Pharmacy threads
Why is there so many threads being closed, specifically the ones warning students not to pursue a career in Pharmacy?
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Original post by Hoganballs
Why is there so many threads being closed, specifically the ones warning students not to pursue a career in Pharmacy?
Good question Hogan. I repost an expanded version of a post from a thread deleted a few days ago….
I have always recommended students do their own thorough research before committing to a Pharmacy course given the current status. There is much change. Some good, some bad. More to come.
I am a community pharmacist with just under 40 years experience. Served on many committees and know many. I have seen the trajectory for CP.
I strongly advise prospective students to be very skeptical of the potential career prospects painted by Universities to fill (sell) their pharmacy degree courses. Over half were in clearing last time around to fill their courses. There are reasons for that. Think about it. Universities can unfortunately cross the line into deception. Some lie.
Don’t just accept my opinions. Ask actual practising pharmacists. Especially in community where 2/3 currently find employment. Make a point to ask those employed by the multiples because that is where you will probably find yourself. I know many and all currently have very strong feelings.
In regards to Community Pharmacy, may I suggest subscription (FREE!) to Chemist & Druggist online magazine to inform on current developments. Pharmacy Magazine also is worth looking at
A few relevant article titles and dates from C&D below:
Locums: ‘Pay cannot compensate for stress and workload’
(14 Feb 2022)
‘I’ll be 6% worse off with Boots’ reduced pharmacy hours'
(01 Feb 2022)
Average salary of non-manager pharmacists decreased by more than £600 in 2021
(25 Jan 2022)
Some Boots pharmacists might face 10% cut to hours, PDA claims
(24 Jan 2022)
Additionally, I suggest you Google: “How Boots went rogue”
An outstanding Guardian article by Aditya Chakraborrty and free to view. A few years old but still very relevant. Substitute any pharmacy multiple for Boots. Be sure to read the follow-on articles especially those with comments by community pharmacists. You will have your eyes opened by their plight.
Please investigate for yourself and think long and hard before committing.
Best of luck….
Pharmacy-related threads are quite hectic, surprisingly.
The threads may have been closed but they are still visible on google search. Anyone who wants to read all the negative drivel regarding pharmacy posted there can search for it. Many thanks to the moderators for doing the right thing to ensure a fair and balanced debate in this forum.
Original post by Sarah H.
Good question Hogan. I repost an expanded version of a post from a thread deleted a few days ago….
I have always recommended students do their own thorough research before committing to a Pharmacy course given the current status. There is much change. Some good, some bad. More to come.
I am a community pharmacist with just under 40 years experience. Served on many committees and know many. I have seen the trajectory for CP.
I strongly advise prospective students to be very skeptical of the potential career prospects painted by Universities to fill (sell) their pharmacy degree courses. Over half were in clearing last time around to fill their courses. There are reasons for that. Think about it. Universities can unfortunately cross the line into deception. Some lie.
Don’t just accept my opinions. Ask actual practising pharmacists. Especially in community where 2/3 currently find employment. Make a point to ask those employed by the multiples because that is where you will probably find yourself. I know many and all currently have very strong feelings.
In regards to Community Pharmacy, may I suggest subscription (FREE!) to Chemist & Druggist online magazine to inform on current developments. Pharmacy Magazine also is worth looking at
A few relevant article titles and dates from C&D below:
Locums: ‘Pay cannot compensate for stress and workload’
(14 Feb 2022)
‘I’ll be 6% worse off with Boots’ reduced pharmacy hours'
(01 Feb 2022)
Average salary of non-manager pharmacists decreased by more than £600 in 2021
(25 Jan 2022)
Some Boots pharmacists might face 10% cut to hours, PDA claims
(24 Jan 2022)
Additionally, I suggest you Google: “How Boots went rogue”
An outstanding Guardian article by Aditya Chakraborrty and free to view. A few years old but still very relevant. Substitute any pharmacy multiple for Boots. Be sure to read the follow-on articles especially those with comments by community pharmacists. You will have your eyes opened by their plight.
