Retail pharmacy

[pharmstudent993]

Hey everybody!

I was wondering, has anyone been thinking about entering retail pharmacy. If so why? Oh by the way does anyone know how old you have to be to volunteer at a hospital or retail pharmacy in california?

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[345Titration345]

jobs arent too hard to find..
and its a good paycheck..



as far as volunteering goes..i think it depends on the place your trying to volunteer at by I think if your 16 and older it shouldn't b a problem..or maybe its 18 n older?

 

[BADD281]

I have worked in retail for quite some time and to be honest, it isn't for everyone! You have to be good with people and patience is truly a virtue sometimes. People are quick to blame you and one of the requirements of you is THICK SKIN. I believe this is where people inherit all the stress that is commonly cited as a reason for avoiding retail...It can be rewarding, there are some customers who want your help and advice.

With this being said it is a great way to get your feet wet in pharmacy. I believe that everyone should at least work in a pharmacy before they enter or apply to pharmacy school. If positions are not open in the pharmacy areas try to work at the other part (store department) and if you are a good worker they will draft you into the pharmacy anyway, trust me I am living proof.

 

[no-see-um]

Hospital pharmacy, I'd say go ahead and volunteer, but don't volunteer in retail... there are too many jobs out there, and you really should be paid for being under that sort of pressure!

 

[BADD281]

you really should be paid for being under that sort of pressure!

HaHa Now this is very true!

 

[karmacoma]

Man f*ck retail pharmacy, especially when you are working in an area dominated by a single ethnicity such as the place I work at. People are going to blame you for every single problem, even when it's not your fault. You just have to act kind and be a yes-man and talk **** bout them when they leave lol. But yah, it's really hard but you get to learn a lot about dealing with all types of people. I wouldn't recommended if you are not getting paid well, but it's fun sometimes because you get to mess with people and see how angry they get.

 

[Rumplestiltazepam]

Man f*ck retail pharmacy, especially when you are working in an area dominated by a single ethnicity such as the place I work at. People are going to blame you for every single problem, even when it's not your fault. You just have to act kind and be a yes-man and talk **** bout them when they leave lol. But yah, it's really hard but you get to learn a lot about dealing with all types of people. I wouldn't recommended if you are not getting paid well, but it's fun sometimes because you get to mess with people and see how angry they get.

Is Whitey out to get ya? So you are telling us you learned how to deal with people by talking crap behind their back?

 

[BADD281]

People like that are why retail has a bad name...By saying the F-word multiple times it really gives us an idea of your character, so its really no wonder you get blamed for things.

 

[BADD281]

Suddenly I find myself rethinking the SDN acronym....

Student Doctor Network or Street Docta Network???

 

[tryin2beapharmd]

Suddenly I find myself rethinking the SDN acronym....

Student Doctor Network or Street Docta Network???

lol

 

[Klemmentine]

My goal is to become a community pharmacist. Here are a few reasons why:

I like the fact that community pharmacists are generalists. Community pharmacists treat everyone from week-old newborns to 95 year-old geriatric patients. They dispense and consult on medications ranging from b/c to antibiotics to pain meds, and everything in between.

I also like the fact that you can build professional relationships and trust with a lot of your patients. We average 300 scripts a day at the pharmacy I work at, yet I still recognize many of our patients and I know dozens by their first name. In many cases, we treat whole families. It's cool to watch little kids grow up and have young couples bring their newborns in to get treated.

I also like working in community pharmacies because they're easy and free to access. People can walk right up to the counter to get a recommendation for free. People don't always have the time or the money to see a physician, so I think this aspect of a community pharmacy is important in health care.

The business and management side of community pharmacy also interests me. Community pharmacists seem a lot more involved in scheduling, hiring, ordering, inventory, and enforcing company policies. I like being organized and I enjoy being a leader, so I think my personality would fit well in a community pharmacy.

I don't really want to do a residency.

You have the opportunity to work overtime and make more money. From what I've seen, pharmacists in other areas are salaried.

For those that said you get yelled at a lot in a pharmacy, I don't really think it's a big deal. I know pharmacists who constantly get yelled at by physicians and administrators in hospital settings. I'd much rather listen to an ignorant customer rant about something, than have someone "above" me talk down to me. It seems like 90% of the time, the customer is yelling or arguing because they don't understand something. If you stay calm and explain things and educate the customer, it usually eliminates the problem. For the other 10% that yell at you, I just figure they're having a bad day and want to take it out on someone else. Or maybe they're just unhappy people. I don't run into these types of people very often though. If you don't take it personal, you'll do fine in a community pharmacy.

 

[Twins fan]

Klemmentine summed up pretty much the exact same reasons why I see myself as a retail pharmacist upon graduation from pharm school. If you are a people person retail can be an excellent job...yes, there are many difficult people to deal with on a day-to-day basis, but you have to take the good with the bad. As a tech I've found that if you don't let the "bad" moments get you down the job is really quite enjoyable. To me it's kind of fun when little old ladies think you are just the best because you helped them find the cough drops!

And although karmacoma does seem to have a bad attitude, he or she does have a point....if someone really gets under your skin you can always talk bad about them with the other pharmacists or techs for a bit to help you unwind! Just make sure other customers aren't in earshot