What if pharmacists are being paid $35/hr?

[BMBiology]

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Would you still want to work as a pharmacist? This was posted in another forum:

Guys...

It is really tough to find a pharmacist job (retail, part time, full time or even per-diem) in Florida.

I've completed my all exams in october and I am licensed since october 2009. I tried all the possible ways to find a job. I gave three interviews at different places. At first place they were offering me $35/hr and no extra money for overtime and 40 hrs five days a week (gainesville).

Second place was target pharmacy, they said that they need experienced one.. and they found better than me.

At last, I applied to small hospital which is located at lake city and they offered me a job today... I got relieved finally. Finally, I am a hospital pharmacist

 

[Argentium]

Would you still want to work as a pharmacist? This was posted in another forum:

I would be a tool for taking that lowball offer.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

I get paid 30$ an hour at my independent and market rate is 40ish.., I am willing to work for free at this newly open pharmacy to learn the ins and outs of opening an independent.

 

[Pharmguy07]

I don't want to work as a pharmacist at the current rate. I certainly wouldn't want to do it for less.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

I don't want to work as a pharmacist at the current rate. I certainly wouldn't want to do it for less.

At CVS... definitely

 

[naseuy]

I get paid 30$ an hour at my independent and market rate is 40ish.., I am willing to work for free at this newly open pharmacy to learn the ins and outs of opening an independent.

How's the work environment compared to the major chains?

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

How's the work environment compared to the major chains?

Without going into too much details, I get 2 techs for 30 rxs. I spend my entire day surfing the net (I am per diem).

At CVS, I get 3-4 techs for 400 scripts, insane paperwork, and spend every second verifying prescriptions.

 

[type b pharmD]

Of course! When i chose to pursue pharmacy, the salary was only like 70-80k. I'd probably still pursue it as long as the pay didnt go below 50-60k, i mean, the job is fun, but there are more enjoyable things I could be doing for that kind of money. As far as loans go? I'm gonna do IBR so pay doesnt really matter to me. (No aspirations of having a family or getting rich either)

 

[glory4england]

$35 is around 72k a year before tax, not bad for doing something you love (assuming you got into pharmacy for the right reasons 😛) ^^

 

[jinga]

I still think $35 is a very respectable wage. Does anyone here really think wages will drop this much? I think right now we're looking at an average of around $50-55 per hour. What do you all think?

I've seen it stated here that once salaries reach a certain point, they don't drop much - would someone mind explaining this in a bit more detail?

 

[IrishHammer]

Would you still want to work as a pharmacist? This was posted in another forum:

I remember Mike posting several Pittsburgh area jobs a while back where the pay wasn't that much higher than $35/hr. So obviously there are plenty of people out there who would.

 

[njac]

hell, I'm a resident (a very well paid one at that) and that would be a 50% raise from my "hourly" wage. I'd take it and be happy 😉

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I remember Mike posting several Pittsburgh area jobs a while back where the pay wasn't that much higher than $35/hr. So obviously there are plenty of people out there who would.

Yup. $35.91 starting out as a fresh grad.

It's kinda insulting.

But if its a job I really, really enjoyed, I'd take it in a heartbeat to be honest.

 

[renetto]

I didn't go through all of this hell so I could work for $35 an hour. I would probably have to find another profession.

Don't get me wrong, I love pharmacy (especially retail and home infusion) but no way would I do it for less than $40 an hour which is way below what I think I'm worth (along with the profession).

 

[J ROD]

Most people I know are getting $50+ so I will say no....

I will be getting $30/hr before I am even licensed at RA.

Hospital is the lowest in my area and they start at $35/hr.....

 

[Silvermist]

I wouldn't worry until and unless that rate became endemic. When I first got out of college it was the middle of the tech boom. I got a couple of breathtakingly low offers for account management. The job I ended up taking was far closer to the industry norm and more than 2x what the others offered. Some companies just lowball as a rule, particularly if you are a new grad.

 

[thedrunkenpharm]

If $35/hr becomes the standard, I will just go back to Dental Hygiene. Pretty similar salary and at least I get to sit down.

 

[museabuse]

Without going into too much details, I get 2 techs for 30 rxs. I spend my entire day surfing the net (I am per diem).

At CVS, I get 3-4 techs for 400 scripts, insane paperwork, and spend every second verifying prescriptions.

Wow, how do they make money paying 2 techs and 1 pharm for 30 rxs? Are you compounding Viagra rapid tabs and charging 30 bucks a pop?

 

[sleazye]

No way, why wouldn't you just find a job that pays more? I've been making $32/hour as an intern since P2 year. Also, I don't understand the trouble people have had finding jobs. Graduating P4s this year that aren't doing residency/fellowship have gotten several job offers each, some with bonuses. Lots of doom and gloom around here 🙄

 

[bananaface]

At $35/hr my student loan interest would still be tax deductible if I were married. What am I gonna do? Not work?

