Sitting or Standing in Pharmacy? Unfortunate career change?

[CheshireCat1]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I am a sophomore chemistry/pre-pharmacy student and I truly love and enjoy everything I am studying. I am passionate about medicine and improving people's quality of lives. Unfortunately, I do have a concern about it... Although I do not have arthritis, I do have chronic Costochondritis/ Tietze Syndrome (inflammation of the ribs and is benign) and it unfortunately afflicts my back as well. I am also quite sedentary due to all of the studying that I am committed to doing each day. I am highly concerned that standing every day for 8 hours or more would be something I would not be able to do. It breaks my heart since I have dreamed about being a future pharmacist for a long time. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice for me? Should I consider a career change? I know that in a hospital setting, pharmacists are seated more but I am aware that those are very competitive positions to get... If there would be accommodations for me in a retail setting, I feel that I would be frowned upon for not being able to be on my feet all day like everyone else and that is understandable. I am at a loss for what to do now and I am very disheartened that my body could prevent me from doing what I would love to do.
Thanks all.

*If a moderator sees this, I accidentally posted this in the pre-pharmacy section of the forum as well. It was a silly mistake on my part and I tried to delete it on that section. I'm sorry I am new and I did not know.

 

[504poboy]

dont give up....they have nuclear pharmacy which you stand for 2 hours max per run which is 2 runs a shift and you still have pharmacist jobs where you can verify through a camera and stay at home (remote entry pharmacists)....compounding pharmacy....sit on a chair and compound **** all day if you want...become a board of pharmacy member after 5 years of practice....endless opportunities...

 

[naseuy]

Get a nice high stool for retail.

 

[CheshireCat1]

Thanks everyone. Does retail pharmacy put a lot of stress on the upper body and back area? Do people get used to this over time? If I am able to use a stool for retail, would it be looked down upon and would some employers not allow it?

 

[rxlea]

Go work with Mountain PharmD at the PBM. You can sit all day. And you don't even need a diaper!

 

[naseuy]

Thanks everyone. Does retail pharmacy put a lot of stress on the upper body and back area? Do people get used to this over time? If I am able to use a stool for retail, would it be looked down upon and would some employers not allow it?

A nice comfortable pair of shoes will also be necessary, otherwise you would be exhausted by the end of the day. Sitting on a stool shouldn't really be a huge problem when you're verifying/typing/etc. Look at it this way, if the company doesn't allow you to sit despite knowing that you have back problems, is that somewhere that you would want to work?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Go work with Mountain PharmD at the PBM. You can sit all day. And you don't even need a diaper!

Yep! Two 15 minute breaks and a hour lunch!

 

[rxlea]

Yep! Two 15 minute breaks and a hour lunch!

A whole hour?! Damn. That's sweet. You can actually sit down and enjoy your meal. No shoving an entire sandwich into your mouth between scripts.

 

[rph3664]

Hospital pharmacy usually does not require a lot of standing either.

 

[Sparda29]

A whole hour?! Damn. That's sweet. You can actually sit down and enjoy your meal. No shoving an entire sandwich into your mouth between scripts.

Yep, we get a one hour lunch but no real "breaks". I usually go home since the hospital is less than half a mile away from my house and get some home cooked dinner.