The one sucky part about hospital pharmacy

[Sparda29]

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Getting stuck working a double shift. I usually work 3pm-11pm. The 11pm-7am person called out sick around 5pm and I got stuck here. It sucks when you have plans to go hang out and then you can't. I'm kinda pissed that they didn't call as many people as possible to find coverage. (they just called people who have worked overnights before).

At least I'm out of here in 45 minutes.

 

[zelman]

Getting stuck working a double shift. I usually work 3pm-11pm. The 11pm-7am person called out sick around 5pm and I got stuck here. It sucks when you have plans to go hang out and then you can't. I'm kinda pissed that they didn't call as many people as possible to find coverage. (they just called people who have worked overnights before).

At least I'm out of here in 45 minutes.

Are you saying everything else about the job does not suck, or that you think this is different from non-hospital pharmacy?

 

[Sparda29]

Are you saying everything else about the job does not suck, or that you think this is different from non-hospital pharmacy?

Okay, it's one of the things that sucks about hospital pharmacy but it ranks pretty high up there in sucky things. Someone calling out for the overnight shift rarely happens though. The last time I got stuck working a double was during Hurricane Sandy back in October 2012 and that was because trees went down all over the place near the overnight pharmacists house preventing her from leaving.

In retail, you work from open-close generally. If someone calls out, they call a floater.

 

[zelman]

This is a reason I dislike practicing in NY. Pharmacists are allowed to work as long as their employers want. Other states realize that we're more likely to make errors in hour 16 and don't allow it. MA limits RPh's to 12 hours max. The stores where I work, pharmacists only work open to close on weekends.

 

[sakigt]

Ill help to cover but never the whole shift, especially since Im usually on several days in a row. Last time I stayed until 230ish until the director made it in after a nap.

 

[confettiflyer]

Dude....MASSIVE OVERTIME!

I'd have gotten 1.5x after 8hrs and 2x after 12hrs ON TOP of differential for overnight. That shift would have netted me approx (not my actual pay, peeps):

First 8 = 560;
Next 4 = 510;
Final 4 = 680
Gross = $1750

I've only done this once in my life. Felt like a nasty hangover next day.

 

[MackandBlues]

Dude....MASSIVE OVERTIME!

I'd have gotten 1.5x after 8hrs and 2x after 12hrs ON TOP of differential for overnight. That shift would have netted me approx (not my actual pay, peeps):

First 8 = 560;
Next 4 = 510;
Final 4 = 680
Gross = $1750

I've only done this once in my life. Felt like a nasty hangover next day.

only if you are hourly. lots of hospital pharmacists are exempt/salaried employees and don't get paid overtime....

 

[Jibby321]

only if you are hourly. lots of hospital pharmacists are exempt/salaried employees and don't get paid overtime....

I heard there might be a push for salaried employees to get paid time and a half. Heard it on the news this morning.

 

[MackandBlues]

I heard there might be a push for salaried employees to get paid time and a half. Heard it on the news this morning.

I don't know if that will actually work out. Think about all those salaried business people that put in tons of hours on projects that don't get paid overtime

 

[confettiflyer]

only if you are hourly. lots of hospital pharmacists are exempt/salaried employees and don't get paid overtime....

That sucks. By law, in California, non-management pharmacists are required to be hourly as of 1/1/2000.

 

[MackandBlues]

That sucks. By law, in California, non-management pharmacists are required to be hourly as of 1/1/2000.

I agree. I wish I got overtime. We have a separate job for when picking up extra shifts but it pays less than our salaried per hour and no shift diff. 🙁 not alot of incentive to pick up extra shifts... now if I got time and a half I would be picking up more...

 

[Sparda29]

I am hourly so I did some money.

$53.85 * 7.25 = 390.41 (first 8 hours)
$53.85 * 1.5 * 8 = 646.2 (next shift, no breaks during this shift)

Total = 1036.61

Went to sleep at 8am, got up at 1130 for a dentist appointment, went back to sleep after that, got up at 6PM.

 

[Momus]

I am hourly so I did some money.

$53.85 * 7.25 = 390.41 (first 8 hours)
$53.85 * 1.5 * 8 = 646.2 (next shift, no breaks during this shift)

Total = 1036.61

Went to sleep at 8am, got up at 1130 for a dentist appointment, went back to sleep after that, got up at 6PM.

You actually use it to your massive 300k+ loan. I'd kill for overtime nowadays. Paycheck seems tiny without. Luckily, I have pretty good amount of investment so it feels like I am making the same without. Fu3k diploma mills...

 

[PharmDstudent]

only if you are hourly

"Me!"

 

[PharmDstudent]

I am hourly so I did some money.

$53.85 * 7.25 = 390.41 (first 8 hours)
$53.85 * 1.5 * 8 = 646.2 (next shift, no breaks during this shift)

Total = 1036.61

Went to sleep at 8am, got up at 1130 for a dentist appointment, went back to sleep after that, got up at 6PM.

