Pharmacist...

[Rockinacoustic]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Just wondering... I always considered pharmacy, but since I lived/breathed computers growing up I went into software. I'm wondering if pharmacy is worthwhile enough to consider retraining to in time.

I'm strongly considering it too, as per my original thread. Have you taken any classes and curriculum in the biology/chemistry field? I'm looking to get my Bachelors in Biochem and then head to a PharmD program.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Rockinacoustic

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Just wondering... I always considered pharmacy, but since I lived/breathed computers growing up I went into software. I'm wondering if pharmacy is worthwhile enough to consider retraining to in time.

I'm strongly considering it too, as per my original thread. Have you taken any classes and curriculum in the biology/chemistry field? I'm looking to get my Bachelors in Biochem and then head to a PharmD program.

Other than the general math reqs as stated elsewhere, nope. BS CS and AS CIS degrees. I would essentially be taking my BS and applying it to the gen-ed requirements for the degree, and that's about it.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Rockinacoustic

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Just wondering... I always considered pharmacy, but since I lived/breathed computers growing up I went into software. I'm wondering if pharmacy is worthwhile enough to consider retraining to in time.

I'm strongly considering it too, as per my original thread. Have you taken any classes and curriculum in the biology/chemistry field? I'm looking to get my Bachelors in Biochem and then head to a PharmD program.

Other than the general math reqs as stated elsewhere, nope. BS CS and AS CIS degrees. I would essentially be taking my BS and applying it to the gen-ed requirements for the degree, and that's about it.

So, you'll already have Math and Humanities/Liberal Arts classes cleared out of the way from your CS Bachelors.

What you'll need to take is a year of Gen Chem, Organic Chem, Physics, General Biology, and more specialized courses and labs like Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Anatomy/Physiology. I've also noticed that a lot of admissions boards like you to have a few economics courses under your belt as well (Micro or Macro).

I'm not sure if you'd be looking to go back full time, or part time. But even at full time those courses would be a hard feat to pull off in two years.

 

[Elderly Newt]

The field of pharmacy is growing and evolving. It wasn't too long ago that a doctor would scoff at a pharmacist for pointing out an error or making a suggestion, but now they, along with other health care providers, are relying on pharmacists more and more as THE drug experts. You can get a wide variety of experiences and there is a lot you can do with a pharmD. Just from working in several different retail locations (most of which were within the same retail chain) as a technician, I can say that where you work can really make or break the deal. It can be boring or stressful, or it can be fun and rewarding. As for clinical, which is where I'd like to end up when I graduate, I've only heard good things, especially when compared to retail.

A lot of people compare retail and clinical, but there are so many more options. There's managed care, nuclear, consultant, industrial, home care, the list goes on and on. We had a speaker who ended up as some sort of DEA agent. If you're really serious about it, I'd try to find a temporary part time job, shadow a pharmacist, or anything else just to get a feel for whether you'd like it or not. Schooling is a tough 6 years though. Lots of chemistry and biology, but only Calc 1 is required (at least where I go).

While pay and other benefits should factor into any decision like this, if those are your main reasons for doing it, I believe you would do well to reconsider.

 

[RKS]

I have a number of close family members that are physicians but if I ever want to know what medicine I should be taking or have any questions about drug interactions regarding my kids' prescriptions (or OTC meds) I always ask my sister-in-law.

As a travelling pharmacist she regularly advices doctors about the dangerous cocktails that they often prescribe.

 

[lokiju]

Well you run the risk of making a mistake and it causing someone to die.

Is that something you'd be able to deal with?

 

[HardcoreRobot]

you define rewarding first

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Well you run the risk of making a mistake and it causing someone to die.

Is that something you'd be able to deal with?

You could say the same thing about any number of professions. Hell, just simply driving yourself to work is probably a higher risk to the general population than a pharmacist.

If there's any risk with drugs, it's usually at the nursing level giving the wrong drug to the wrong patient or giving the wrong amount even though it was perscribed properly.

 

[PepePeru]

hard work. bad hours.
good pay. basically can get a job where ever you choose to live.

my uncle taught medicinal chemistry for many years in a pharmacy school at a state university. he's a real nice guy in person, but apparently a real bear in class. wouldn't hesitate to whip out the FAIL stick on nearly graduated pharmacy students.

which is certainly justified, given the profession / pay / potential to fuck up.

 

[JTsyo]

The problem with pharmacy is that's there's generally two kind of people that come:
Old people or sick people (or related to sick person), both have high chances to be easily annoyed. Also you have to deal with insurance companies and Medicare. Trouble is by the time you have had enough, you already spend so much time and effort into getting your position. I hear working outside the big pharm chains (CVS/Rite Aid/ Walgreens) is better. Costco is supposedly the best, with low store hours and 2 pharmacists at a time.

 

[Anonemous]

Best bang for your buck degree. 4 years and 100K+ out the door and it doesn't really matter which school you graduate from so you can choose one that fits your financial requirements.

Cons: Really boring and makes you want to quit. Make sure you can count to 30.

/from pharmacist friends

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Well you run the risk of making a mistake and it causing someone to die.

Is that something you'd be able to deal with?

As a software engineer I probably have the capability to put far more people in danger every day than I would a pharma.

 

[Poulsonator]

SunnyD, I'm curious...how old are you? If you don't want to answer, no worries, I'm just curious as this is such a big change. I'm sort-of in the same boat (minus the 4 kids), where I am just over my current career "path".

