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Do many pharmacists go on and do medicine
I was woundering how many pharmacists actually consider doing medicine as a mature student after the graduate?
Quite a few do it.
I think the whole thing of learning about medicines for 5 years only to find out you have to bow to doctors' "superior" knowledge when they're being used means it's one way to ensure that they're being used properly.
I'm on my pre-reg in hospital at the moment and it's frightening to see the mistakes doctors continually make, whether that be through lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance.
I think the whole thing of learning about medicines for 5 years only to find out you have to bow to doctors' "superior" knowledge when they're being used means it's one way to ensure that they're being used properly.
I'm on my pre-reg in hospital at the moment and it's frightening to see the mistakes doctors continually make, whether that be through lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance.
I would say, in my experience pharmacy is the second most common degree held by graduate entrants after dentistry. But it is still only a handful per year
More often overworking and underpaying them in my experience - at least as far as antibiotics goes anyway(am collating data for an audit on following trust AB guidelines - and the two major factors seem to be not having the time to check which to prescribe).
There is a lot of arrogance/ignorance surrounding it, with traditionalist consultants who have 'always prescribed drug X' and people new to the hospital where 'we always used to prescribe drug Y'
It's easy to criticise though, but the mistakes are often made by junior doctors who legally and realistically shouldn't be burdened with the responsibility for prescribing.
Jimmocrates
I'm on my pre-reg in hospital at the moment and it's frightening to see the mistakes doctors continually make, whether that be through lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance.
More often overworking and underpaying them in my experience - at least as far as antibiotics goes anyway(am collating data for an audit on following trust AB guidelines - and the two major factors seem to be not having the time to check which to prescribe).
There is a lot of arrogance/ignorance surrounding it, with traditionalist consultants who have 'always prescribed drug X' and people new to the hospital where 'we always used to prescribe drug Y'
It's easy to criticise though, but the mistakes are often made by junior doctors who legally and realistically shouldn't be burdened with the responsibility for prescribing.
Jimmocrates
Quite a few do it.
I think the whole thing of learning about medicines for 5 years only to find out you have to bow to doctors' "superior" knowledge when they're being used means it's one way to ensure that they're being used properly.
I'm on my pre-reg in hospital at the moment and it's frightening to see the mistakes doctors continually make, whether that be through lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance.
I think the whole thing of learning about medicines for 5 years only to find out you have to bow to doctors' "superior" knowledge when they're being used means it's one way to ensure that they're being used properly.
I'm on my pre-reg in hospital at the moment and it's frightening to see the mistakes doctors continually make, whether that be through lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance.
I'm quite surprised that in places like hospital, pharmacists are having to 'bow to doctors superior knowledge'. I would have thought that there would be a mutual respect between the two professions.
After all, the pharmacist has the superior knowledge on medication/drugs and the doctor has superior knowledge on diagnosis.
You'd have thought so. Jonni is right too.
I had a case today where a patient was being prescribed Tazosin - a specialist antibiotic that was reserved for one condition in particualr. She challenged the doctor who was about, saying "this should not be used in this case", but the doctor had his hands tied by the fact that it had been chosen by the consultant. A new consultant i may add who may not have been familiar with our trust's policy.
The pharmacist knew she was right, but you're not going to get a junior doctor changing the decisions a consultant has made.
When it comes down to it, as a pharmacist you are there to advise the doctors as well as possible and try and ensure that they make what you consider to be the right decision, but when the drugs are prescribed, it's their name which it stops at and makes them legally responsible. That, as i believe is why they're insured for so much. (or at least thats what jonni suggested at to me)
I had a case today where a patient was being prescribed Tazosin - a specialist antibiotic that was reserved for one condition in particualr. She challenged the doctor who was about, saying "this should not be used in this case", but the doctor had his hands tied by the fact that it had been chosen by the consultant. A new consultant i may add who may not have been familiar with our trust's policy.
The pharmacist knew she was right, but you're not going to get a junior doctor changing the decisions a consultant has made.
When it comes down to it, as a pharmacist you are there to advise the doctors as well as possible and try and ensure that they make what you consider to be the right decision, but when the drugs are prescribed, it's their name which it stops at and makes them legally responsible. That, as i believe is why they're insured for so much. (or at least thats what jonni suggested at to me)
I think Tazocin is one of the most misused drugs out there, the amount of times it seems to be prescribed for no apparent reason is astounding.
The problem with both attitudes to pharmacists and prescribing practices seems to lie with the consultants. If you have a good consultant, who has a pharmacist on the ward rounds, and consults with them (and others like microbiology, pathology, etc) the practice seems to filter down the chain to all the medical team.
