wtf pharmacist salaries?

[BlahBlahYouToo]

I know pharmacists are highly educated and I know their schooling is tough, but I think they're overpaid given what they do and should largely be replaced by technology.

us IT guys think alike.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Yeah... but I wouldn't want to be the programmer responsible for killing a dozen CVS customers because I missed a bug in the dosage software for the pill dispensing robot.

The amount of pay the coders/maintainers of such a system would be paid just as well if not more because of this (or atleast the company that employs them). There's always BIG money involved in systems that absolutely have to work all the time.

 

[FDF12389]

but I think they're overpaid given what they do and should largely be replaced by technology.

They're underpaid, they have to decipher doctor handwriting

 

[ShawnD1]

I never "consult" with a pharmacist when I pick up my medicine. I can read the documentation that they print out from the system.

Probably because most prescriptions are not life or death. If you're 80 and taking heart medication then you probably should talk to the pharmacist but most of the time it's just younger people getting Tylenol 3 or athlete's foot cream or some other generic thing that isn't a big deal. In one hick town I even had to ask the pharmacist for Gravol - a drug to stop nausea. This really is on the same level as when you go to 7-11 and need to ask for cigarettes because they keep the cigarettes behind the counter to prevent people from stealing them.

It would be nice to have some kind of computer system to replace pharmacists. Enter the drug you are taking, enter other drugs you may or may not take, then the computer would check if there are any interactions between those drugs as well as interactions with typical over the counter drugs. A printout of this stuff would be a lot better than trying to remember wtf the pharmacist said. They're smart people who have a lot of information to share and they can get a bit wordy if they're not careful.

"you can take this drug on an empty stomach if you are not taking non-steroidal anti-inflamation drugs like diclofenac or naproxen but when taken with an nsaid you should eat at minimum of 100g of high starch food like pasta or you can have a large amount of water followed by fatty food with high vitamin B content then sleep for 20 minutes and absolutely no alcohol for the next 6 hours"

wait.... what did you just say?

 

[DaWhim]

the barrier to entry is pretty high in this field.

my sis is a pharmacist. most people get around low 100k-ish, but the thing is they still get low 100k-ish no matter how long they have been in the field. the increase in salary relative to your years of experiences doesn't count for much.

 

[Ricemarine]

the barrier to entry is pretty high in this field.

my sis is a pharmacist. most people get around low 100k-ish, but the thing is they still get low 100k-ish no matter how long they have been in the field. the increase in salary relative to your years of experiences doesn't count for much.

Yeap. My sister started with around $105k and then slowly worked her way up to $115k-$120k. I think with the drama associated with it, it's worth the high pay. They are accountable for any mishaps. However, she has already had a few issues:

- The pharmacies have a set system in place where the pharm techs already have good relationships with the managers. Thus, they'll get away with a lot of stuff that they shouldn't have.
- These pharm techs also don't like pharmacists younger than them because they feel they're more experienced and they do more work, even though the pharmacist accounts for all of their work they feel that pharmacists don't deserve what they get.
- People requesting drugs from fake doctor's notes, usually for oxycodone or what not.

Robberies aren't that bad. They just have to report the crime and no major harm. The problem is that any robbery (no matter how stupid) they are not allowed to fight back.

But essentially, the first two points stated above are what usually causes the most stress from what I hear. There are a few stories about how pharm tech's would kick chairs out from under her and get away with it. The biggest issue she had was where the tech's had revolted against her because they favored another pharmacist that had intentionally left (the store was known to have crazy techs, a few pharmacists had left the chain because of that store) and went behind her back and reported to the district manager to move her to another store. Thus, when she got to the store, the techs had told her she didn't work at that store anymore. She was furious.

I would not want to deal with assholes.

 

[ichy]

that's because that's basically what they are.
i don't get the disconnect between the service they provide and their salaries.

I think it's sort of like an airline pilot's job. 99% of the time it's easy and could largely be automated, but if something goes wrong you'll be grateful for their years of training.

 

[ShawnD1]

But essentially, the first two points stated above are what usually causes the most stress from what I hear. There are a few stories about how pharm tech's would kick chairs out from under her and get away with it.

It seems they didn't think that one through. Pissing off people who specialize in knowing how to drug you without you knowing it....

Get back at them by dissolving nicotine in dimethylsulfoxide then put that mixture on everything the techs may touch

 

[edro]

I have 2 friends who are pharmacists (husband and wife).
They said it's extremely boring work, and you have to do a lot of crappy tech work.

They said there are numerous bad doctors who are pill mills and gives anyone who pays for a consultation a script for whatever they want. They said they do not fill those scripts and it is big drama quit often.

 

[iGas]

It could very well be $120K however that seems to be a bit high unless they live in some expensive & large city.

Salary Snapshot for Pharmacist Jobs -- Pay Scale US.

Anything in the medical field pay well at the moment due to a large portion of retires, shortage of worker, expensive health insurance, cornered drug market, and drug pushers.

The province that I'm in currently have a shortage of 1100 doctors and the schools are controlled by the doctors/medical society hence they refused to enlarge the medical education system so that more people could enroll in the medical profession. There are 280 doctor graduates per year in this province (increased from 190 roughly 5 years ago), and who knows how many retire per year. At this rate they will never meet the demand Also there is a shortage of 40,000 nurses.

 

[iGas]

I have 2 friends who are pharmacists (husband and wife).
They said it's extremely boring work, and you have to do a lot of crappy tech work.

They said there are numerous bad doctors who are pill mills and gives anyone who pays for a consultation a script for whatever they want. They said they do not fill those scripts and it is big drama quit often.

My ex SO little sister was a pharmacist (same as the bf) and she hated her work because it is boring, therefore she went back to med school a couple of years back.

