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Poor Pharmacist Career Prospects? What do Universities tell you?
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Original post by velvetsky
OP is talking from experience. You cannot understand the problems pharmacy is facing if you're not in the profession.
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You should get into pharmacy mainly for job satisfaction of helping people. To go in for money is wrong
Pharmacy is done as a stable career. My dad did pharmacy at Aston uni in the 1980s and was a locum. The shop working staff who are typically uneducated get jealous of the locum getting block bookings and so the permanent pharmacists and dispensers and other unqualified people collude to Oust who they see as the "invader" who has come to manage them. Wages are being driven down now and you are basically a glorified shop assistant. All the health centres are shutting down pharmacies so get out while you can and if your not good enough for medicine go into law or accountancy or something. You also get smackheads coming into the shop for their dose of methadone or whatever and are expected to make deliveries to people who can be very mentally unstable. In addition to this you have misogynistic shop owners especially in Asian areas and I know for a fact that some bosses would only hire non pharmacists if they were willing to sleep with them, these are Independent or chain pharmacies. Another thing they will do is change labels on prescriptions and mess up the quantity/type of medication.The people that own these places often aren't even pharmacists for christs sake!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by ALittleLost25
You should get into pharmacy mainly for job satisfaction of helping people. To go in for money is wrong
There is no job satisfaction, only targets. I can guarantee if you are working in community pharmacy to 'help' people you will feel disgusted with yourself after a days shift.
Don't listen to anything any University has to say about career prospects, they just want your money so will only tell you what you want to hear. Go speak to people who are in the real world of Pharmacy, go speak with your local Pharmacist and ask them what life as a Pharmacist is like and how they view the future.
Original post by dontdopharmacy
There is no job satisfaction, only targets. I can guarantee if you are working in community pharmacy to 'help' people you will feel disgusted with yourself after a days shift.
Don't listen to anything any University has to say about career prospects, they just want your money so will only tell you what you want to hear. Go speak to people who are in the real world of Pharmacy, go speak with your local Pharmacist and ask them what life as a Pharmacist is like and how they view the future.
Don't listen to anything any University has to say about career prospects, they just want your money so will only tell you what you want to hear. Go speak to people who are in the real world of Pharmacy, go speak with your local Pharmacist and ask them what life as a Pharmacist is like and how they view the future.
All things i'd have done BEFORE embarking on 3 years of study.
You made your bed, now lay in it or start over with a trainee job in a career you want.
Original post by ALittleLost25
All things i'd have done BEFORE embarking on 3 years of study.
You made your bed, now lay in it or start over with a trainee job in a career you want.
You made your bed, now lay in it or start over with a trainee job in a career you want.
Pharmacy is a 5 year study, and a lot changes in 5 years. I did do my research at the time before taking up the program. There was no such thing as MURs/NMS when I started my study and there were only 14 schools of Pharmacy when I started study there is now 24. The way you speak of dropping everything and starting over either show naivety of freedom of youth on your part.
I'll chime into the above, as someone who is making a sincere go of the whole 'retraining myself into something else' thing. Believe me, doing this has NOT been easy for me, actually, it's been a **** ton of hard work and stress. I don't think I'm through the worst of it yet, either.
HOWEVER, I am someone who has willingly subjected themselves to this; I couldn't imagine what it must be like for someone who has come to the end of their 4-year degree, realized there are more graduates than pre-reg places, and subsequently, have found themselves a loose end in this world. With all that lovely £40,000+ student debt, to boot!
No, I really don't think it's as easy as saying 'oh ****, I didn't research Pharmacy properly, oh well, I guess I'll just magic £10,000 out of thin air, realize it's my true dream to study anthropology, return to University, and then get my fairy godmother to poof up graduate job'. No, most people are forced to try and make the best of the ailing Pharmacy job market, simply because it's the lesser evil of two crappy options.
All the OP was pointing out was that, honestly, his impression of school visit days was that they were being misleading, and that the job market has been highly unpredictable this past decade - it's not something you want to be going into because 'I need a stable career when I finish and, ooooohh, look at all these new services that are happening - I bet it will be SO exciting to be at the vanguard of changing Pharmacy', when really, the career is both unstable and stagnating at the minute.
Don't get me wrong, there are still students who are sincerely suited to the job, will love the course and are motivated enough to make it work, even in these troubled times. Me - and many others - are just pointing out Pharmacy is no longer a cakewalk into an easy career.
Also, can I hasten to point out these are 17-year olds we are largely talking about here? 17 year-olds. I can't speak for everyone here, obviously, but I was a ****ing idiot at that age. Of course I thought Pharmacy would be a good idea, you see, I lacked this little thing called 'life experience sufficient enough to make good judgement calls about my future' - something I am paying the price for now. Can we at least cut these people a little slack here? Sheesh.
