Should i study pharmacy

Thanks Dina, that means a lot. It was actually part of the reason I felt compelled to write this post. I just felt like I was misled and had a rude awakening upon graduating so I wanted to put my story out there especially for people just thinking of getting into pharmacy school. Great article! I am just glad to see that you are not waiting as long as I did before starting to do something about it.

I think the key is to begin working on creating other income streams while still working as a pharmacist. I started an affiliate website. It is my hope to also dive into other online ventures as well. I sincerely wish you and other pharmacists struggling with these issues, inspiring and prosperous ideas that lead to a better, happier, more prosperous way to make a living. TBH my second option was law, and i did see the negatives of it and decided against it. Hi Layla, it is crazy to think of how alike your thoughts were to mine when I first applied to pharmacy school.

I do wish you the best in your journey but to answer your question: does it get better? Unfortunately for me, it did not get better. However, stress is still stress and I do still dislike it as much as I did when I first wrote this post.

I have been working in retail pharmacy for 8 years now and was frustrated and sad until I realized a fun fact: every job sucks. Think about it. Pharmacists are taught to be anxious perfectionists but believe me, ten years from now nobody will care about all the work you did today. Take it easy. There is a drugstore on every corner of our cities. Thank you Jack. Advice from a seasoned pharmacist who has been practicing for 25 years. When I started it was awesome!

The jobs were plenty, the financial compensation was well worth it and the opportunities did give you a sense of accomplishment in helping your patients. However, over the last 15 years something sinister occurred.

The financial compensation is puny for that level of debt and training. With all that training and schooling compensation should start out 30KK higher. Thank for your this comment Rose. I think prospective pharmacy students really need to hear this, especially from an experienced pharmacist like yourself. I agree with everything Rose said above!!!

I am also a seasoned pharmacist with almost 23 years and if there is one Wise and honest advice I can give to pharmacy school students or those of you considering pharmacy as a profession , please rethink your decision. I want to save you heart ache and over K debt. Go to medical school instead or if you are an introvert , switch to engineering , computer science or an IT degree.

All my friends in these other fields live a better quality of life. What used to be a wonderful profession , has now been destroyed by corporations and too many schools opening. This is what baby boomers have done to every occupation and for that matter every part of society in general. Now boomers are shocked the country is falling apart. Hmmmm I wonder why?

Thank you for sharing the post! As i am an introverted i thought being a pharmacist would be the best choice. And also I came from a low income family so the thought of not being able to pay the debt with low job opportunities really scares me. What other careers would you pick if you can start over again? Hi Kim, thank you for the comment and sorry for the late response. Wow this is so powerful and I can see how you feel this way.

You should look into finding a new field within the Pharmacy profession. You could try to other things like being a consulting pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, or an ambulatory pharmacist that works in a doctors office, or so much more! You just have to find the job that works for you and what you want to do in your career. I took a peek into your blog and am happy to see you are doing well in pharmacy school.

Good luck in your last year. Thank you for your post! I am in a very difficult situation right now. I got accepted into pharm school but after reading so so many issues about saturations and working conditions, I feel really scared and lost. I dont know if I should continue forward to this path or picking a different career. I feel like my future is really gloomy and I dont know what to do.

If you can choose again, which career would you choose? Hope to hear your advice. Hi Anh, I hope you did not go to pharmacy school. Please warn every student out there in pharmacy school and pre pharmacy, do not do it. Consider Medical school or nursing instead. There are more opportunities in these fields. Pharmacy has been destroyed by big corporations and the greed of more schools opening.

Choose becoming an MD. You will end up spending the same amount of years in school and debt will be easier to pay off because your income and opportunities are limitless, unlike in Pharmacy.

Stay positive! There are a lot of different jobs out there for those with a PharmD. I was in the same boat as you 10 years ago. I love my job. Just keep your eyes and ears open for a job that will interest you.

Thanks for the advice Danny! I will definitely keep a look out for anything similar. Good jobs in pharmacy are rare.

Go to medical school. This a better long term solution and you will be better appreciated! This article really shed some light on the whole pharmacy misconception.

But I have time! Do you know of any non-traditional jobs for people with a PharmD? Hi Chinwe, thanks for the comment. There are some non-traditional jobs for people with Pharm. It will be far less common than retail and hospital jobs but you can pursue a fellowship and work in the pharmaceutical industry.

I just read this. I live in a third world country but the education here is quite well and cheap if there are previous academic achievements so I will graduate without any debt however I saw many people complaining about their draining jobs in retail pharmacy, does it get any better in industrial or clinical pharmacy or should I consider opting for M. Get the MD. They are compensated much better. Too many risks involved in pharmacy.