Please investigate for yourself and think long and hard before committing.
Best of luck….
I have always recommended students do their own thorough research before committing to a Pharmacy course given the current status. There is much change. Some good, some bad. More to come.
I am a community pharmacist with just under 40 years experience. Served on many committees and know many. I have seen the trajectory for CP.
I strongly advise prospective students to be very skeptical of the potential career prospects painted by Universities to fill (sell) their pharmacy degree courses. Over half were in clearing last time around to fill their courses. There are reasons for that. Think about it. Universities can unfortunately cross the line into deception. Some lie.
Don’t just accept my opinions. Ask actual practising pharmacists. Especially in community where 2/3 currently find employment. Make a point to ask those employed by the multiples because that is where you will probably find yourself. I know many and all currently have very strong feelings.
In regards to Community Pharmacy, may I suggest subscription (FREE!) to Chemist & Druggist online magazine to inform on current developments. Pharmacy Magazine also is worth looking at
A few relevant article titles and dates from C&D below:
Locums: ‘Pay cannot compensate for stress and workload’
(14 Feb 2022)
‘I’ll be 6% worse off with Boots’ reduced pharmacy hours'
(01 Feb 2022)
Average salary of non-manager pharmacists decreased by more than £600 in 2021
(25 Jan 2022)
Some Boots pharmacists might face 10% cut to hours, PDA claims
(24 Jan 2022)
Additionally, I suggest you Google: “How Boots went rogue”
An outstanding Guardian article by Aditya Chakraborrty and free to view. A few years old but still very relevant. Substitute any pharmacy multiple for Boots. Be sure to read the follow-on articles especially those with comments by community pharmacists. You will have your eyes opened by their plight.
Please investigate for yourself and think long and hard before committing.
Best of luck….
I subscribed to chemist and druggist and started listening to pharmacy in practice podcast, so refreshing to hear about the positive future of pharmacy instead of the doom and gloom on TSR. Independent prescribing, increased clinical services, creation of super pharmacies by Alitam group. Locum rate average 2021 was ~£28, much higher than the years previous. I think there’s a positive outlook for pharmacy but it’ll take about atleast 10 years to get there. Hoping that community pharmacies be made more appealing and on the same level playing field as General practices who get paid to employ pharmacists. I think community pharmacy will change completely either for the worse or the better.
All the winging pharmacy negativity is just so at odds with ordinary pharmacists experiences. Pharmacy is essentially a get rich scheme with a pinch of healthcare and a trace of retail, any and all objective people will agree with me.
If not pharmacy, how are you going to make £9000 in a weekend ?
If not pharmacy, how are you going to make £9000 in a weekend ?
Original post by ashvinsingh
I subscribed to chemist and druggist and started listening to pharmacy in practice podcast, so refreshing to hear about the positive future of pharmacy instead of the doom and gloom on TSR. Independent prescribing, increased clinical services, creation of super pharmacies by Alitam group. Locum rate average 2021 was ~£28, much higher than the years previous. I think there’s a positive outlook for pharmacy but it’ll take about atleast 10 years to get there. Hoping that community pharmacies be made more appealing and on the same level playing field as General practices who get paid to employ pharmacists. I think community pharmacy will change completely either for the worse or the better.
The positive stuff was 10 years away 10 years ago I suspect you’ll find.
Pharmacy schools now cut each other’s throats for students. Ive honestly lost count at how many different schools describe themselves as the “No 1 school of Pharmacy in the UK”. There must be a lot of those awards handed out all the time. 😂 The majority of Lecturers in these schools know most people end up in Community which is the pits but they’re content to trot out the shite about Pharmacy being a wonderful career full of opportunities ad nauseam. They’re salesmen pitching a career in the same way a salesman tries to sale you a car. Their job is dependent on students enrolling on the course after all. They couldn’t give two f*cks about conditions at the coalface, it’s not their problem.
