4 answers
Cesar
Student
Gresham, Oregon
3
Questions
Asked
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What are the pros and cons of working in a hospital pharmacy compared to a retail pharmacy?
I am interested in this line of work
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4 answers
Phil Johnson
Pharmacist
7
Answers
Cleveland, Ohio
Updated
Phil’s Answer
Hi, there are a lot of pharmacy areas with many different choices among them. Hospital, retail, long term care, mail order, specialty pharmacy, oncology centers, home infusion, ambulatory care clinics, among many others. Look into some basics and try to talk to or shadow Pharmacists working in those to get an idea.
As to retail first thing first is you work with the public directly so you have to be good with that. Also retail pharmacies that I have worked in tend to be fast paced and a little crazy. Too many things to list but you may take orders, enter, fill , check them, ring patients out, counsel patients and give vaccines all while keeping the pharmacy clean, stocked and ordering/putting away orders. One bad thing is a lot of retail pharmacies are closing so there may not be as many options as there once was.
Hospital Pharmacists can do a little bit of everything too depending on your training, We have order entry Rphs, floor Rphs, clinical specialists (with advanced training), IV room, investigational, drug info and others. Hospital pharmacy tends to be more clinical but do not let anyone tell you that you cannot make a difference if you chose retail. Especially today hospital pharmacy may require 1-2 years of residency after you have finished pharmacy school. The residencies are definitely going to be required for any specialization.
There are quite a few pharmacy schools today and unfortunately as I mentioned above many retail locations are closing and some hospitals as well (especially smaller ones). If you think pharmacy is for you consider what opportunities may be available when you graduate. The government estimates how much professions may grow so look into that.
Bottom line is look into what you may like and find out as much information as you can as before you invest in pharmacy school and residencies. You may find it a great career or may determine going the PA or NP route better if you like health care in general
As to retail first thing first is you work with the public directly so you have to be good with that. Also retail pharmacies that I have worked in tend to be fast paced and a little crazy. Too many things to list but you may take orders, enter, fill , check them, ring patients out, counsel patients and give vaccines all while keeping the pharmacy clean, stocked and ordering/putting away orders. One bad thing is a lot of retail pharmacies are closing so there may not be as many options as there once was.
Hospital Pharmacists can do a little bit of everything too depending on your training, We have order entry Rphs, floor Rphs, clinical specialists (with advanced training), IV room, investigational, drug info and others. Hospital pharmacy tends to be more clinical but do not let anyone tell you that you cannot make a difference if you chose retail. Especially today hospital pharmacy may require 1-2 years of residency after you have finished pharmacy school. The residencies are definitely going to be required for any specialization.
There are quite a few pharmacy schools today and unfortunately as I mentioned above many retail locations are closing and some hospitals as well (especially smaller ones). If you think pharmacy is for you consider what opportunities may be available when you graduate. The government estimates how much professions may grow so look into that.
Bottom line is look into what you may like and find out as much information as you can as before you invest in pharmacy school and residencies. You may find it a great career or may determine going the PA or NP route better if you like health care in general
Thank you, Phil!
Cesar
Tamara Potter
Pharmacist
5
Answers
Midway, Utah
Updated
Tamara’s Answer
First of all, I would recommend shadowing for a few hours in both retail and hospital pharmacies. They are quite different and a lot of what happens in a hospital pharmacy is "behind the scenes." From a pharmacist prospective, hospital pharmacy typically has a wider variety of opportunities. Here are just a few examples. You can become a board certified clinical pharmacist who works with a team of other healthcare providers and helps dose and monitor medications for patients in the hospital. This in and of itself can vary widely depending on if you work for example with pediatric patients, intensive care patients or patients on a general medicine unit. You can also work in the IV room and prepare medications such as chemotherapy. There are also different kinds of retail pharmacies. Some make special compounded medications while others provide medication therapy management services to help patients reduce costs and side effects.
Tamara, thank you!
Cesar
Dianna Soto
Non Sterile Pharmacy Technician
16
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Dianna’s Answer
Hi Cesar,
Both hospital and retail pharmacy’s are fast paced. Retail has some down time and sometimes you can get snacks from around the store if you know you won’t be able to last long til lunch or end of shift. Hospitals have less, or zero down time because you are serving both the people who are leaving the hospital, and the patients who are staying, while preparing whatever else is necessary for new incoming patients.
Both hospital and retail pharmacy’s are fast paced. Retail has some down time and sometimes you can get snacks from around the store if you know you won’t be able to last long til lunch or end of shift. Hospitals have less, or zero down time because you are serving both the people who are leaving the hospital, and the patients who are staying, while preparing whatever else is necessary for new incoming patients.
Thank you so much, Dianna!
Cesar
abbas Ismael
Pharmaceutical formula
11
Answers
Khartoum, Sudan
Updated
abbas’s Answer
Choosing between a hospital pharmacy and a retail pharmacy ultimately depends on individual career goals, preferred work environments, and desired patient interactions. Each setting has its own rewards and challenges that cater to different interests and skills in the field of pharmacy.
Thank you very much
Cesar