning on using devices to help me see and read if I did end up going to pharmacy school.
I didn't think I would be successful in retail–I probably would be considered too slow. Do you have suggestions for other jobs within pharmacy that someone like me could pursue?
Thank you for all of your responses!

I recommend you contact the admissions office of a school you are interested in and see what they think. They will be most clear on the requirements.

 

[lord999]

I appreciate that all of you are being honest with me.
I have a blind spot in the center of my visual field, and my condition is permanent. I have to read things in large print, and I cannot see faces very well from a meter or so away. I can distinguish between colors.
I was planning on using devices to help me see and read if I did end up going to pharmacy school.
I didn't think I would be successful in retail–I probably would be considered too slow. Do you have suggestions for other jobs within pharmacy that someone like me could pursue?
Thank you for all of your responses!

Ok, we do actually have pharmacists with visual acuity impairment like yours in government (I know several personally in FDA and CMS) who basically deal with labeling, industry relations, and consumer affairs. Just saying that you won't have the full scope of employment, but there's plenty of jobs that are out there for you. The pay is not great compared with most pharmacists, but it's a living (and the civil service is good about ADA compliance which this is fairly straightforward compared to some of the heroics employed).

(In other words, if you can read all these posts in this forum even with assistance, you would not be disqualified for work in government for pharmacist positions. You do need to be able to distinguish shapes and basic colors as you've stated.)

 

[LApgx]

I've discovered that the answer to my original question was no; good vision is a requirement for pharmacy.
I ended up leaving pharmacy school a few weeks into the second semester.

Many of you gave me very good advice but I was in denial and wanted to believe that studying constantly and good grades would compensate for my terrible vision 😅

Thank you for being honest. I should have asked sooner!

 

[Emmet2301]

I've discovered that the answer to my original question was no; good vision is a requirement for pharmacy.
I ended up leaving pharmacy school a few weeks into the second semester.

Many of you gave me very good advice but I was in denial and wanted to believe that studying constantly and good grades would compensate for my terrible vision 😅

Thank you for being honest. I should have asked sooner!

I'm kinda curious what you ended up going into if you don't mind sharing.

Hope you still found career satisfaction!

 

[sozetone]

True story. I worked at a Walgreens in the north suburbs of Chicago with a legally blind pharmacist. She used a handheld magnifying glass to verify pills in the vials. When she typed she had to put her eyes about 5 inches above the keyboard to type. When I worked with her she had probably already been practicing for about 20 years. She was truly legally blind to the extent that she could not drive a car. In truth she was one of the fastest and most accurate and knowledgeable pharmacists I had ever worked with. Her pharmacist husband was a VP at Walgreens corporate. He was known as the inventor of SIMS. He used to drop her off and pick her up from work since she could not drive. As far as I know she is still working at the same store.

and the only reason she has not been "performanced out" is her husband. Anyone else would be thrown out in the cold. But over-all the story is heart warming, i appreciate her passion and sticking with it. She sounds pretty cool.

 

[lord999]

and the only reason she has not been "performanced out" is her husband. Anyone else would be thrown out in the cold. But over-all the story is heart warming, i appreciate her passion and sticking with it. She sounds pretty cool.

Not anymore, he was fired. I'm aware of who it is, and she's that good. She doesn't need that kind of help.

 

[sozetone]

Not anymore, he was fired. I'm aware of who it is, and she's that good. She doesn't need that kind of help.

take it easy pal, i liked your story i said....jeez. but you know corporate, some people get the favoritism buff.... maybe not her... thats cool , i trust ya.

 

[lord999]

take it easy pal, i liked your story i said....jeez. but you know corporate, some people get the favoritism buff.... maybe not her... thats cool , i trust ya.

Oh, not my story, that's @uicgrad. I'm just aware of it as she's well-known in the circles. And there is the cynical, "We're meeting our ADA obligations" involved from corporate, but she is a good pharmacist who needs some accommodations but is productive without drama.

But that observation was more from the Walgreens has no problem firing even useful and loyal people. He was definitely that when I worked there and the company lost a fine worker and executive in him. The problem was that he was apolitical and had no obvious liabilities.