Students should think twice about pharmacy
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Original post by velvetsky
Omg, that is shocking!!!!!!.You don't realise how bad it is until you start speaking to graduates & working professionals.
It's a shame that a lot of pharmacy students aren't aware of this.
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It's a shame that a lot of pharmacy students aren't aware of this.
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that is community though, if ur into hospital or industry, the pay hasnt really changed as drastically as community has over the last few years (that being said, hospital pre-regs in london have gone from£28k in 2013/2014 to £25.5k in 2014/2015 and there has been talk of capping it to £20k for foreign students next year).
sad reality is that a lot of unis are mainly interested in having students pay for funding so they can do research and have bragging rights at conferences / within the scientific community. in fact, a lot of pharmacy schools dont tell you about the hardships u face or what will be expected of you. nobody warns you that as a pre-reg, time management involves, in the space of a few minutes, going from hoovering and cleaning the shop floor to collecting and dispensing prescriotions, counselling patients and then resuming with the hoovering / emptying bins.
You may not be aware but the government is imposing cuts on pharmacy services of £170 million in October 2016.....BUT hold on before you click to exit this thread
These cuts will affect YOU eventually.....
If you are a prospective or current pharmacy student, this will impact YOUR future in both hospital and community sectors. The work load will increase, there may be less jobs for community pharmacists and staffing as well as support could become an issue.
if you are a community pre-reg/ pharmacist- this will impact YOU. All of the above will affect you in very near future plus it will mean less support as a new pharmacist, if you locum and the number of locum pharmacists increase (which it will due to the number of pharmacy schools opening) your average pay will suffer.
Now hospital pre-regs and pharmacist, YOU may think that it will have little effect on you. But with less community spending, the pressure will fall back to the GPs and emergency services...this mean more inpatients, further issues with medications (lack of MURs and NMS) and increasing work load for you.
We have to fight and work together to ensure that pharmacists are respected and continue to remain a valuable member of the healthcare team.
Please click on the link below to learn more as well as sign and forward this petition to anyone who values our pharmacy services: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/116943
These cuts will affect YOU eventually.....
If you are a prospective or current pharmacy student, this will impact YOUR future in both hospital and community sectors. The work load will increase, there may be less jobs for community pharmacists and staffing as well as support could become an issue.
if you are a community pre-reg/ pharmacist- this will impact YOU. All of the above will affect you in very near future plus it will mean less support as a new pharmacist, if you locum and the number of locum pharmacists increase (which it will due to the number of pharmacy schools opening) your average pay will suffer.
Now hospital pre-regs and pharmacist, YOU may think that it will have little effect on you. But with less community spending, the pressure will fall back to the GPs and emergency services...this mean more inpatients, further issues with medications (lack of MURs and NMS) and increasing work load for you.
We have to fight and work together to ensure that pharmacists are respected and continue to remain a valuable member of the healthcare team.
Please click on the link below to learn more as well as sign and forward this petition to anyone who values our pharmacy services: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/116943
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by velvetsky
Oh yes I have heard about the cuts.
Do you think it's going to affect their pay as well?.
Oh I'm hoping it's only the services being cut.What I find interesting is that even qualified professionals wouldn't recommend going into profession and that's very worrying!!.A few days ago I came across a post where an experienced community pharmacist was saying they haven't had a pay rise since 2008.With the cost of living so high,7 years and no pay rise is just brutal.
I personally think in the next 5 years it will hit ~£15 p/h.I heard some locums get paid £15 p/h right now.
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Do you think it's going to affect their pay as well?.
Oh I'm hoping it's only the services being cut.What I find interesting is that even qualified professionals wouldn't recommend going into profession and that's very worrying!!.A few days ago I came across a post where an experienced community pharmacist was saying they haven't had a pay rise since 2008.With the cost of living so high,7 years and no pay rise is just brutal.
I personally think in the next 5 years it will hit ~£15 p/h.I heard some locums get paid £15 p/h right now.
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Another chain has just cut my pay from 20 to 19. Four years ago in 2012 they were paying me 23!!!! Make your own minds up!!
assuming 6.1% paycut is directly translated to wages, then those earning £20/hour would be payed £18.78; similarly, £15 could become £14/hour
(edited 8 years ago)
I just saw this petition about the number of pharmacy schools...2551 people have signed it.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105828
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105828
Hi im very stuck on what degree to do, pharmacy or biology. I feel like i would enjoy pharmacy more as i think i would enjoy learning about the differnet types of medication e.c.t in comparison to a biology degree but i dont know if it would be worth doing a pharmacy degree if it is difficult to get a job in comparision to do biology where you can get a job easily.could someone please give me there views
Original post by Alexjoalex
Hi im very stuck on what degree to do, pharmacy or biology. I feel like i would enjoy pharmacy more as i think i would enjoy learning about the differnet types of medication e.c.t in comparison to a biology degree but i dont know if it would be worth doing a pharmacy degree if it is difficult to get a job in comparision to do biology where you can get a job easily.could someone please give me there views
Don't think there are many jobs available in the research areas either so I doubt biology would be the better option, whereas if there are pharmacy vacancies at least you're qualified to apply. Study the course you're most interested in imo you'll find a job somewhere after graduating with either degree surely
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Someone people are saying that pharmacy is much better as in 5 years time there would be more jobs for pharmacists , like I don't want to go into research if I was to do biology so I'm really stuck I don't want to do a pharmacy degree if it is really difficult in getting a job after, I feel like I would enjoy working as a hospital pharmacist but i know it is even more competitive and most people after graduation get a job in the community.