Expectations are high. Very stressful. I hate my career choice. MD and Pharm. D are two very different professions in my opinion. D then an M. I started in the days of manual typewriters, no computers, and now I am on my 10th software system, or is it my 12th? For most of my career I have worked in rural, underserved areas. I have worked with multiple generations of families.

Just today, I helped a child whose father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were or still are customers of mine. The pace is brutal, the metrics and the staffing unrealistic, and the insurance adjudication is miserable, but there are still moments of grace.

Meet your customers with courtesy, treat them with dignity, and make an effort to be kind. Some of my angriest, most obnoxious customers have become some of my most beloved customers, because I made a decision to win them over.

It takes time to build relationships. I have worked in stores in affluent areas. The customers were better educated, but not easier to deal with. I discovered that wealth and arrogance are worse than poverty and ignorance. Would I choose this profession again? Maybe not. Maybe I would choose horticulture. But I am glad I became a pharmacist. I have made a difference in the world, however small. Sometimes when I have bad days I think about the customers who were thankful for my help and it just makes everything feel better.

On a different note, I have met many pharmacists who share the same sentiments as you that pharmacy was a great career to enter 10 years ago but not today. Thank you so much for this article. I have never been treated so poorly than by customers at the pharmacy. I wish there was something I could do so that I could pursue something else that I am actually passionate about, but my debt does not allow me to. Again, thank you for this article. I wish there was something we could do to change this!

I feel you girl. And I hope it gets better for both of us! I will say those customers are not worth your tears though! Not on you! So eat up! Thank you so much for your honestly!

I truly hope it gets better or you find another job. Thanks for the comment Tiffany! I honestly believe pharmacy technicians rarely get the recognition they deserve. You guys are the backbone of the pharmacy! Retail life is tough, just the nature of the pharmacy profession today.

Have you considered the education field? We had several relatively young professors in school- all of which were great at what they did.

HI Paul, thanks for the comment. I actually have not considered the education field at all since I have a fear of public speaking. Thanks for the suggestion! You may start your pharmacy setup, like me, hope you will find it better than your expectation.

Really affected with the majority of comments ,i think i have to look for alternatives. Go into engineering. I am saving you the heart ache of high debt , lack of good opportunities and disrespect. Consider engineering or medical school. Hi Avery!!! Thank you so much for this post. I was googling about pharmacist jobs and am so thankful to have found this!!!!!

Unlike you I was never a bookworm. I had trouble connecting with any subject in school because at heart I was much more interested in creative pursuits like art and theater. I tried to work as a fulltime technican for Walmart and drive two hours back and forth to school times per week while working on my undergrad in clincial research joke degree lol and I was only stopped last april by a horrible car accident that put me in a wheelchair for the rest of This break from working and taking uppers and downers caused my body to go into shock as I went through detox.

For me, my adhd medication led me to seeking anything to help alleviate the horrible and extensive feelings of being a zombie just running on autopilot. It was my gateway drug. It has almost become a way life and such a non-problematic topic. It felt like every night we would leave the abuse of work to get home and abuse our bodies with the posion that is alcohol.

I did not mean to turn this into a long post but pharmacy is close to my heart. I am at the point where I do not have a degree or a job and I do not know where to go from here. I had all of my eggs in one basket and I do not want to live with these monsters on my back!

Student debt, hating my career, surviving dependent on drugs!!! I do not know if you pray Avery but if you do please say a small prayer for Christian in NC and I will say a prayer for Avery the pharmacist. Thank you for sharing. I hope that things get better for you and know that they will. I have been a pharmacist for ten years now and I was exactly in your shoes about years ago.

I feel like I could have written this article verbatim. Keep the job hunt going! Where you are now is not where you will be forever, but it is a good starting point for you professionally and financially. I now work at an outpatient hospital pharmacy that dispenses discharge medications and works on optimizing transition of care.

It has all of the clinical facets I learned in pharmacy school while still being able to interact with patients in a dispensing role. I also would not have been effective at this job had I not gone through the rigorous years of straight retail nonsense, which gave me an edge in terms of efficiency and workflow management.

I have done a complete and I love my job and the work I do every day. Remember what brought you to this career to begin with, and remember that this is not the last stop in your career path. Best wishes to you! Thank you so much for the encouraging words Jen! I am going through a very similar situation. Graduated in , worked at a chain as an intern and floater for 3 years total, and left due to the stress and toll my body was going through.

I currently work for an independent compounding pharmacy 1. Everything seems to be about money and I am feeling very disillusioned with the profession. I am considering going back to school or moving back home with my parents and doing something else.

It sucks! I am currently staffed in one of the lower-volume stores in my district. I also still float sometimes. But the experience I gained in my first year definitely helped me gain confidence in the pharmacy which has led to happier days.

