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What positive and negative pharmacy experiences are you experiencing? Is it worth it these days??
I will be a senior next school year. And I hear there are lots of stress and pressure, and yelling from coworkers, managers, and patients. I was considering pharmacy, but I don't know if I should anymore. I see many pharmacists quitting on YouTube. Should I pursue a PharmD degree, or another career?
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7 answers
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Vicki’s Answer
Hey Sadi,
Just a friendly reminder that no job is perfect, but if you're passionate about healthcare, love helping people, and have a knack for math and science, a career in pharmacy could be a fantastic fit for you. Remember, there's a whole world beyond retail pharmacy if that's not your cup of tea.
Imagine yourself as a clinical pharmacist, working in a bustling clinic or a busy hospital. Or perhaps you'd like to specialize in areas like oncology, nuclear pharmacy, specialty medications, or infusions. You could even offer your expertise to long-term care facilities or work in a home care, compounding, or hospice pharmacy.
If you're more business-oriented, consider a role with a pharmaceutical manufacturer as a Sales Rep or Medical Science Liaison. There's also a wealth of opportunities for pharmacists at Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) or within the insurance industry.
Pharmacists make great Certified Diabetic Educators too. With the growing field of health informatics, there's a demand for pharmacists who specialize in this area. Don't forget about the possibilities within academia or research either.
So you see, the world of pharmacy is vast and varied, with plenty of opportunities to explore.
Just a friendly reminder that no job is perfect, but if you're passionate about healthcare, love helping people, and have a knack for math and science, a career in pharmacy could be a fantastic fit for you. Remember, there's a whole world beyond retail pharmacy if that's not your cup of tea.
Imagine yourself as a clinical pharmacist, working in a bustling clinic or a busy hospital. Or perhaps you'd like to specialize in areas like oncology, nuclear pharmacy, specialty medications, or infusions. You could even offer your expertise to long-term care facilities or work in a home care, compounding, or hospice pharmacy.
If you're more business-oriented, consider a role with a pharmaceutical manufacturer as a Sales Rep or Medical Science Liaison. There's also a wealth of opportunities for pharmacists at Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) or within the insurance industry.
Pharmacists make great Certified Diabetic Educators too. With the growing field of health informatics, there's a demand for pharmacists who specialize in this area. Don't forget about the possibilities within academia or research either.
So you see, the world of pharmacy is vast and varied, with plenty of opportunities to explore.
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Heather’s Answer
The most pressured jobs right now to my knowledge are in the large retail chains. There are many many fulfilling great jobs in pharmacy. So many avenues you can go down. I do work in retail but at a big box store and I do not experience that. I would stay away from CVS and. Walgreens at this time due to understaffing making it stressful, but otherwise pharmacy is a great job. The other thing I would weigh out is the cost of your education versus your pay. How long will it take you to pay off any loans you will accrue? Do you love pharmacy? The people who are miserable in pharmacy don’t have a passion for it many times.
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Melissa’s Answer
It all depends on which aspect of pharmacy you’re looking of going into and of course it depends on the environment of the establishment and your coworkers. I presently work at an inpatient hospital pharmacy as a Medication History Technician. Pharmacists can have several roles whether that’s as a clinical pharmacist for units within the hospital, as they work along side providers and other healthcare staff, inpatient pharmacists that reside purely in the pharmacy and check orders while working along side technicians, and oncology pharmacists that work in the oncology center where they work more along side other pharmacists only, as the technicians are separated by a protective barrier due to the hazardous drugs. Honestly, the oncology pharmacists are the least stressed. It’s quiet and laid back. Everyone else has their positives and negatives whether that’s having a heavy workload, drama, not enough staff, and so forth. Granted no job is perfect, but I’d say make sure that you’re passionate about pharmacology and healthcare before entering such a field.
I do have a strong interest in pharmacy, I feel a little hesitant about the pharmacy environments and stress load once one becomes a pharmacist. I never considered an oncology pharmacist, so I will look into that. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question!
