wtf pharmacist salaries?

[ShawnD1]

I've never seen that. You have a package that knows how you are going to take your medication before you get it? How's that work?

It might just be a Canada thing. Most medications sold up here come in factory packages. The pharmacist doesn't actually count anything... and that's a good thing since getting a highly trained person to count to 30 or 60 borders on insulting. Here is what a factory packaged bottle of pills looks like:

It says exactly what this drug is, what the dosage is, how many are in it, and on the back will say a few things about what not to mix it with.

Here is a bottle for pain meds. Just slap a patient label on it and you're good to go:

Now this pharmacy you go to, everyone is sitting around doing nothing before you got there? I bet there is a queue of prescriptions needing to be filled. The majority of pharmacists don't have a chance to eat lunch with two hands in a 12 hour shift because they are taking care of hundreds or more prescriptions a day. Of course you never see that.

Any time I get a prescription filled, I'm the only customer there. They probably fill fewer than 50 prescriptions in the whole day and there are 3 people behind that counter. I would guess the rest of their time is spent counting inventory to make sure nothing is missing.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It says exactly what this drug is, what the dosage is, how many are in it, and on the back will say a few things about what not to mix it with.

Ahh, I see what you are talking about. Wellbutrin comes in three release forms. One is dosed several times a day, one twice a day, and one once a day. Simple, right? Well except for that pesky medical gnome known as individual variation. Sometimes the multi day dosing is once a day, and the once a day more than once. It's labeled at all to make it more obvious for the people in the pharmacy.

I'm amazed that there's a store that fills 50 rx's a day and is still open. In the States a private pharmacy would have to shut it's doors, unless it was part of a larger store like a supermarket. Sometimes the pharmacy is a "loss leader" to get people to shop. That would be hugely boring though.

 

[ShawnD1]

Ahh, I see what you are talking about. Wellbutrin comes in three release forms. One is dosed several times a day, one twice a day, and one once a day. Simple, right? Well except for that pesky medical gnome known as individual variation. Sometimes the multi day dosing is once a day, and the once a day more than once. It's labeled at all to make it more obvious for the people in the pharmacy.

You mean like the pharmacist picking which one to give you? I don't even think they have control over that. When I got a prescription for Wellbutrin XL (once per day), I asked the pharmacist if there was a generic version of this drug and he said no. His explanation was that generic Wellbutrin exists, but not the XL kind. The note I gave him said XL once per day, so he's not allowed to randomly swap that out with a generic that would be taken twice per day and cost 1/3 as much.

So basically the pharmacist has absolutely no say in what drug he gives me. He can't change the dosage, how often to take it, or swap it with a different drug of the same family (like swapping aspirin with ibuprophen because they should both work). It's really stupid because these guys go to school for such a long time and they're not even allowed to do anything that they've learned. The person who knows the most about drugs has the least control over those drugs.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

You mean like the pharmacist picking which one to give you? I don't even think they have control over that. When I got a prescription for Wellbutrin XL (once per day), I asked the pharmacist if there was a generic version of this drug and he said no. His explanation was that generic Wellbutrin exists, but not the XL kind. The note I gave him said XL once per day, so he's not allowed to randomly swap that out with a generic that would be taken twice per day and cost 1/3 as much.

So basically the pharmacist has absolutely no say in what drug he gives me. He can't change the dosage, how often to take it, or swap it with a different drug of the same family (like swapping aspirin with ibuprophen because they should both work). It's really stupid because these guys go to school for such a long time and they're not even allowed to do anything that they've learned. The person who knows the most about drugs has the least control over those drugs.

Thing is if the doc screws up the guy isn't just going to give it to you, or if he does he needs to loose his license. He isn't there to rubber stamp things. If there's something out of the ordinary he'd better be on the phone asking why.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Ahh, I see what you are talking about. Wellbutrin comes in three release forms. One is dosed several times a day, one twice a day, and one once a day. Simple, right? Well except for that pesky medical gnome known as individual variation. Sometimes the multi day dosing is once a day, and the once a day more than once. It's labeled at all to make it more obvious for the people in the pharmacy.

I'm amazed that there's a store that fills 50 rx's a day and is still open. In the States a private pharmacy would have to shut it's doors, unless it was part of a larger store like a supermarket. Sometimes the pharmacy is a "loss leader" to get people to shop. That would be hugely boring though.

so let me axe you dis.

check me out. say a new drug comes out for lowering cholesterol, different from other existing ones.
do you have to study up on what it does, how it interacts with other medication, its chemical ingredients or whatever?
or do you just read the WARNING: not to be taken with xxxx?

is there required continuing education of any sort, brutha?

 

[Minjin]

Pharmacies have computer programs that tell the pharmacist about possible drug interactions. The only job the meatbag has is to be the entity that asks the customer if they are taking any medications they forgot to previously mention.

