She wants to be a pharmacist

[griz326]

My step-daughter wants to become a pharmacist. She cannot explain why she chose that career to me, so I suspect it's wrapped up in what a pharmacist is in China.

 

Long story short, I don't know much about being a pharmacist but unless she goes into research, it doesn't seem like a secure career. The reason that I say this is that pharmacists no longer mix medicines and the computers check previous medications for conflicts so all of that knowledge is really unnecessary 99% of the time. My gut tells me that the reason pharmacists still make big money is because their license is needed for the corporation that owns the pharmacy to buy drugs.

 

Am I correct? ...or off the beam?

[georgeandli]

Don't know about job security, but one can definitely make jingle. Just saw my first ATM type dispenser at a immediate care joint.

[george lee]

my brother's wife's younger sister is a pharmacist in nyc. she is ny state license and making 71k per year with benefits working for duan reade, after interning for 1 year after college. her hours are 45 hours per week, not including overtime. oh yeah...she is only 26. i was making 18 dollars an hour when i was 26. the salary is enough for going pharmacist school. i also known 5 people who are pharmacists and making over 55k per year.

[yuehan123]

I'd say it's off the mark. The pharmacist and their assistants work in every pharmacy there is. That goes way beyond the drug companies and into every hospital, senior home, CVS, Wal-Mart, you name it around the country.The license is also required to dispense Rx.

[IllinoisDave]

I'd say it's off the mark. The pharmacist and their assistants work in every pharmacy there is. That goes way beyond the drug companies and into every hospital, senior home, CVS, Wal-Mart, you name it around the country.The license is also required to dispense Rx.

This makes sense. My wife is trying to figure out what to go into now. Everyone we've talked to, a friend of hers who's a nurse, the career counselor at the local Juco, people in the medical industry, say that anything to do with health care is going to be a good choice for a career in the near future.

[Guest Pommey]

pharmacists mix medications in hospitals all the time, very secure job, good pay, nice hours

[Sebastian]

Everywhere you can buy prescription medications - there MUST be a licensed pharmacist on staff. If ya think about it, that's a lot of places.

 

She may not have the same posting with the same company with the same work address from year to year, but she won't be unemployed for very long.

 

You might want to study the 'job forecast for pharamacists' available on most of the 'pharmacy college' websites.

 

Personally, I'd rate a pharamacist as a stable job.

[chengdu4me]

This ought to give you a little insight into pharmacutical careers

 

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm

[tonado]

A career in pharmacist is excellent. According to my pharmacist friends, working in retail (CVS) can be stressful. Working in hospital is more interesting (research on new drugs) but pay is less than retail and you will need a pharm D degree (a doctorate). It takes 5 or 6 years of school to get a pharmacist degree. To work, one need to get license in the working State. California is the toughest state to get a license.

[SheLikesME?]

I have a friend or 2 who are pharmacists. There is a shortage currently. They are giving 30K bonuses to sign up, or they were the past year or 2. My local CVS friend paid cash for his Porsche and he isn't that old. Another friend in OK could change jobs and buy a new car that he needs but he just does not want to leave his little nursing home supplier and go retail because he hates talking to people.

 

I believe it takes 5 years of college and then you must pass your states license test. You have to test in each state I think.

 

Good career and my son says he may fall back on this if he doesn't make med school.

[Guest Pommey]

I have a friend or 2 who are pharmacists. There is a shortage currently. They are giving 30K bonuses to sign up, or they were the past year or 2. My local CVS friend paid cash for his Porsche and he isn't that old. Another friend in OK could change jobs and buy a new car that he needs but he just does not want to leave his little nursing home supplier and go retail because he hates talking to people.

 

I believe it takes 5 years of college and then you must pass your states license test. You have to test in each state I think.

 

Good career and my son says he may fall back on this if he doesn't make med school.

 

better than Med school

[griz326]

I'd read the BLS write-up on pharmacists long ago. For the most part it seems like a great paying job for a pill counter who must invest in years of study and licensing.

 

The only thing required to automate that position at the retail level is a business case and getting around the RX licensing.

 

The exception seems to be for a pharmacist in a hospital or other medical facility and in research where they still commonly mix medicines utilizing their knowledge and skill.

 

I wish she'd tell me what her interest in pharmacy is.

[Cathy]

I have to put into my two cents here.

 

Pharmacist is a great job as to the salary (bigger than listed in hte previous posts), job satisfaction and job security. There are so many career choices after having the license. You can go on with PhD program and work in the academics and become a professor. Or, you can be a clinical pharmacist working in the hospital or the caring facilities. You can work in a pharmaceutical company as well. More than 70% jobs are in the retail. Retail jobs are chanllenging and refreshed everyday because each day you face different problems and talk with different people. If a person has a caring heart, understanding and sympathetic, working in the health-related fields will be a good choice for the future. Pharmacist doesnt have to be on call 24/7, while a physician does, so that makes the difference in the salary.

 

Retail pharmacies do the compouding medications too. Sometimes it is simple, sometimes it requires a machine. Skill and proficiency does make a difference in the outlook of the medication although the receip is standarded. Like between the brand and generic drugs.

 

The expensive cost in health care is asking more responsibilities from the pharmacists. A pharmacist can do shots too. They are also the first help a patient will seek for medical advices. Consultation is the valuble part for their salaries. The pharmacy is changing the way to fill the prescriptions too. Pharmacy technician will have more duties while the pharmacist will spend more time with the patients.

 

As to the requirement of becoming a pharmacist, it needs a PharmD. It is equivalent to a master degree in China, but China does not have the PharmD degree. Some pharmacy schools in the States have the programs allowing you finish a four-year undergraduate program then continue with two more years to get the PharmD. Some accept the PharmD applications. To be qualified, you need at least have an associate degree in any major with finishing all the pre-pharm courses. In this route, students go to a community college first, then apply for the pharmacy school. Another four years is needed to graduate the PharmD program.

 

It is said the clinical pharmacist will be enhanced in the future. So some PharmD graduates goes to the residency program after getting the pharmacist license to any speacialty field they are interested in. The pharmacy specialist will or should be appreciated more in the future. However, after working in the retail and enjoying the salaray, it is difficult to go the residency since the resident is paid low during the training period.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Cathy (see edit history)

[tonado]

Remembering all the drug names is a challenge especially if English is not your first language.

[Randy W]

Remembering all the drug names is a challenge especially if English is not your first language.

 

They're also a challenge if English IS your first language.