The older you get the more you realise how farcical the education system is. The professions are a joke nowadays…most Pharmacists end up as drones in the Multiples sweatshops. There’s nothing remotely “professional” about that. You’d honestly be better painting fences for a living, more job satisfaction & probably as much money. 😂
The older you get the more you realise how farcical the education system is. The professions are a joke nowadays…most Pharmacists end up as drones in the Multiples sweatshops. There’s nothing remotely “professional” about that. You’d honestly be better painting fences for a living, more job satisfaction & probably as much money. 😂
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by Cancelled Alice
The positive stuff was 10 years away 10 years ago I suspect you’ll find.
The main reason for pharmacy changing now is due to the pandemic when GP appointments were over the phone yet pharmacies stayed open. Preventing illnesses is much more cost effective than treating them, it just depends whether pharmacy as a profession will show a higher level of competence to be able to undertake more responsibility and eventually more money
I'm not sure closing down threads, is providing a fair and balanced debate as one poster above writes.
Surely erasing threads is a bad thing?
It's important to know the good and the bad about a job before you spend £37k on fees getting to do it.
Especially when 60% of schools were in clearing last summer. 30 schools is too many. We could drop at least half a dozen of the worst performing ones.
SarahH, above, makes some good points, and those articles are well worth reading.
Surely erasing threads is a bad thing?
It's important to know the good and the bad about a job before you spend £37k on fees getting to do it.
Especially when 60% of schools were in clearing last summer. 30 schools is too many. We could drop at least half a dozen of the worst performing ones.
SarahH, above, makes some good points, and those articles are well worth reading.
Original post by mrlittlebigman
I'm not sure closing down threads, is providing a fair and balanced debate as one poster above writes.
Surely erasing threads is a bad thing?
It's important to know the good and the bad about a job before you spend £37k on fees getting to do it.
Especially when 60% of schools were in clearing last summer. 30 schools is too many. We could drop at least half a dozen of the worst performing ones.
SarahH, above, makes some good points, and those articles are well worth reading.
Surely erasing threads is a bad thing?
It's important to know the good and the bad about a job before you spend £37k on fees getting to do it.
Especially when 60% of schools were in clearing last summer. 30 schools is too many. We could drop at least half a dozen of the worst performing ones.
SarahH, above, makes some good points, and those articles are well worth reading.
The mods keep deleting my posts when I call them out for closing information rich important threads- when they very well know new applicants wont particularity 'search' for them in the old archive of threads.
Original post by sachinisgod
The mods keep deleting my posts when I call them out for closing information rich important threads- when they very well know new applicants wont particularity 'search' for them in the old archive of threads.
It's the equivalent of a child putting their fingers in their ears, and singing...." la la la la lalalalalalala ", when they don't like what they are being told. Ignoring things that you don't particularly like doesn't make them go away.
Last summer there was a perfectly reasonable post talking about how one would find it hard to get into industry with a pharmacy degree, (which has been true for about the last 30 yrs!), and they may be better off choosing something like pharmacology and then a PhD, etc, etc...... but it was removed, and on enquiring where it had gone, I was told there had been a complaint, that it was " too negative " !!!
Perhaps that person who made the complaint turns off Sky News about the situation in Ukraine, because that too is also "too negative", but of course it doesn't make it go away.
I really do worry and/or wonder about Generation Z sometimes.