How on earth did you get up for that dental appointment?! That **** would have gotten canceled.

 

[Sparda29]

How on earth did you get up for that dental appointment?! That **** would have gotten canceled.

Had someone wake me up. Was scheduled to get the perm crown after my root canal and I couldn't wait anymore.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Had someone wake me up. Was scheduled to get the perm crown after my root canal and I couldn't wait anymore.

Awwwwwwwww... 🙁 I'm sorry!

I bet you were just a couple of hours short of hallucinating.

 

[njac]

We fight tooth and nail for OT at my place.

 

[Sparda29]

We fight tooth and nail for OT at my place.

Same, this DOP only lets it happen after he's exhausted all options.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Same, this DOP only lets it happen after he's exhausted all options.

I'd totally pay you to give me a tour around NYC...

Edited to add: Please note - I just don't tolerate speeds above 100mph very well, and I would need a couple of puffs from my asthma inhaler before going into the hookah bar.

 

[njac]

I have to say, the $20/hr paycut to move to NYC makes me question if I could do it.

Golden handcuffs...

 

[PharmDstudent]

I have to say, the $20/hr paycut to move to NYC makes me question if I could do it.

Golden handcuffs...

You know, that's if they'll even hire you. Not that you aren't great and all, because you obviously are, but they may not trust that you'll stick around if they have to pay you less. And I have no idea how to make HR departments "see" that the candidate will stick around whenever it's something that the candidate really wants regardless of a paycut. So damn those golden handcuffs!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

...and medication reconciliation sheets. Guuuuhhhhh....

 

[pezdispenser]

I heard there might be a push for salaried employees to get paid time and a half. Heard it on the news this morning.

I think there is a threshold. Currently if you make less than $24k/yr, you must get paid time and a half for overtime. So if all they do is increase that threshold, then I still doubt it would cover pharmacists making $100k.

Oh and time and a half overtime is sweet, but obviously the managers will try to avoid it because it's expensive. At my job OT only pays $5/hr above our base rate, but we can pretty much work as much as we want.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Same, this DOP only lets it happen after he's exhausted all options.

That's pretty much the standard. DOP is responsible for the budget. Part time and PRN staff are cheaper, also needs hours just to stay proficient and on the payroll.

 

[Sparda29]

That's pretty much the standard. DOP is responsible for the budget. Part time and PRN staff are cheaper, also needs hours just to stay proficient and on the payroll.

It happens more often at the other hospital I work at. Over there, we have only 3 per diems and since the assistant director who does scheduling and vacations denies a lot of time off requests, he ends up getting a lot of last minute sick calls. Then you call 3 people to see if they can work and more often than not it will be no if it's last second.

 

[xiphoid2010]

I agree. I wish I got overtime. We have a separate job for when picking up extra shifts but it pays less than our salaried per hour and no shift diff. 🙁 not alot of incentive to pick up extra shifts... now if I got time and a half I would be picking up more...

That's odd, PRN jobs pay about $10-15 more per hour over here.

Also look at it this way, working more at one place make you more financially dependent, while PRN at a different place offers a layer of security and additional networking/career opportunities.

 

[confettiflyer]

That's odd, PRN jobs pay about $10-15 more per hour over here.

Also look at it this way, working more at one place make you more financially dependent, while PRN at a different place offers a layer of security and additional networking/career opportunities.

FT + PRN with minimal commitment is the best way to go for a balance of finance and stability.

Actually, the best financial arrangement is PT w/ benefits + PRN or PRN + PRN with benefits from a spouse/RDP.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I am hourly so I did some money.

$53.85 * 7.25 = 390.41 (first 8 hours)
$53.85 * 1.5 * 8 = 646.2 (next shift, no breaks during this shift)

T

Do you work in NYC? only $54 an hour? That is lot lower than I would have though - We are pretty saturated here and pay is comparable - how many years experience do you have?

We cover shifts for call outs, but basically we are limited to 12 hour days - so one shift picks up 4 hours, and the next person comes in 2 hours early, and night shift absorbs the other two hours. But we don't get time and a half - just our shift dif - $6.25 for second and 8.25 for third

 

[Sparda29]

Do you work in NYC? only $54 an hour? That is lot lower than I would have though - We are pretty saturated here and pay is comparable - how many years experience do you have?

We cover shifts for call outs, but basically we are limited to 12 hour days - so one shift picks up 4 hours, and the next person comes in 2 hours early, and night shift absorbs the other two hours. But we don't get time and a half - just our shift dif - $6.25 for second and 8.25 for third

It's a community hospital right outside of NYC in Nassau County. Unionized position.

 

[Dred Pirate]

It's a community hospital right outside of NYC in Nassau County. Unionized position.

gotcha - a buddy of mine just moved from here to there and got a 15% raise, but that is also in the city-