What is it like to work at a VA hospital??

[BetseyJohnson]

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compared to just a regular hospital or retail environment

 

[b*rizzle]

compared to just a regular hospital or retail environment

A cross of both.

Some components of a typical hospital setting -- i.e., inputting, making interventions, fielding drug info questions from the floors, IVs, etc.

Some components of typical retail setting -- filling outpatient meds and counseling patients at pick-up windows.

Heavy focus on ambulatory care; Coumadin clinics, diabetes/lipid/HTN management. You need a residency (preferably at a VA facility) for a clinical position these days, otherwise you're going to be in a staff position.

FYI -- their charting system is awesome. Also, RPhs in a federal facility have prescriptive authority.

It's a managed care setting, so there's lots of bureaucracy. National criteria for using several drugs, strict adherence to formulary, lots of policies and procedures. I did two rotations at one; learned a lot (on one) but didn't really care for it. You either love it or hate it.

PM me if you have more specific questions.

 

[Farcus]

not sure if its same elsewhere but the speaker our school told us that the pharmacist at VA here(FL) can prescribe meds to patients.

also for the salary at VA is it same as hospital or is it government structured or what not.