 

[redz]

so let me axe you dis.

check me out. say a new drug comes out for lowering cholesterol, different from other existing ones.
do you have to study up on what it does, how it interacts with other medication, its chemical ingredients or whatever?
or do you just read the WARNING: not to be taken with xxxx?

is there required continuing education of any sort, brutha?

Pharmacists have to take CEs (continuing education) each year. Will it be over that new drug? Maybe, maybe not. However, a good pharmacist will keep on top of new drugs. A lot of new drugs are within the same class as existing drugs, so it's not like you have to start from the ground up again - you would, however, need to be aware of the unique characteristics that make it different from other drugs in the same class.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

We aren't talking about people making $5 an hour here. We're talking about people making in excess of $100K a year performing functions a computer could easily do. Their salary represents a huge amount of overhead given what they actually do.

Right, except that the computer can't demonstrate to you how to use your inhaler or glucometer properly.

Or when your medication comes back rejected and the computer tells you "Non formulary, PA required" will you comprehend what that means?

Will the computer call the MD for you when your brand name medication has a $100 deductible and there is a comparable Generic for $5 a month?

Computers ain't replacing Pharmacists anytime soon.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

From what I've heard, many current students and newly-minted pharmacists are complaining about lack of job opportunities and increased market saturation due to the number of pharm schools popping up around the country. Then again, it might just be a case of the vocal minority out-screaming the content majority.

This is correct. Although there are still plenty of Jobs out there, no-one is guaranteed that 120k salary with a 15k bonus fresh out of graduation. People have to *gasp*, compete for a Job.

The trend of new schools popping up isn't helping either though. I don't see it becoming anything like law schools yet though...

 

[alkemyst]

I think they're jacking off back there. The medication I get for my blood sugar thing comes in a brand name package with all of the instructions printed on the label. It takes them a good 10-20 minutes to put a sticker on it and figure out how to charge my insurance for this thing. I can understand paperwork taking a while, but they have all of my stuff on file. They don't even ask for insurance information since they already have it.



When does that happen? I don't even really talk to the pharmacist. I give them the thingy, go sit down for a while, they give me the pills, I say thank you, end of transaction.
I later found out that I am absolutely not supposed to drink alcohol while taking these blood sugar pills. The doctor and pharmacist didn't say anything about it because it says so on the peel-away label. I guess they naturally assumed that most people read instructions all the way through. :awe:

They should have asked you if you have any questions and told you to read the information.

Most don't pay attention.

For the most part any of the professional level jobs are simple day to day...it's the oddball things that make them worth their pay.

You can teach anyone to neuter a dog, doesn't make them a veternarian.

 

[DAWeinG]

The $120k question is... who do you call at night when all the doctor's offices are closed and the ER or immediate care center isn't going to give you any answers without seeing your face:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Ghostbusters
or
4. Pharmacists?

 

[Pliablemoose]

I interact with pharmacists every day, I think I'd rather work in a car wash.

The pressure and pace they work nowdays is insane.

I got an answer from a voice assisted search on Google in a few seconds, versus spending 10 minutes on the phone to use them as a reference, and Google didn't give me a ration of shit for asking either.

 

[manimal]

Wife's cousin was one for a short while. Super smart guy, said he wasn't cut out to count pills all day, every day.

Mr Potter!!



wait that was the name of the bad guy, what was the name of the bumbling pharmacist George Bailey saved?

 

[DAWeinG]

I interact with pharmacists every day, I think I'd rather work in a car wash.

The pressure and pace they work nowdays is insane.

I got an answer from a voice assisted search on Google in a few seconds, versus spending 10 minutes on the phone to use them as a reference, and Google didn't give me a ration of shit for asking either.

Google doesn't give a shit if you die either.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Google doesn't give a shit if you die either.

Yeah, I got the PPI for the drug in question in a matter of seconds, last time I asked for it from pharmacy, I got a blank stare, then an hour long wait. When my patient is on the table, sedated and the info from pharmacy is holding up the work of an entire team and the care of other patients, time is a significant factor.

It's not the pharmacist's fault, it's just that the system has decided they need to work like crazy every moment of their shift, anything out of the norm freaks them out and puts them behind.

 

[DAWeinG]

Yeah, I got the PPI for the drug in question in a matter of seconds, last time I asked for it from pharmacy, I got a blank stare, then an hour long wait. When my patient is on the table, sedated and the info from pharmacy is holding up the work of an entire team and the care of other patients, time is a significant factor.

It's not the pharmacist's fault, it's just that the system has decided they need to work like crazy every moment of their shift, anything out of the norm freaks them out and puts them behind.

You can get answers to your questions quickly because you're technologically competent and because you are already working in the medical field. You are probably qualified to give out sound medical advice to patients but most people aren't in your position to do that. The average person doesn't have easy access to the internet or know where to find medical information quickly. The safest bet for most people is just to talk to the most accessible health care professional which is the pharmacist.