Of course, I still struggle with the issues I talked about in this post but to a lesser extent now. The Armed Forces are always looking for medical professionals like pharmacists. The down side is that you do have to have to relocate every few years, but that might be a major upside to those of you looking for new adventures. I love this article and completely agree with everything. I believe we graduated about the same time in , and I remember coming home crying every night for the first six months or so.

I do think my anxiety about work has gotten better with time though. I fully agree with this. Pharmacy is a damn hell on earth, I am a pharm. Dealing with health insurance funds and companies is the worst part, procurement procurement process makes me exhausted.. Prescribers on the other hand give me headache every single passing day.

My hobby is cooking, I currently think I should offer most of my efforts in meals at least they help me adjust the sail……. I am currently an undergrad student, and similar to you, being a pharmacist has been my dream since I was a kid. Do you have any tips for an undergrad student whose dream was to become a pharmacist? Hi Karen, have you worked in the pharmacy before perhaps as a tech?

I would recommend being familiar first with the work setting and the job before deciding if you want to pursue pharmacy. I know some techs that actually love the work environment even if sometimes more stressful setting of retail pharmacy and decided to become a pharmacist because and knowing full well of what the job entails. That may be you. Who knows, maybe my opinion and some of the comments here may not apply to you.

So I definitely recommend applying to become a tech first. Hope this tip helps you out! I Enjoy a Wide Variety of Career Opportunities Pharmacy is a diverse and rewarding career, with opportunities for patient care, scientific research and innovation. The demand is fueled by the following factors: Increased demand for patient services. The transition to the doctor of pharmacy Pharm.

Pharmacists are able to work in a wider array of practice settings and positions than ever before. Increase in number of prescriptions filled each year. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the number of prescriptions filled increased from 1. Our society will continue to need more pharmacists to manage the growing number of prescriptions as more medicines become available and the population ages.

Increase in the number of medicines available on the market. There is a greater selection of prescription and OTC drugs manufactured today than in the past. Multiple medications are often available to treat a single disease. Pharmacists help prescribers and patients decide which medicine will have the most beneficial results.

When pharmacists are involved in patient care, outcomes improve and costs decline. Increase in the elderly population.

According to the U. Census Bureau, 1 in 5 Americans will be classified as elderly by Older patients generally have more chronic illness and more complicated drug regimens than younger individuals.

Pharmacists play a key role in helping the elderly patients navigate complicated medication requirements and explore ways to minimize their financial burden. The aging population has also increased the need for long-term care, geriatric and consultant pharmacists. I Want to be an Important Member of the Healthcare Team Pharmacists work with other health care professionals to maximize health outcomes. I am Excited to be a Part of Major Innovations in Medication Therapy One of the many exciting developments in the pharmacy profession is the growth of a discipline, known as pharmacogenomics.

I Want to Work with State-of-the-Art Technology Digital innovations in pharmacy include electronic prescriptions, robotics for central prescription processing and nationwide prescription monitoring programs, as well as pharmaceutical research.

I Can Help Defend Against Bioterrorism Pharmacists are educated to recognize signs and symptoms of diseases that may be used in a biological attack. Related Content Future Pharmacy Students. Pharmacy School Admission Requirements.

A compassionate, helpful attitude will ensure you connect with your patients and provide them with the information they need to take care of their health. Every career choice comes with certain challenges, but they're balanced by rewards that keep you motivated every morning when you get up for work.

According to Albert, it's difficult to keep up with changes in pharmaceutical law and trends, especially in this modern age. As lawmakers create new policies to protect and inform the public, for instance, pharmacists must keep track of those changes and respond to them effectively. Thielemier expresses frustration with the "lack of acceptance as a formal health care provider. Many pharmacists start their careers in related professions.

For instance, when asked about her work history, Thielemier says, "Since I was 17, I have worked [in] nearly every pharmacy position that exists, from register clerk to technician to intern to pharmacist. Consider following in Thielemier's footsteps and looking for a job as a pharmacy technician. You'll benefit from on-the-job training, as well as the opportunity to work with a credentialed pharmacist who can guide you down the right path.

A pharmacy technician job description might involve taking phone calls from doctors and patients, keeping medications organized, filling prescriptions as they come in, and placing orders to maintain the desired pharmaceutical inventory. Pharmacists play an active role in their patients' health care plans, advising and counseling them through illnesses and injuries.

Though you'll need significant education to become a pharmacist, you'll enjoy the rewards of a lucrative career that allows you to make a positive difference in other people's lives. If you have a head for numbers, you might want to pursue a career as a financial analyst. Whether you're hoping for a promotion, a raise, or a leadership role — or looking to make your next career move — becoming a CWI will help you stand out, impressing employe Love crunching numbers?

You're already on the way to becoming an accountant or an auditor. Your passion for digits and decimals could earn you more money.

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