HOWEVER, I am someone who has willingly subjected themselves to this; I couldn't imagine what it must be like for someone who has come to the end of their 4-year degree, realized there are more graduates than pre-reg places, and subsequently, have found themselves a loose end in this world. With all that lovely £40,000+ student debt, to boot!
No, I really don't think it's as easy as saying 'oh ****, I didn't research Pharmacy properly, oh well, I guess I'll just magic £10,000 out of thin air, realize it's my true dream to study anthropology, return to University, and then get my fairy godmother to poof up graduate job'. No, most people are forced to try and make the best of the ailing Pharmacy job market, simply because it's the lesser evil of two crappy options.
All the OP was pointing out was that, honestly, his impression of school visit days was that they were being misleading, and that the job market has been highly unpredictable this past decade - it's not something you want to be going into because 'I need a stable career when I finish and, ooooohh, look at all these new services that are happening - I bet it will be SO exciting to be at the vanguard of changing Pharmacy', when really, the career is both unstable and stagnating at the minute.
Don't get me wrong, there are still students who are sincerely suited to the job, will love the course and are motivated enough to make it work, even in these troubled times. Me - and many others - are just pointing out Pharmacy is no longer a cakewalk into an easy career.
Also, can I hasten to point out these are 17-year olds we are largely talking about here? 17 year-olds. I can't speak for everyone here, obviously, but I was a ****ing idiot at that age. Of course I thought Pharmacy would be a good idea, you see, I lacked this little thing called 'life experience sufficient enough to make good judgement calls about my future' - something I am paying the price for now. Can we at least cut these people a little slack here? Sheesh.
(edited 7 years ago)
Lol the amount of madness going on in the optom thread is crazy!
Theyve got optoms, pharmacists, doctors and radiographers going mental LOL*
Theyve got optoms, pharmacists, doctors and radiographers going mental LOL*
Hi, was just reading through this thread, what is going on with pharmacy? Is it really as bad as people are making out? I thought you'd be in charge of your own job type of thing by working autonomously? and what is the pay like nowadays? just asking out of interest (I wouldn't go into a role due to money) just i dropped out of pharmacy to go into nursing and wondering peoples thoughts as lately I've been regretting it.
Original post by Mango65
Hi, was just reading through this thread, what is going on with pharmacy? Is it really as bad as people are making out? I thought you'd be in charge of your own job type of thing by working autonomously? and what is the pay like nowadays? just asking out of interest (I wouldn't go into a role due to money) just i dropped out of pharmacy to go into nursing and wondering peoples thoughts as lately I've been regretting it.
Not sure you fully read the thread if those are the questions you're asking tbh.
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Original post by Mango65
Hi, was just reading through this thread, what is going on with pharmacy?
Many things. This thread sums up the key issues quite nicely.
Is it really as bad as people are making out?
Depends. I think if you're genuinely suited to Pharmacy - and are doing it because you want the job, not the money - I don't think it's going to be too bad for you. I still think it's a very worthwhile career choice.
HOWEVER, due to a low number of schools, there was a time when it was an easy road into a well-paying and secure job - the biggest change in Pharmacy is that we are seeing saturation of the job market. In turn, some people are worried that this will result in pay and working conditions dropping.
I thought you'd be in charge of your own job type of thing by working autonomously?
If you locum, yes, you will very much be in charge of yourself. Pertaining to the above, there was a time when this work was easy to find, well-paying and granted a lot of flexibility; at £27/hr, you could work 6-days a week and earn ~£50,000-60,000/yr, or, you could work 3 days per week and have a £30,000 stable backup whilst you persue other things. Really, it was a great job for people who didn't want to be locked into a 9-5 time drain.
However, as a cost-cutting measure, many chains are starting to build in-house teams of relief Pharmacists and, when they do ask for a locum, rates are going down - in essence, there is less work for less pay. Now, to get that cushy £30,000 safety blanket, you would need to work 4 days a week; however, you also have to factor in that it's also getting harder to book reliable work so, unless you have savings, you may find yourself in the position of accepting every job you can find, simply to tide you over on weeks when there simply is nothing to be found. It's getting harder to live on locum work alone - not impossible, I know of Pharmacits who are highly succesful locums - but again, we run into the issue of a shifting job market and Pharmacy no longer being easy-street.
Or you could work for a chain, complete with fixed pay and guaranteed hours. You certainly won't have that freedom in your job however - the culture is very much one of the management says 'jump' and you say 'how high?'
Or hospital. Which, in my honest opinion, is the best option of the three - the main problem is just how competitive it is.
and what is the pay like nowadays?
The pay is okay; you certainly won't starve on a Pharmacist's wage. If your main aim in life is to make money however (and there is nothing wrong with that), then there are easier ways to earn more. Again, if you're going into Pharmacy beause you love the job, the money won't matter a lick (and you'll certainly earn enough), but don't do it because you have fantasies of living in a 5-bedroom house, shopping at Waitrose and going on three holidays a year. That won't happen.