There are pharmacists who care about patients and unfortunately, there are those who just want to fill and verify medications all day. It's just like people in any other job or profession.

 

[gophins72]

i used to like my pharmacist. but upon hearing about his salary, now i hate him and think they should replace them all with vending machines instead, preferably the ones that also sell beef jerky.

 

[thegimp03]

Agreed with some of the other comments, wanted to add that pharmacy school is not cheap. Tuition just for Public can be upwards of $20k/year, if you go Private it can be $50k/year easy. $120k/year upon graduating doesn't sound unreasonable.

 

[ShawnD1]

The $120k question is... who do you call at night when all the doctor's offices are closed and the ER or immediate care center isn't going to give you any answers without seeing your face:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Ghostbusters
or
4. Pharmacists?

Probably friends since the ghostbusters are retired and the pharmacy closes the same time the main store closes (usually 9-10pm). That and pharmacists won't answer questions over the phone for the exact same reasons doctors don't answer questions on the phone (liability issues, lack of quality assurance, any random person can answer the phone and pretend to be a pharmacist).

Google doesn't give a shit if you die either.

Given that most pharmacists don't ask any questions or give directions when I'm filling a prescription, I'm guessing most of them don't care. It also seems way too common that people take a lot of drugs that counter the effect of other drugs. For example, I know a person who is taking seroquel and adderall at the same time. Those two drugs are complete opposites of each other. One is a dopamine agonist that causes manic episodes (adderall) and the other is a dopamine antagonist that is specifically to prevent manic or schizophrenic episodes (seroquel). Taking them together makes absolutely no sense, and any pharmacist would spot that immediately, but they don't spot it because neither the pharmacists nor the customers ever ask any questions.

The pharmacist is in a tough spot. If they fill the prescription, they're knowingly giving you a drug that will cancel out one of your other drugs. At the same time, they open themselves up to lawsuits if they refuse to fill a prescription and they don't have any safety related reason for doing so. There was a case where a woman sued a pharmacist because they refused to sell her the morning after pill....so basically you either sell the customer exactly what they want even when you know it's wrong or you face lawsuit.

 

[mcmilljb]

I guess I should add my experiences with pharmacists. I know one and her brother is finishing his last rotation. She's already on her second job doing it. I'm sure she gets bored with it. Her brother confirms what I already know, there is some saturation. It is competive to get the best jobs, plus you're not going to see a signing bonus unless you go to a store that really needs a pharmacist. He said it's not really a good idea to go to pharmacy school now.

The face on my pharmacist's face when I asked if there were any possible interactions with newly prescribed antibiotic and my methotrexate aka "abortion pill" was absolutely priceless. It was the look of surprise and confusion. This was my university's pharmacy so she's not used to having people with that possible combination. She had pull out some big book and look through it.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Pharmacies have computer programs that tell the pharmacist about possible drug interactions. The only job the meatbag has is to be the entity that asks the customer if they are taking any medications they forgot to previously mention.

I'll tell you what. Get in your car, set the cruise control and take a nap. Let us know how that works for you.

The computer doesn't tell anyone what to do. It provides timely information so that a judgment can be made.

 

[Minjin]

I'll tell you what. Get in your car, set the cruise control and take a nap. Let us know how that works for you.

That has to be one of the worst equivalences I've ever seen. Try again.

Drug interactions are exactly the kind of thing that computers are made for. X+Y=Z. Put in the variables, spit out the results. What judgement is supposed to be made? The judgements are supposed to happen at the doctor's office in prescribing the drug in the first place.

 

[yhelothar]

You know what's even more ridiculous? Anesthesiologists' starting salary is $400k.
And don't give me the whole risk crap too. Yes there is some risk, but that's with just about any job in the medical profession.
I've anesthetized nearly a thousand mice at my lab job and it's as easy as pie. The machine works out the perfect concentration for you of oxygen and anesthetic. You just set the dial to the correct position. I haven't had a single mouse die.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

You know what's even more ridiculous? Anesthesiologists' starting salary is $400k.
And don't give me the whole risk crap too. Yes there is some risk, but that's with just about any job in the medical profession.
I've anesthetized nearly a thousand mice at my lab job and it's as easy as pie. The machine works out the perfect concentration for you of oxygen and anesthetic. You just set the dial to the correct position. I haven't had a single mouse die.

do not disagree.
and i read an article saying quite of few of them are druggies.

 

[Aharami]

You know what's even more ridiculous? Anesthesiologists' starting salary is $400k.
And don't give me the whole risk crap too. Yes there is some risk, but that's with just about any job in the medical profession.
I've anesthetized nearly a thousand mice at my lab job and it's as easy as pie. The machine works out the perfect concentration for you of oxygen and anesthetic. You just set the dial to the correct position. I haven't had a single mouse die.

but dont they also have the highest malpractice premiums? Something like half their salary?