Hi
I have an offer for a masters in chem but considering the pay and job prospects after tht degree I was thinking of going for pharamcy instead through clearing
For mpharm pay starts at 30k and progression can be made up to 38k
Chemists on the other hand start at 27k and earnings after 5 years In employment r like 30k
Ik u shouldnt go into a profession for the money...but I would like my degree to be at least worth it....ik a lot of other stuff matters as well like what u do during uni to stand out etc and I'm Also aware of the pre reg thing
Would u experienced pharmacists still recommend to stay away from pharamcy
I have an offer for a masters in chem but considering the pay and job prospects after tht degree I was thinking of going for pharamcy instead through clearing
For mpharm pay starts at 30k and progression can be made up to 38k
Chemists on the other hand start at 27k and earnings after 5 years In employment r like 30k
Ik u shouldnt go into a profession for the money...but I would like my degree to be at least worth it....ik a lot of other stuff matters as well like what u do during uni to stand out etc and I'm Also aware of the pre reg thing
Would u experienced pharmacists still recommend to stay away from pharamcy
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by tecna
Hi
I have an offer for a masters in chem but considering the pay and job prospects after tht degree I was thinking of going for pharamcy instead through clearing
For mpharm pay starts at 30k and progression can be made up to 38k
Chemists on the other hand start at 27k and earnings after 5 years In employment r like 30k
Ik u shouldnt go into a profession for the money...but I would like my degree to be at least worth it....ik a lot of other stuff matters as well like what u do during uni to stand out etc and I'm Also aware of the pre reg thing
Would u experienced pharmacists still recommend to stay away from pharamcy
I have an offer for a masters in chem but considering the pay and job prospects after tht degree I was thinking of going for pharamcy instead through clearing
For mpharm pay starts at 30k and progression can be made up to 38k
Chemists on the other hand start at 27k and earnings after 5 years In employment r like 30k
Ik u shouldnt go into a profession for the money...but I would like my degree to be at least worth it....ik a lot of other stuff matters as well like what u do during uni to stand out etc and I'm Also aware of the pre reg thing
Would u experienced pharmacists still recommend to stay away from pharamcy
Pay starts at £45,000 at the lower end, £65,000 at the upper end. Do a bit of locumming on the side in addition to your day job and you can easily hit £75,000 on your first year post-qualification.
Original post by Claremont4ever
Pay starts at £45,000 at the lower end, £65,000 at the upper end. Do a bit of locumming on the side in addition to your day job and you can easily hit £75,000 on your first year post-qualification.
This poster missed off the bit about where they are based, (the NE of the UK, shortage area, hence higher wages)
You certainly won't be hitting 60k a year in a big chain pharmacy in a big city/urban area. More like 40/45k. as a pharmacy manager.
I mentioned in another thread about wages and locum rates tending to increase, the more you went out into the countryside/rural area/small towns in the middle of no-where, etc.
Hospital have their own pay scales that you can look up, but there is no career structure to the pay or job in retail pharmacy.
You mentioned excitement, having you looked into something like paramedic ? I've always thought that would be an interesting, stimulating job, with the medical situations, shift work, travel, every day different.
A world away from working in a Boots the Chemist on a dying High Street!
Original post by Claremont4ever
Pay starts at £45,000 at the lower end, £65,000 at the upper end. Do a bit of locumming on the side in addition to your day job and you can easily hit £75,000 on your first year post-qualification.
Lmaooo that does not sound true for where I live
Original post by tecna
Lmaooo that does not sound true for where I live
Because it's not. What Claremont posts flies in the face of every pharmacist that posts on here, what other pharmacists on other social media like YouTube post from their own experiences, and what salaries have been gathered from polls by the C+D.
Original post by ChillBear
Because it's not. What Claremont posts flies in the face of every pharmacist that posts on here, what other pharmacists on other social media like YouTube post from their own experiences, and what salaries have been gathered from polls by the C+D.
I'll second that by Chillz!
Although I'm sure the poster does probably make that kind of money, it is because they live in an area with a shortage of pharmacists, and also in an area of the UK that many don't want to move to for many reasons.
They tend to miss this bit off these days!
From what I recall from their posts over the years, they did the OSPAP course, having qualified abroad, so may not be totally aware that their situation is far from the norm.
A look online on indeed, and on Chemist and Druggist website (sign up for free) will show a better, more varied picture of the whole UK pharmacist wages and locum rates.
Original post by Sarah H.