Original post by Alexjoalex
Someone people are saying that pharmacy is much better as in 5 years time there would be more jobs for pharmacists , like I don't want to go into research if I was to do biology so I'm really stuck I don't want to do a pharmacy degree if it is really difficult in getting a job after, I feel like I would enjoy working as a hospital pharmacist but i know it is even more competitive and most people after graduation get a job in the community.
It's difficult to get a job after graduating with any degree, some are easier but you'd still be competing with other applicants. It may get better in the future or get worse no one knows
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Pharmacy sets you on a path to a solid profession, say what you will about it. But it leaves your options very open, it's a very broad degree with a lot of transferable knowledge and skills developed. You could go into a lot of other fields with a pharmacy degree. I'm of the opinion that if you put the effort in, the world is your oyster and you can have a very fulfilling career as a pharmacist. If you're expecting big money and an easy life, don't do it. If Biology interests you then go ahead! People worry a lot about jobs and employability but for Christ sake if you enjoy what you study then why not just do it. I'm in the fortunate position that I both love pharmacy as a degree subject and a future career.
Original post by Rhyss01
It's difficult to get a job after graduating with any degree, some are easier but you'd still be competing with other applicants. It may get better in the future or get worse no one knows
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Most degrees nowadays aren't worth the paper they're written on - Only life experience will reveal this to you. By and large, degrees are filled with a lot of irrelevant nonsense that isn't remotely applicable or practical to everyday life.*
Those that go and do trades like Plumbing or Heating Engineer, invariably end up with more pounds in their bank account and no debt into the bargain. The promotion of a University Education as equalling a more comfortable, successful life is a complete myth and needs to stop.*
I've written about this topic extensively on a different thread, here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3818029&p=69611840&page=2&highlight=#post69611840
All I would add, as others have said, don't go into pharmacy for the money - it's extremely poorly paid when you consider the relatively high entry requirements, responsibility and length of study. It's a vocation that you must be committed to...your dream job.
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3818029&p=69611840&page=2&highlight=#post69611840
All I would add, as others have said, don't go into pharmacy for the money - it's extremely poorly paid when you consider the relatively high entry requirements, responsibility and length of study. It's a vocation that you must be committed to...your dream job.
Original post by Socratees
I've written about this topic extensively on a different thread, here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3818029&p=69611840&page=2&highlight=#post69611840
All I would add, as others have said, don't go into pharmacy for the money - it's extremely poorly paid when you consider the relatively high entry requirements, responsibility and length of study. It's a vocation that you must be committed to...your dream job.
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3818029&p=69611840&page=2&highlight=#post69611840
All I would add, as others have said, don't go into pharmacy for the money - it's extremely poorly paid when you consider the relatively high entry requirements, responsibility and length of study. It's a vocation that you must be committed to...your dream job.
Totally agree. Loads of work and stress and responsibility for 25k a yr, it just wasn't worth it!
Everyone intending on doing pharmacy and going into community, (which will be about two thirds of you!!) needs to look up and read about the Falsified Medicines EU directive, coming into force early 2019, even though we are leaving the EU.
This basically means you will have to scan the barcode on every single box of tablets or whatever that you hand out! Thats going to be great fun scanning 84 Fortisip drink cartons! Now consider that in some pharmacies you can do 1000 items a day and one item could be 12 boxes of metformin then that is a hell of a lot of new work for NO money of course! Pharmacies have even got to fund the scanners!!
Community pharmacy is a nightmare now with too much work and no staff to do it!! From 2019 it will be complete HELL !!
New job please!!!
This basically means you will have to scan the barcode on every single box of tablets or whatever that you hand out! Thats going to be great fun scanning 84 Fortisip drink cartons! Now consider that in some pharmacies you can do 1000 items a day and one item could be 12 boxes of metformin then that is a hell of a lot of new work for NO money of course! Pharmacies have even got to fund the scanners!!
Community pharmacy is a nightmare now with too much work and no staff to do it!! From 2019 it will be complete HELL !!
New job please!!!
Original post by Socratees
I've written about this topic extensively on a different thread, here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3818029&p=69611840&page=2&highlight=#post69611840
All I would add, as others have said, don't go into pharmacy for the money - it's extremely poorly paid when you consider the relatively high entry requirements, responsibility and length of study. It's a vocation that you must be committed to...your dream job.
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3818029&p=69611840&page=2&highlight=#post69611840
All I would add, as others have said, don't go into pharmacy for the money - it's extremely poorly paid when you consider the relatively high entry requirements, responsibility and length of study. It's a vocation that you must be committed to...your dream job.
!!!
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