Sadi
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Yolanda’s Answer
I agree with Martin. I would not go into pharmacy at this point. It is not like it used to be. The chain pharmacies are not maintaining their business model and will not be able to sustain if they keep going the way they are going. The stress and pressure is not worth it. I would look into becoming a Mental Health NP or PA. They are really in demand and you would have work life balance. I have been a pharmacist for over 20 years, so I don't say this lightly. I just want to be honest with you. I wish you the best of luck!
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Jordan’s Answer
To answer your question here are the pros and cons of a PharmD from my perspective as someone who's worked in retail, hospital, and now informatics:
*Pros:
High Pay, you'll make six figures no problem post-grad
High Demand (this is regional but I don't think you'll ever struggle to find work if you are not too picky),
Diverse career options and ability to specialize (I've done retail, hospital, and now IT),
Collaboration with other professionals like nurses and doctors who trust you to be the drug expert
*Cons
The degree itself is expensive and you'll come out of school with a good amount of debt
Pharmacy school itself is demanding
The jobs can be quite demanding and high stress. You'll feel rushed a lot and it can be a little draining
Healthcare is constantly changing, although there's plenty of opportunities for pharmacists now there's no guarantee we won't get squeezed out by nurses or technicians. I personally don't believe that but worth noting in fairness
Just my $0.02 but the pros outweigh the cons. I have a degree as a valued healthcare professional and can provide for my family even if the job is a bit stressful.
*Pros:
High Pay, you'll make six figures no problem post-grad
High Demand (this is regional but I don't think you'll ever struggle to find work if you are not too picky),
Diverse career options and ability to specialize (I've done retail, hospital, and now IT),
Collaboration with other professionals like nurses and doctors who trust you to be the drug expert
*Cons
The degree itself is expensive and you'll come out of school with a good amount of debt
Pharmacy school itself is demanding
The jobs can be quite demanding and high stress. You'll feel rushed a lot and it can be a little draining
Healthcare is constantly changing, although there's plenty of opportunities for pharmacists now there's no guarantee we won't get squeezed out by nurses or technicians. I personally don't believe that but worth noting in fairness
Just my $0.02 but the pros outweigh the cons. I have a degree as a valued healthcare professional and can provide for my family even if the job is a bit stressful.
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Chelsea’s Answer
Sadi! The best way to get a feel for Pharmacy is to be a technician first. The online info says we don’t make a lot of money which is true at first. You have to climb the ladder and be patient. The pharmacists rely on us heavily as they do need us as much as we need them. At times we run the pharmacy because we do a lot of the work. (Not that pharmacists don’t work). I work in hospital and have been doing great things and work with oncology mainly breast. (We are basically speciality offsite clinic for outpatient infusions). It is very rewarding! I make very good money with my 15 plus years experience which includes retail. I have written 3 continuing education presentations, presented 2, been involved with ASHP and PTEC. Involved with my Hospitals education program where we make pharm techs and dabble in things building my resume so that I can better my career and make a difference in not only my life, but the patients care and even a student or two if i am lucky. Good Luck!
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Martin’s Answer
I am going to answer from the perspective of the pharmacist. In today's healthcare system, I would not do it. Working with a pharmaceutical company or hospital is still an excellent position, but, relatively outside those areas, it is not. It is very difficult to gain and maintain a successful private pharmacy and if you are successful, you will have the big companies looking to buy you out very quickly. There are many problems working for these chains and they include being judged by the number of scripts filled, no matter what the other conditions are in the facility. The pay is quite decent, but, you will be subject to their scheduling, as well as whatever location they need you, even if you have a regular facility you normally work in. The hours can be long and you are responsible for picking up the slack if someone doesn't show. Your quality of work will be based on numbers as they define them. I know this is negative, but I speak to too many pharmacists who hate working for these companies and are always looking for another position. All the major companies seem to be the same. So, the years and expenses you will incur will pay off financially, but, your sanity may suffer.