Good question Hogan. I repost an expanded version of a post from a thread deleted a few days ago….
I have always recommended students do their own thorough research before committing to a Pharmacy course given the current status. There is much change. Some good, some bad. More to come.
I am a community pharmacist with just under 40 years experience. Served on many committees and know many. I have seen the trajectory for CP.
I strongly advise prospective students to be very skeptical of the potential career prospects painted by Universities to fill (sell) their pharmacy degree courses. Over half were in clearing last time around to fill their courses. There are reasons for that. Think about it. Universities can unfortunately cross the line into deception. Some lie.
Don’t just accept my opinions. Ask actual practising pharmacists. Especially in community where 2/3 currently find employment. Make a point to ask those employed by the multiples because that is where you will probably find yourself. I know many and all currently have very strong feelings.
In regards to Community Pharmacy, may I suggest subscription (FREE!) to Chemist & Druggist online magazine to inform on current developments. Pharmacy Magazine also is worth looking at
A few relevant article titles and dates from C&D below:
Locums: ‘Pay cannot compensate for stress and workload’
(14 Feb 2022)
‘I’ll be 6% worse off with Boots’ reduced pharmacy hours'
(01 Feb 2022)
Average salary of non-manager pharmacists decreased by more than £600 in 2021
(25 Jan 2022)
Some Boots pharmacists might face 10% cut to hours, PDA claims
(24 Jan 2022)
Additionally, I suggest you Google: “How Boots went rogue”
An outstanding Guardian article by Aditya Chakraborrty and free to view. A few years old but still very relevant. Substitute any pharmacy multiple for Boots. Be sure to read the follow-on articles especially those with comments by community pharmacists. You will have your eyes opened by their plight.
Please investigate for yourself and think long and hard before committing.
Best of luck….
I have always recommended students do their own thorough research before committing to a Pharmacy course given the current status. There is much change. Some good, some bad. More to come.
I am a community pharmacist with just under 40 years experience. Served on many committees and know many. I have seen the trajectory for CP.
I strongly advise prospective students to be very skeptical of the potential career prospects painted by Universities to fill (sell) their pharmacy degree courses. Over half were in clearing last time around to fill their courses. There are reasons for that. Think about it. Universities can unfortunately cross the line into deception. Some lie.
Don’t just accept my opinions. Ask actual practising pharmacists. Especially in community where 2/3 currently find employment. Make a point to ask those employed by the multiples because that is where you will probably find yourself. I know many and all currently have very strong feelings.
In regards to Community Pharmacy, may I suggest subscription (FREE!) to Chemist & Druggist online magazine to inform on current developments. Pharmacy Magazine also is worth looking at
A few relevant article titles and dates from C&D below:
Locums: ‘Pay cannot compensate for stress and workload’
(14 Feb 2022)
‘I’ll be 6% worse off with Boots’ reduced pharmacy hours'
(01 Feb 2022)
Average salary of non-manager pharmacists decreased by more than £600 in 2021
(25 Jan 2022)
Some Boots pharmacists might face 10% cut to hours, PDA claims
(24 Jan 2022)
Additionally, I suggest you Google: “How Boots went rogue”
An outstanding Guardian article by Aditya Chakraborrty and free to view. A few years old but still very relevant. Substitute any pharmacy multiple for Boots. Be sure to read the follow-on articles especially those with comments by community pharmacists. You will have your eyes opened by their plight.
Please investigate for yourself and think long and hard before committing.
Best of luck….
Can we get an updated version - boots offering £42k for NQ pharmacists, independent prescribing, pharmacy reforms by sajid javid- all from chemist and druggist!
Original post by ashvinsingh
Can we get an updated version - boots offering £42k for NQ pharmacists, independent prescribing, pharmacy reforms by sajid javid- all from chemist and druggist!
This is a good article about where pharmacy is right now, and some possible future plans
https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD136238/Javids-pharmacy-reforms-should-start-with-healing-the-great-divide-with-GPs
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