Any Pharmacist out there?

[SOLID]

Thinking of getting my degree in Pharmacology. I think this job would be interesting, even though I hear it can be very boring. To all Pharmacists on elite...describe your work day. Tell whether you like your job, and if you feel the pay is good for what you do. I hear they make good $. Also, tell a little about the schooling, how tuff, easy, boring, interesting, basically just share your thoughts for someone considering it as their career.


Thanks

 

[Lao Tzu]

im not a pharmacist but my dad is so i have some info.


he had 5 years of college (4 undergrad, 1 grad). They extended grad, so now you need 2 years of grad school to be a pharmacist.

His undergraduate degree was mainly in chemistry.

Starting salary for pharmacists is about $30/hr.



You might want to find a place that lets you work 40 hrs a week. Some places try to get 60+ hours out of you.

 

[casavant]

As a pharmacist, don't you spend the majority of your time just counting pills? I mean, the job demands quite a bit of school and pays pretty well, but when do you really use that education?

 

[Lao Tzu]

i could ask him. But he knows pretty much every drug there is, what it does, and what ones you can't combine.

I think its the pharmacy technicians who do most of the pill counting shit.

 

[MFMan]

Well I first learned it on the back streets of Vegas. The schooling was really hard but parts were easy. Professor G. Bow Wow Dog Funk took me under his wing. He showed me how to score with chicks during my semester. This cool thing I learned in chemlab, shit called Ecstasy. One blow and you get a ho. He set me up with job prospects after graduation. Mainly 10 year old kids with rich dads. Some of the clients were older. I had my own office on the corner of fifth and main where we would have business meetings. Had to keep a look out for the cops though. Anyway when I got into the sales aspect of it I really made a fortune. Pharmesutical sales is great. Any junkie is a possible client.....fuck. You meant the other type of pharmacist. Disregard.

 

[casavant]

i could ask him. But he knows pretty much every drug there is, what it does, and what ones you can't combine.

I think its the pharmacy technicians who do most of the pill counting shit.

So they have to have that education just in case the doc fucks up and prescribes a dangerous combo? I understand the need for education actually- you couldn't have just any old yahoo dispensing pills.

Did you know that there is a pharmaceutical brand of meth call "Desoxyn"? That's what Erowid.com said anyway.

 

[SOLID]

casavant- I think it depends where you work. Like Walgreens or Savon pharmacist probably don't do more than count pills and tell people how to administer their meds. I would rather work in a hospital setting or own my own Pharmacy...which would require constant research of new drugs to stay ahead of the game.

 

[SOLID]

im not a pharmacist but my dad is so i have some info.


he had 5 years of college (4 undergrad, 1 grad). They extended grad, so now you need 2 years of grad school to be a pharmacist.

His undergraduate degree was mainly in chemistry.

Starting salary for pharmacists is about $30/hr.



You might want to find a place that lets you work 40 hrs a week. Some places try to get 60+ hours out of you.

where did your Pops go to school?

 

[Lao Tzu]

grad & undergrad work was done at Purdue University in Indiana.

 

[john937]

My mom just retired from pharmacy, and after standing on her feet for the past 40 years you should see her varicose veins....err no you shouldn't...
She had to remember what meds her customers were on and catch the bad drug interreactions with the new prescrips the docs gave out.
She caught several prescriptions that would have caused severe side effects if the prescription was filled.
You also have to worry about robbery, especially today for oxycontin and various narcotics.
All told though, she liked it.
One of the few jobs that doesn't get downsized or phased out of existance.

 

[casavant]

One of the few jobs that doesn't get downsized or phased out of existance.

LOL. Ain't that the truth.

 

[VicTusDeuS]

I attened the best school of Pharmacy on the east coast a few years ago. Pharmacology is different than the PharmD degree you need to become a clinical pharmacist. The schooling as of 1998-9 was that 6 years was required yet you would leave with your PhD in Pharmacy. Many Foodstores, CVS's, Walgreens will pay you the good money but you probably will be working the long hours. There was a move a few years ago to try to get the Pharmacists authority to prescribe medication-I dont know if that ever went anywhere.

A PharmD is pretty good degree it will get you anywhere from 70 to 90k your first year...But you will be working your ass off and most likely counting pills. There is a seperate degree for Pharmacology and with that you can go into industrial work such as R&D. Some of my friends from my old school have degrees in Pharmacology and are continuing on for their PharmD.

Alot has changed in the field in the last 20 years. Where the Pharmacist used to put together alot of his own medicine and solutions they now come pre made direct from the companies. This gives the Pharmacist less work but makes it seem that all they do is count pills- something a tech can do with minimal education.

Another thing is that if you were considering opening up your own mom and pop store- Good Luck! It is always easier for a Giant such as Walgreens to provide the medicine to customers for a lower price since they buy in such great quantities. The pharmacists cant keep up- Most of their client base is seniors who are on fixed incomes that need to save money.

My school said the future pharmacist was more of a clinical job. Where A person would meet with the pharmacist in a meeting room and tell them how to use the medicine etc etc. In many cases they know more about the particular drugs than the doctors that prescribe them.

There is a national shortage of pharmacists right now which is why they work so many hours and make so much. I know a kid who got offered 100,000/year first year- he had to move to Ohio though. If your willing to sacrifice the 6 years go ahead. If your willing to work for another year. My School offered you an MBA program where you could have your PharmD and MBA opening that door for you to get a sweet job in one of the Pharmaceutical companies...If you need any info PM me. Ive visitied many of the schools in the NY,NY and PA area that have Pharmacy as a major..

casavant- I think it depends where you work. Like Walgreens or Savon pharmacist probably don't do more than count pills and tell people how to administer their meds. I would rather work in a hospital setting or own my own Pharmacy...which would require constant research of new drugs to stay ahead of the game.

 

[SOLID]

You have a PM VicTusDeuS.