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

When I started pharmacy school in 1991, pharmacist salary was around $45,000 per year in CA. My chem professor thought that was too much money.

I took a staff pharmacist job in 1995 at $19.75 per hour out of state when CA hospital pharmacists were getting paid $26 to $30 per year.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Sure. With 6 figure debts and no other marketable skills that are worth more than $35/hour, WTF else would I do?

I wouldn't have applied to pharm school if I had expected to make that little, but it's a bit late for that now.

 

[thedrunkenpharm]

Stavi, what is all that worth today, adjusting for inflation? <$70k?

 

[Silvermist]

Stavi, what is all that worth today, adjusting for inflation? <$70k?

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ ... just over $72k

 

[rxlynn]

Yup. $35.91 starting out as a fresh grad.

It's kinda insulting.

But if its a job I really, really enjoyed, I'd take it in a heartbeat to be honest.

Yep - I agree - insulting, but I really love pharmacy and don't have a lot of loan debt, so if it was that or certain chains, I'd think long and hard if it was a job I really liked. And, $35/hour would still be quite a bit more than I ever made in my life before pharmacy school.

 

[jinga]

Does anyone here think $35 per hour could become the norm? Hmm...

 

[johnconner]

I've seen it stated here that once salaries reach a certain point, they don't drop much - would someone mind explaining this in a bit more detail?

It means salaries won't drop much but they won't rise much either. For example, if you only get a 1% raise but inflation is 2%, you are actually getting paid less now, but you're actually salary didn't drop.

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ ... just over $72k

I guess my salary has really outpaced the inflation big time...

 

[jinga]

Oh, thanks for explaining. Does this include starting salaries?

I wonder how starting salaries will be affected. Or do you think they'll continue to rise?

 

[J ROD]

No way, why wouldn't you just find a job that pays more? I've been making $32/hour as an intern since P2 year. Also, I don't understand the trouble people have had finding jobs. Graduating P4s this year that aren't doing residency/fellowship have gotten several job offers each, some with bonuses. Lots of doom and gloom around here 🙄

What do you do to make 32/hr as an intern?

 

[confettiflyer]

I honestly wouldn't do it...the cost of attendance + lost income while in school wouldn't make financial sense. It's like those *****s that spend $100k+ on a degree that would only net them $35k/yr. I'd go into another field with a lower bar of entry (PA, CLS), or with a compensation rate worth the investment (MD/DO, engineering/IT, etc...)

 

[sleazye]

What do you do to make 32/hr as an intern?

I work in at a hospital and anticoag clinic. I see about 20 patients per day at the clinic. On the floors I basically do all the clinical stuff while the pharmacists supervise me and verify orders. I also do a lot of projects, drug monographs, etc.

 

[njac]

I work in at a hospital and anticoag clinic. I see about 20 patients per day at the clinic. On the floors I basically do all the clinical stuff while the pharmacists supervise me and verify orders. I also do a lot of projects, drug monographs, etc.

so, exactly what I did for $15.20/hr.

I'm guessing Pacific Northwest? (seems they pay interns well up that way)

 

[bananaface]

OR has P1-P3 interns in the mid to upper 20s, much higher than WA which is typically 14-17/hr. 32/hr sounds more like graduate intern pay. Could be OR though.

 

[sleazye]

so, exactly what I did for $15.20/hr.

I'm guessing Pacific Northwest? (seems they pay interns well up that way)

Northern CA

 

[J ROD]

Yeah, I get $18/hr and happy.....well as can be in retail hell....

 

[MDJPharmD]

No way, why wouldn't you just find a job that pays more? I've been making $32/hour as an intern since P2 year. Also, I don't understand the trouble people have had finding jobs. Graduating P4s this year that aren't doing residency/fellowship have gotten several job offers each, some with bonuses. Lots of doom and gloom around here 🙄

$32/hr intern!!! Wow! Where?! I make between $20-24 (depending on shift differentials) as a P1 Hospital Intern but its a flat rate and will not go up in 7 weeks when I become P2... What metro area are most of the P4s taking jobs in?

 

[MDJPharmD]

Northern CA

Sorry sleazye I got delirious and a little trigger happy when I saw $32!
I saw your response further down right after I posted my question.
Your job sounds incredible, I'm jealous....best of luck upon graduation!

 

[MDJPharmD]

When I started pharmacy school in 1991, pharmacist salary was around $45,000 per year in CA. My chem professor thought that was too much money.

I took a staff pharmacist job in 1995 at $19.75 per hour out of state when CA hospital pharmacists were getting paid $26 to $30 per year.

I worked with a pharmacist who graduated before ibuprofen got FDA approval! She made $3/hr as a tech then $9/hr as a pharmacist! She currently makes $65/hr working swing shift at a community hopsital!

 

[J ROD]

I worked with a pharmacist who graduated before ibuprofen got FDA approval! She made $3/hr as a tech then $9/hr as a pharmacist! She currently makes $65/hr working swing shift at a community hopsital!

