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I keep hearing that pharmacists can hardly find jobs and the job will be automated in the future, things along those lines. Has it managed to get that bad for pharmacists?
I keep hearing that pharmacists can hardly find jobs and the job will be automated in the future, things along those lines. Has it managed to get that bad for pharmacists?
It depends somewhat on state, but yes, the gravy train of 15 years ago is long gone. My best friend is an experienced pharmacist in Tampa area. She lost her job when the supermarket she worked in closed, before that she worked for a CVS for many years. She says there are no pharmacist jobs in her area, she's been looking for about 8 months, although admittedly not desperately, as her bf makes enough to support them. But she knows many others who can't find work. She said the pay has also gone down considerably. When she worked at CVS she made $55 an hour plus benefits (in NJ), now she said they're paying $33 an hour. She said she made more than that even as a new grad. To me $33 an hour is not worth the time and debt required for a PharmD.
Part of the problem, at least there, is that they overbuilt vastly during the economic boom, CVS and Publix on every corner, then brought in many foreign visa pharmacists to help fill the jobs (at the time many more jobs than pharmacists). Then when the bubble inevitably burst, they started closing many of the stores they opened, putting all those people into the unemployment line.
I didn't even think of automation, but that makes sense. On the show "Nurse Jackie", the hospital replaced the pharmacist with a computer that dispensed the pills to the nurses.
It is also a stressful job, especially in retail. My friend worked 12 hour shifts with no breaks. You have to work weekends and many holidays nowadays, too as nothing retail seems to close anymore for anything.
A lady I went to school with became a pharmacist because she thought it would be a stable career. She lasted a couple of years in retail, then went to work for some pharmaceutical company in research. She's one of the lucky ones.
I hear the outlook isn't very good for pharmacists due to a saturation of people getting PharmDs (thinking it was a safe choice) and potential future automation.
My sister is a pharmacist. Graduated about 6 or 7 years ago when times were good.
Up until a few years ago, recruiters (both in house and agency) and headhunters would literally be calling her AT work on the work phone line begging her to come work for $some-company
There is also the problem of medical plans requiring the use of mail order pharmacies for most prescriptions. This is where automation can really be effective. It also reduces the steady business that local pharmacies need as a basis for business
There is also the problem of medical plans requiring the use of mail order pharmacies for most prescriptions. This is where automation can really be effective. It also reduces the steady business that local pharmacies need as a basis for business
But we the consumers won't see any benefits from this. Pills will still be expensive, but more middle-class jobs will be lost.
A close friend of mine, while not a credentialled pharmacist, worked in a pharmacy for several years. She now works from home as a liaison for an oncology practice, aiding their patients in locating and financing their medication, and gets a lot more satisfaction from the job.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 07-31-2014 at 10:07 PM..
There is also the problem of medical plans requiring the use of mail order pharmacies for most prescriptions. This is where automation can really be effective. It also reduces the steady business that local pharmacies need as a basis for business
In addition, the use of Pharm Techs in pharmacies is going up.
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