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Poulsonator
SunnyD, I'm curious...how old are you? If you don't want to answer, no worries, I'm just curious as this is such a big change. I'm sort-of in the same boat (minus the 4 kids), where I am just over my current career "path".

32

 

[James3shin]

I thought pharmacists were going to be phased out soon with the use of automated systems?

 

[RichardE]

My mom had a pharmacist that has saved her life a few times. He saw scripts coming from the doctor that conflicted with her scripts for High blood pressure, as well as other Epilepsy and MS scripts. I think that is the real point behind being a pharmacists, any monkey can fill bottles, but being able to look at a customer med list and go "oh hell no, we can't give her X if shes on Y she'll go into a coma!"

 

[Poulsonator]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Poulsonator
SunnyD, I'm curious...how old are you? If you don't want to answer, no worries, I'm just curious as this is such a big change. I'm sort-of in the same boat (minus the 4 kids), where I am just over my current career "path".

32

Thank you.

So you really are considering going back to school for this, eh? I'm 34, and similarly to you, have a technology degree and have worked in/with computers since I got out of college. I, too, have considered something like this, but I get discouraged for a number of reasons, one being my age. However, I don't have any kids, so I look at folks like you for inspiration.

Would you drop everything and go back to school full-time?

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Poulsonator

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Poulsonator
SunnyD, I'm curious...how old are you? If you don't want to answer, no worries, I'm just curious as this is such a big change. I'm sort-of in the same boat (minus the 4 kids), where I am just over my current career "path".

32

Thank you.

So you really are considering going back to school for this, eh? I'm 34, and similarly to you, have a technology degree and have worked in/with computers since I got out of college. I, too, have considered something like this, but I get discouraged for a number of reasons, one being my age. However, I don't have any kids, so I look at folks like you for inspiration.

Would you drop everything and go back to school full-time?

I am considering, and have considered it for the past probably 5 years or so. Age doesn't bother me, it's all about what you want to do. Right now I haven't accomplished my goals with software dev, though I'm getting there, but there's always been a feeling. Plus, even in college I was tempted to go after pharm, but took the "easy road" with the CS degree for me. If I were to go back and get a do-over, I would likely have gone pharm instead.

And no, I wouldn't drop everything - I can't afford to do that, not with a family in tow. I'd go part-time, no sense rushing if I don't have to.

Edit: Obligatory "I'm a Lifer" now post

Edit 2: Someone hand me the keys to the lifer barn, I want to see if the toilet is all disgusting.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: James3shin
I thought pharmacists were going to be phased out soon with the use of automated systems?

Maybe minimized in a retail environment. I think Walgreens is already working on (if not implemented) a remote pharmacist review workflow where some pharmacist sits in a regional office and verfies orders for a particular region negating the need for a local pharmacist at each store.

But you'll never see them completely removed and especially so in a clinical setting. There is FAR FAR more to a pharmicsts job in a clinical setting than simply monitoring for drug interactions. My wife spent a good 4 hours yesterday working on ways to wean a single patient off a cocktail of drugs and get him leveled out and ramped up on something else.

Computers are great for trending past events and some future predicting, but they simply can not replace good old fashioned experience and hands on care for the huge number of oddball cases and uncommon stuff that you expereince in an ICU.

 

[Row1and]

Originally posted by: RichardE
My mom had a pharmacist that has saved her life a few times. He saw scripts coming from the doctor that conflicted with her scripts for High blood pressure, as well as other Epilepsy and MS scripts. I think that is the real point behind being a pharmacists, any monkey can fill bottles, but being able to look at a customer med list and go "oh hell no, we can't give her X if shes on Y she'll go into a coma!"

BUMP! As a pharmacy student, reading this put a smile on my face. Thanks!

 

[DrawninwarD]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Clinical - maybe
Retail - no way

Retail is basically a really high paid customer support position.

I worked at a pharmacy in a retail store over the summer as an assistant. The pharmacist I worked with most there told me he would rather be an engineer. It's a really boring job. Trust me.

 

[eleison]

Originally posted by: Syringer
Retail pharmacists = most over-edcuated, under-utilized profession in the world

Computers do most of the work for them nowadays anyway.

I have a few friends that are pharmacists. This is what they say. Obviously, higher salaries translate to higher cost for the patients...

 

[Baked]

Rewarding, what a laugh. What's the difference between a pharmacist and your street corner crack dealer? The latter is deemed illegal by the government, and you might get shot by your competitors.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Baked
Rewarding, what a laugh. What's the difference between a pharmacist and your street corner crack dealer? The latter is deemed illegal by the government, and you might get shot by your competitors.

My wife is in the process of changing a hospital wide drug protocols on some very common IV drugs that is saving her hospital close to a million a year and improving patient care in the process.

What did you do today?

Again, they sky's the limit when it comes to what you can do in clinical pharmacy.

 

[imported_mateo]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: Baked
Rewarding, what a laugh. What's the difference between a pharmacist and your street corner crack dealer? The latter is deemed illegal by the government, and you might get shot by your competitors.

My wife is in the process of changing a hospital wide drug protocols on some very common IV drugs that is saving her hospital close to a million a year and improving patient care in the process.

What did you do today?

Again, they sky's the limit when it comes to what you can do in clinical pharmacy.

Yep... Today I will be seeing patients, writing orders for coumadin, antibiotics, parenteral (intravenous) nutrition, ordering labs, and attending meetings regarding hospital policy changes among other things.

I work 4 days a week (8 hours), make six figures, have rock solid job security, and get 3 weeks paid vacation.

Clinical Pharmacy is perhaps one of the most underated jobs there is.