Ultimately, anyone who can get through the rigourous 5-years of education and training is likely smart enough to apply themselves to other fields succesfully - and there are better ways to make money than Pharmacy.
just i dropped out of pharmacy to go into nursing and wondering peoples thoughts as lately I've been regretting it.
If you dropped out, it probably wasn't the right choice for you. I know, because I spent a not-insignificant amount of time during my degree fantasizing about quitting, but stuck with it anyway...
...and yep, I got to the job and, big surprise, found it really wasn't for me.
I know many people who have quit and are leading happy successful lives - as teachers, lawyers, business owners, PhD students, and in other healthcare fields. In terms of money, most people are operating on a loss, but in terms of overall job satisfaction, most are operating on a win.
You shouldn't look at it in terms of 'by quitting Pharmacy, I no longer have XXX and YYY', instead, you should try to see it in terms of 'by doing Anthropology (or whatever), I have gained XXX and YYY'. If you feel that nursing is the right choice for you, then it most likely is - irrespective of what 'might have been' in Pharmacy.
so overall, it's a no to pharmacy
Original post by Bloom77
so overall, it's a no to pharmacy
definitely a big fat no
Avoid Pharmacy like the plague - unless you get into Hospital (unlikely as it's very competitive) you'll be stuck in a shop the rest of your life, most likely a soul destroying Multiple. Your working life in these shops will be dominated by checking endless scripts with litttle to no staffing levels.*
Don't fall for the University's glossy brochures. *
Don't fall for the University's glossy brochures. *
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/your-rps/rps-offers-support-to-preregistration-students-after-gphc-reports-41-pass-rate/20201895.article
only 41% pass rate for the Sept Pre Reg exam..... compared to 95% in June. What is this? Im all for having a good standard of exams but this drop is just ridiculous. 100s of pharmacy students sold false dreams of big careers in community pharmacy and for what. Many of these poor students have wasted 5 years and now cant even practice Pharmacy anymore :/
only 41% pass rate for the Sept Pre Reg exam..... compared to 95% in June. What is this? Im all for having a good standard of exams but this drop is just ridiculous. 100s of pharmacy students sold false dreams of big careers in community pharmacy and for what. Many of these poor students have wasted 5 years and now cant even practice Pharmacy anymore :/
(edited 7 years ago)
I agree with some of your points. The GPHC exams was totally unfair and it is an absolute dream shattering experience. However please remember that these people are still pharmacists . In other countries, they can still practice as a pharmacist. Its just the UK laws are so strict with the number of attempts they can do the exams. Most should possibly go and apply to medicine considering the cuts about to hit pharmacy community chains
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Original post by sachinisgod
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/your-rps/rps-offers-support-to-preregistration-students-after-gphc-reports-41-pass-rate/20201895.article
only 41% pass rate for the Sept Pre Reg exam..... compared to 95% in June. What is this? Im all for having a good standard of exams but this drop is just ridiculous. 100s of pharmacy students sold false dreams of big careers in community pharmacy and for what. Many of these poor students have wasted 5 years and now cant even practice Pharmacy anymore :/
only 41% pass rate for the Sept Pre Reg exam..... compared to 95% in June. What is this? Im all for having a good standard of exams but this drop is just ridiculous. 100s of pharmacy students sold false dreams of big careers in community pharmacy and for what. Many of these poor students have wasted 5 years and now cant even practice Pharmacy anymore :/
This. Couldn't agree more😢
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Original post by sachinisgod
Many of these poor students have wasted 5 years and now cant even practice Pharmacy anymore :/
I'm a wee bit out of the loop when it comes to exam regulations etc but how many attempts are you allowed to have at the GPhC exam these days? Pretty sure it was 3 when I did it in 2012.
Also, 95% pass rate in the summer exam? That's unbelievably high. It was always around the 70% mark when I did it. I'd suggest that the summer exam was probably too easy. Might not want to hear this, but most royal college exams in the medical profession have similarly low pass rates (about one third pass MRCS part A first time).
Just my thoughts.
Original post by Caponester
I'm a wee bit out of the loop when it comes to exam regulations etc but how many attempts are you allowed to have at the GPhC exam these days? Pretty sure it was 3 when I did it in 2012.
Also, 95% pass rate in the summer exam? That's unbelievably high. It was always around the 70% mark when I did it. I'd suggest that the summer exam was probably too easy. Might not want to hear this, but most royal college exams in the medical profession have similarly low pass rates (about one third pass MRCS part A first time).
Just my thoughts.
Also, 95% pass rate in the summer exam? That's unbelievably high. It was always around the 70% mark when I did it. I'd suggest that the summer exam was probably too easy. Might not want to hear this, but most royal college exams in the medical profession have similarly low pass rates (about one third pass MRCS part A first time).
Just my thoughts.
It's still 3 attempts. Its just annoying how the pass rates can go from 95% in july to 40% in October. Within 3 months
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