Ask her about penicillin.....

 

[genesis09]

Ask her about penicillin.....

I don't think she's that old. Penicillin came to market in the early 1940s. Got a floater last week and he said when he graduated the hot, new drug was captopril.

 

[J ROD]

I don't think she's that old. Penicillin came to market in the early 1940s. Got a floater last week and he said when he graduated the hot, new drug was captopril.

I know....I was trying to make a funny!!

 

[Farmercyst]

Ask her about penicillin.....

Worst immunization I've given was a patient who was in the penicillin trials in the 40s. He was a kid and was getting PCN injections, multiple doses, multiple times. First guy I ever had that was like "OW, OW, OW, OW" the whole time as I was putting needle in and taking needle out. The pharmacist came over to see what the deal was.

 

[Doctor M]

Without going into too much details, I get 2 techs for 30 rxs. I spend my entire day surfing the net (I am per diem).

At CVS, I get 3-4 techs for 400 scripts, insane paperwork, and spend every second verifying prescriptions.

wait, the ind pharmacy u work at is doing 30 per day? how long have they been open? just curious...

 

[Doctor M]

I didn't go through all of this hell so I could work for $35 an hour. I would probably have to find another profession.

Don't get me wrong, I love pharmacy (especially retail and home infusion) but no way would I do it for less than $40 an hour which is way below what I think I'm worth (along with the profession).

How do you put a "worth" number onto yourself? I dont understand the "worth" part? What make one think that they are "worth" $55 an hour fresh out of school when joe blow whose been doing this for 10 years is making $52 an hour...it blows my mind...So let me get this straight, someone fresh out of school who has absolutely no experience in being a leader and managing people is "worth" more than someone with experience??? Im not trying to be mean, im just trying to understand this illogical thinking...

 

[Doctor M]

Wow, how do they make money paying 2 techs and 1 pharm for 30 rxs? Are you compounding Viagra rapid tabs and charging 30 bucks a pop?

maybe its all oxycodone?? Cause 30 rx's is our break even point in order to pay our monthly bills...that does not include rph salary...

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

wait, the ind pharmacy u work at is doing 30 per day? how long have they been open? just curious...

They have been open for >1 years. I have tried giving them advice on how to expand their business but it's a small pharmacy that barely meets the legal requirement so its hard for them to do much. Actually, it doesnt even have a bathroom so I have no idea how they pass inspection.

They mostly fill OTC items and other generic products. Once in a while, they might make 10-20 on a prescription like Hepsera. They also make commission on lottery which seems to pay the rent. I plan on talking to the owner and buying them out. Maybe I can make the pharmacy more patient friendly (clearing out the window of junk) and offer immunizations (something that was just legalized in NYS).

Their margin is good... 30-40 percent on OTC products...

 

[Doctor M]

They have been open for >1 years. I have tried giving them advice on how to expand their business but it's a small pharmacy that barely meets the legal requirement so its hard for them to do much. Actually, it doesnt even have a bathroom so I have no idea how they pass inspection.

They mostly fill OTC items and other generic products. Once in a while, they might make 10-20 on a prescription like Hepsera. They also make commission on lottery which seems to pay the rent. I plan on talking to the owner and buying them out. Maybe I can make the pharmacy more patient friendly (clearing out the window of junk) and offer immunizations (something that was just legalized in NYS).

Their margin is good... 30-40 percent on OTC products...

It doesnt seem like they have a huge client base...Whats your plan? 10-20 on Hepsera? Thats not that great, when the outlay is $700+ for the drug. You need some psychiatric drugs, although i must say some of them are ridiculously expensive! If you get the risperdals, depakotes and trileptals, and clozapines, you can make a good buck! Our OTC margin is between 40-60%! We priced everything below CVS and Walgreens. That gives you an idea of how expensive CVS and Walgreens is! Good luck to you! PM me if you wanna chat about independent pharmacy! Im always up for chatting about business!

 

[stevephhs016]

They have been open for >1 years. I have tried giving them advice on how to expand their business but it's a small pharmacy that barely meets the legal requirement so its hard for them to do much. Actually, it doesnt even have a bathroom so I have no idea how they pass inspection.

They mostly fill OTC items and other generic products. Once in a while, they might make 10-20 on a prescription like Hepsera. They also make commission on lottery which seems to pay the rent. I plan on talking to the owner and buying them out. Maybe I can make the pharmacy more patient friendly (clearing out the window of junk) and offer immunizations (something that was just legalized in NYS).

Their margin is good... 30-40 percent on OTC products...

Why does that sound like a lot of the pharmacies in chinatown, ny?

 

[J ROD]

Worst immunization I've given was a patient who was in the penicillin trials in the 40s. He was a kid and was getting PCN injections, multiple doses, multiple times. First guy I ever had that was like "OW, OW, OW, OW" the whole time as I was putting needle in and taking needle out. The pharmacist came over to see what the deal was.

Sounds like he needed to "man" up!!