I Love My Job...

I recently went through and read my blog and I've come to see that it may seem as I hate my job.  I'm sure there are people out there reading saying "Why don't you just get a new career?"  Well, it's because I love my job.  I couldn't imagine myself anything other than a pharmacist (maybe other than a professional baseball player).

I remember as a young one, going with my mother to the local pharmacy and feeling like it was a store that had all that I ever wanted.  There was cool pens, little keychains, trapper keepers, small gifts, and best of all, loads of candy.  It wasn't until later that I learned what the pharmacy was actually there for.  And I was fascinated by the concept of taking a pill and it working throughout the body and actually find the purpose it was intended for.  When I was in high school, I finally got my first job as a pharmacy tech.  I worked in an independent store and my experience there validated my desire to become a pharmacist.  I worked as I saw people come in day after day and get their medications, all the while answering the countless questions people asked.  Back in those days, the profession of pharmacy was ranked #1 as the most trusted professional year after year.

Now, as a pharmacist, I live for helping people.  I enjoy filling scripts and making sure everything is in line.  I also enjoy the consultations most of all.  I'm honored that people come and ask me questions and consider me an expert in what I do.  In my mind I always think of the saying that if you love what you do, then you will never work a day in your life.  I feel that as a pharmacist, I haven't worked a day yet.

No More Shortage...

I've been asked by many people, either on the internet, customers, or prospective students if there still is a demand for pharmacists.  When I was applying to schools, I remember people sending me articles of how different pharmacists were receiving ridiculous signing bonuses or even given cars to sign on with the big chains for 1 or 2 years.  Then when it was time for my graduation and my job hunt began, I was offered just 1 signing bonus from a chain to work for them for 1 year.  Now I talk to interns working as techs who are reaching their time and they the time of incentives is pretty much over.  It seems as if that shortage of pharmacists is over.

Personally speaking, I left my job at one chain because of the way I was being treated by the management.  I don't know if it was my district or company wide, but I got fed up of being treated as a robot who eats, sleeps, and talks company propaganda bull.  It took my about 10 months to actually find a full time job as a staff pharmacist.  I was able to make a living by working about 25 to 35 hours a week as a floater for independent pharmacies.

This seems due to the overwhelming increase in the number of pharmacy schools opening.  Every time I look around, there is a college or university now offering pharmacy as one of their majors.  When applying to colleges, everyone applied to a number of schools and always applied to one that was a guaranteed acceptance because they accepted everyone who applied.  These safe schools, or joke schools, are opening up their own pharmacy programs.  We need to treat pharmacy just like medical school is treated; it needs to be difficult to get into.  These graduates are responsible for people's lives.

I also see a trend in the chains that even though we are filling more prescriptions than ever and they are opening up new stores all the time, they somehow are more concerned with cutting hours and taking away overlap to make more profit when pharmacists are dying out there on the bench.  It seems like the highest number of jobs would be as teachers.  And it looks like the only thing that might be good about Obamacare will be the possible increase in pharmacy jobs due to everyone getting healthcare.