Unfortunately, it is far more common for a consultant to be unwilling to change the habit of a lifetime, and that coupled with the prevalent god complex means nobody is going to change their mind, and certainly not somone outside the medical heirarchy.
Personally I love the ward pharmacists, mostly because I am too lazy to look up the drug (especially interactions, zzzzzzz). The respiratory ward pharmacist is an absoloute godsend (a fact not missed by the respiratory consultants). Frankly the less I have to remember about phramacology, the happier I am
And yeah the last point about insurance is a fair one, but then surely consulting with as many people as possible is going to reduce your liability - especially with the amounts consultants are paying for the privelige
The problem with both attitudes to pharmacists and prescribing practices seems to lie with the consultants. If you have a good consultant, who has a pharmacist on the ward rounds, and consults with them (and others like microbiology, pathology, etc) the practice seems to filter down the chain to all the medical team.
Unfortunately, it is far more common for a consultant to be unwilling to change the habit of a lifetime, and that coupled with the prevalent god complex means nobody is going to change their mind, and certainly not somone outside the medical heirarchy.
Personally I love the ward pharmacists, mostly because I am too lazy to look up the drug (especially interactions, zzzzzzz). The respiratory ward pharmacist is an absoloute godsend (a fact not missed by the respiratory consultants). Frankly the less I have to remember about phramacology, the happier I am
And yeah the last point about insurance is a fair one, but then surely consulting with as many people as possible is going to reduce your liability - especially with the amounts consultants are paying for the privelige
Like someone already said, only a handful go on to do medicine. Like this pharmacist that works with us, she's studying medicine and works part time as a locum, which is a NICE earner 
Jimmocrates
You'd have thought so. Jonni is right too.
I had a case today where a patient was being prescribed Tazosin - a specialist antibiotic that was reserved for one condition in particualr. She challenged the doctor who was about, saying "this should not be used in this case", but the doctor had his hands tied by the fact that it had been chosen by the consultant. A new consultant i may add who may not have been familiar with our trust's policy.
The pharmacist knew she was right, but you're not going to get a junior doctor changing the decisions a consultant has made.
When it comes down to it, as a pharmacist you are there to advise the doctors as well as possible and try and ensure that they make what you consider to be the right decision, but when the drugs are prescribed, it's their name which it stops at and makes them legally responsible. That, as i believe is why they're insured for so much. (or at least thats what jonni suggested at to me)
I had a case today where a patient was being prescribed Tazosin - a specialist antibiotic that was reserved for one condition in particualr. She challenged the doctor who was about, saying "this should not be used in this case", but the doctor had his hands tied by the fact that it had been chosen by the consultant. A new consultant i may add who may not have been familiar with our trust's policy.
The pharmacist knew she was right, but you're not going to get a junior doctor changing the decisions a consultant has made.
When it comes down to it, as a pharmacist you are there to advise the doctors as well as possible and try and ensure that they make what you consider to be the right decision, but when the drugs are prescribed, it's their name which it stops at and makes them legally responsible. That, as i believe is why they're insured for so much. (or at least thats what jonni suggested at to me)
This is exactly why I eventually decided not to go into Pharmacy - situations like that are professionally and intellectually frustrating, and undermine the 4 years it took you to get an MPharm!
I am taking this route as well, graduate entry into medicine, I am not really scared about the finacial implications because I will probably use the money I earn in the prereg year to fund it and the NHS pays for some of it too! So don't worry about it scrubs26, there is plenty of time for that. Anyway banks love to give out loans to medical students as they always know that the loan will be paid back. I am just worried about the competition, but dong a masters must help!
P.S I know of a few pharmacy graduate who are doing medicine and dentistry, its not uncommon!
P.S I know of a few pharmacy graduate who are doing medicine and dentistry, its not uncommon!
Related discussions
- Pharmacy or radiography
- Can you become a GP with a Pharmacy degree
- is pharmacy actually worth it?
- Is Pharmacy a good career choice?
- What is actually studied in a pharmacy degree?
- work experience in a pharmacy
- Pharmacy jobs through other degrees
- Pharmacy or Accountant?
- Should I become a Pharmacist?
- Help! I have no idea of what career I want do do!
- my new part time job
- What's the pay of a pharmacist?
- What’s the best pharmacy school in the uk as from now
- Pharmacy vs chemistry?? URGENT HELP
- The honest truth about Pharmacy.
- What is the pay of a pharmacist?
- Pharmacy or Pharmacology
- Pharmacy Degree Work Experience
- Useful resources for MPharm PS and Interviews
- 3 A level resits for medicine / dentistry