 

[OCGuy]

I
They said there are numerous bad doctors who are pill mills and gives anyone who pays for a consultation a script for whatever they want. They said they do not fill those scripts and it is big drama quit often.

Huh? So they are diagnosing people? I highly doubt the discriminate on filling prescriptions.

Maybe they black-list a doctor, but they aren't randomly telling customers they can't have their Vicodin.

 

[zanejohnson]

Huh? So they are diagnosing people? I highly doubt the discriminate on filling prescriptions.

Maybe they black-list a doctor, but they aren't randomly telling customers they can't have their Vicodin.

they'll tell em to take it to another pharmacy.. back in my horrible druggy days there was a pharmacy i had to quit using because they stopped filling my huge lortab script...

 

[iGas]

Huh? So they are diagnosing people? I highly doubt the discriminate on filling prescriptions.

Maybe they black-list a doctor, but they aren't randomly telling customers they can't have their Vicodin.

They are not allow to diagnosing people, but they are allow to cross reference drugs that may have undesirable side affect/s so as nurses. However, pharmacists and nurses are often talk down by doctors if they questioned the doctor prescription/s.

My ex is a nurse that had to stop the doctor prescription once and it was hectic for her (several hours of filling paper work), and then got the doctor in question & pharmacist breath down her neck during the ordeal. However, she was in the right and was congratulated by the doctor several months latter. I'm assuming it would be hell for her if she was wrong.

 

[OCGuy]

they'll tell em to take it to another pharmacy.. back in my horrible druggy days there was a pharmacy i had to quit using because they stopped filling my huge lortab script...

Interesting. My brother is a tech here in OC, and people will come in with huge scripts for narcs and pay cash. They call the Dr, but as long as it checks out, it doesnt matter. They fill it.

This is a major national chain pharmacy..

 

[ponyo]

really? $120k right out of school?
ughh, i picked the wrong major.

i know they extended the program an extra 2 years but still... i thought I remembered $80k starting salary just a few years ago. what's up with the huge increase?

how much is this contributing to high drug costs?

I thought this was common knowledge. They might start there but they'll also top near there. I guess it could be impressive if you're IT or engineer making $45-60k starting out in comparison. If I was going to school for that long and in that kind of competitive program, I could think of other fields where the pay is double or triple that coming out and the ceiling lot higher.

 

[edro]

Huh? So they are diagnosing people? I highly doubt the discriminate on filling prescriptions.

Maybe they black-list a doctor, but they aren't randomly telling customers they can't have their Vicodin.

Yeah, that's what I meant. They black-list shady doctors, which really pisses off the patients who have a script, legitimate as it is with the state and medical board.

 

[ShawnD1]

I have 2 friends who are pharmacists (husband and wife).
They said it's extremely boring work, and you have to do a lot of crappy tech work.

They said there are numerous bad doctors who are pill mills and gives anyone who pays for a consultation a script for whatever they want. They said they do not fill those scripts and it is big drama quit often.

Your friends should both be killed. My dad had to deal with a doctor who was like that. The doctor would not give him tylenol 3 to deal with his back pain until he could see a specialist to have a look at his back, so he basically had to sit at home and not go to work for a couple weeks. Doctors and pharmacists like that should have their licenses removed, all certifications removed, their high school diplomas revoked, then thrown in jail for 20 years.

Sorry but I take that very personal because I know quite a few people who need to deal with shitty doctors all the time. Hearing pharmacists do the same bullshit is upsetting.

 

[zinfamous]

it is a rather thankless, embittering, and exhausting job.

I think pharmacy has one of the highest ranks of alcoholism of all professions.

oh, and don't forget the varicose/spider veins.

 

[JS80]

The pharmacy profession outlook is dim, that is why they are working on limiting the number of pharmDs by making it much more difficult to get in to in order to protect their profession.

But seriously, you go to 4 years of pharm school and you make $120k for the rest of your life. Not exactly a great prospect.

 

[rudder]

Yeah... but I wouldn't want to be the programmer responsible for killing a dozen CVS customers because I missed a bug in the dosage software for the pill dispensing robot.

I would trust a computer before I would trust a pharmacist who has been on his feet for 7.5 hours counting little pills.

Places like CVS put a description of the pill on the bottle. If they don't match you better not take it.

And hell airliners can land themselves.... automatic medicine dispensing code would be a lot less complicated.

 

[BoomerD]

No one ever said that selling drugs didn't pay well...

 

[edro]

Your friends should both be killed.

It wouldn't bother me too bad. They're not good friends.

 

[redz]

Most of the public's experience with pharmacists is in the retail setting at places like CVS, Rite Aid, and supermarkets. However, there are other opportunities for pharmacists, such as hospitals and other institutions. The main focus there is clinical patient management - those pharmacists may never touch a medication all day. That said, those opportunities are not as plentiful as retail, and it is often necessary to complete a 1 or 2 year residency on top of school in order to be considered for them.

Edit:

Also, a note on replacing retail pharmacists with machines. The drug information handouts are generalized - the pharmacist will let you know what's important and will be able to individualize the information better for you.

The computer does pick up on interactions, but it picks up on many of them that are not clinically significant, even if it says it is. Conversely, it may flag an interaction as not that important when it really should be discussed with the prescribing doctor. The program will pick up most all interactions, and it's the pharmacist's job to determine how significant they are.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I thought this was common knowledge. They might start there but they'll also top near there. I guess it could be impressive if you're IT or engineer making $45-60k starting out in comparison. If I was going to school for that long and in that kind of competitive program, I could think of other fields where the pay is double or triple that coming out and the ceiling lot higher.

Med school is more competitive, longer, and harder. We think of pharm students as the failure med students.

So law school then? Even more cutthroat.