pay for pharmacist in the future

[riks]

Many people say that the pay for pharmacists will go down in the future. Do you think this is true, or will the pay increase or stay around the same in the future. This is concerning me alot. I dont want to go to uni for 4 tears and get a low pay. what would you say average pay is for pharmacist with 5 years experience. Thankyou peeps

[Linnear]

I think you're right. Pay will probably stay the same, increase or decrease.

Sorry, it's just that you've asked that question at a time where it is impossible to answer it.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is to be split and we will be governed by a new body which will be totally new.

We are trying to sort out "The Responsible Pharmacist" at the moment which could completely alter the way pharmacists work at the moment.

Next year we will have a Govt consultation on what the Responsible Pharmacist will be responsible for. That one will include remote supervision.

There are countless bodies discussing pharmacy at the moment and all are looking to possible changes to the way pharmacists work and what there job will be.

The Society itself has just started its Pharmacy 2020 programme to try to lead pharmacy in possibly new directions.

Any one of these things could alter pharmacy forever, put them all together and you've got a whole lot of variables which could alter pharmacy pay.

[paul2008]

Why go to university for 4 tears when you can have 4 great years?

Maybe its different in the UK, although I haven't seen any pharmacy students crying yet....must look harder.

As for the pay, it is more important to figure out if you will enjoy being a pharmacist or whether the job will drive you crazy.

[Pharmanaut]

Why go to university for 4 tears when you can have 4 great years?

Maybe its different in the UK, although I haven't seen any pharmacy students crying yet....must look harder.

As for the pay, it is more important to figure out if you will enjoy being a pharmacist or whether the job will drive you crazy.

It depends on what sector you end up in and what your working conditions are like. For me the money in community just isn't good enough to put up with the stress, long hours of intense concentration and the tons and tons of legal responsibility. If it was half as much again then the answer would be "Yes".

[snowy]

Maybe its different in the UK, although I haven't seen any pharmacy students crying yet....must look harder.

You should have been at my summer exams last year

I'm concerned as well riks. The degree is a long hard slog and you're not the only one who wants it to be worthwhile in the end but when paul2008 says "it is more important to figure out if you will enjoy being a pharmacist" he's hit the nail on the head. I'm in third year now and it's quite worrying the number of people on my course who aren't as sure as they used to be. The thing is, it's hard to know if a profession is for you until you know much more about it which is quite hard to achieve from just short-term work-shadowing or work experience before embarking on the degree so I'd speak to as many pharmacists as you can for their no-frills opinion of a career in pharmacy.

[Jeff]

The thing is, it's hard to know if a profession is for you until you know much more about it which is quite hard to achieve from just short-term work-shadowing or work experience before embarking on the degree so I'd speak to as many pharmacists as you can for their no-frills opinion of a career in pharmacy.

It's whatever you want to make of it. The "resposible pharmacist" consultation offers endless opportunities for professional development (as well as the threats)

Must see if I can get Tony Schofield to join this forum so that you can hear from an optimistic and enthusiastic pharmacist.

Jeff

[Zoggite]

Aaaaahhhh,
Who's the lovely pussycat, Jeff? Pray, do introduce us!

[Jeff]

Aaaaahhhh,
Who's the lovely pussycat, Jeff? Pray, do introduce us!

He's called Cyriak

Jeff

[u2bawooly]

Its like this muppets, simple supply and demand economics. When supply of pharmacists increases, more competition = less vacancies and salary drop (as pharmacists must undercut each other to get a job). less demand (ie fewer vacancies) = lower salaries as, again, pharmacists must compete and undercut each other for jobs. Currently, we have (frivolously) increased the number of schools of pharmacy to meet the supply shortage - ie increasing supply. When responsible pharmacist and remote supervision (ie 1 pharmacist can operate 2 or more pharmacies) appear very soon, demand drops by a factor of how many pharmacies can be remotely supervised. In conclusion, more pharmacists competing for less jobs = steady decline in salary. We brought this on ourselves. DO NOT AGREE TO REMOTE SUPERVISION FOR THE ABOVE REASONS.

[Jeff]

Its like this muppets, simple supply and demand economics. When supply of pharmacists increases, more competition = less vacancies and salary drop (as pharmacists must undercut each other to get a job). less demand (ie fewer vacancies) = lower salaries as, again, pharmacists must compete and undercut each other for jobs. Currently, we have (frivolously) increased the number of schools of pharmacy to meet the supply shortage - ie increasing supply. When responsible pharmacist and remote supervision (ie 1 pharmacist can operate 2 or more pharmacies) appear very soon, demand drops by a factor of how many pharmacies can be remotely supervised. In conclusion, more pharmacists competing for less jobs = steady decline in salary. We brought this on ourselves. DO NOT AGREE TO REMOTE SUPERVISION FOR THE ABOVE REASONS.

Yeah lets continue to hide behind the dispensary bench and see how much we can increase the script count - if on the other hand you want more from a career - we need the tools to allow us to do so.

Jeff