Salaries

[pharmatron]

Hi, just doing a little market research and thought that this would be a good place to start! Does anyone know what the multiples (Boots / Lloyds / Alliance) are paying their pre-regs now. Might help me to decide where I go next year! Also, is it true that hospital pre-regs are now earning more than their community counterparts?

Thanks

[Steve G]

don't choose your pre-reg place solely based on salary, think about the training and development the company can offer you and whether you want to stay with them after registering.

for what its worth, I earnt £15k, plus a £1k bonus during my pre-reg last year with a medium sized group (80 pharmacies) in the south east. I expect the large multiples are around the same figure, and I believe hospitals pay ~£2k more (due to AfC), though the number of places in hospitals for pre-regs is decreasing.

Oh, and Boots and Alliance have merged, so are probably harmonizing their payscales.

[RXJOE]

I have a question for you guys, and if someone would be kind enough to
educate me on it, I would be very appreciative. I am in the US, and I've been
following this forum for about a month now, but still having trouble with some
of the terminology used, and the various differences in our profession when
comparing the two countries. First, what exactly is a "Pre-Reg"? Also, Steve,
when you say you earnt 15K, is that monthly or annual, because if it's annual,
it would be far lower than the wages on this side of the pond. Having said
that, I will admit that I have no clue as to what the cost of living is where
you are, which makes a big difference. I will probably ask more questions
later on, but for now, if someone could better inform me on the two items
above, it would really help understand better. Thanks.

[Zoggite]

"pre-reg" is short for "pre-registration": after 4 years of university, pharmacy graduates have to complete a year-long "apprenticeship" in a working environment, i.e a community pharmacy, in industry, or in a hospital pharmacy; only after completing this AND passing the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's registration exam do they become fully-fledged pharmacists and allowed to work unsupervised. So the salary of a pre-reg student is that of an apprentice. The £15k mentioned would be an annual amount; the day you become registered, you can command double that at least!

[RXJOE]

Thanks for the clarification Zoggite. It sounds like the pharmacy degree is still a Bachelor's degree over there, whereas in the US it is now required that all new pharmacists graduate with a PharmD degree. This still consists of the 4 years of courses, followed by 2 years of internships, which by the way are not only without salary, but you're actually still paying the college tuition for these 2 years of basically working 40 hours a week!! On top of doing these 2 years of internship, you also must complete at least 1500 hours of "externship" working for pay. This is done throughout the 6 total years of schooling, at whatever pace you want, as long as you complete at least 1500 hours worth altogether. When I worked for a chain, they set the pay rate based on what school year the student is in. First year students would get $8/hr, and every additional year they get a $1/hr increase. After you complete the 6 total years, you still have to take the NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacies) exam and pass it before you get a license to practice on your own. During this short period of time between the end of the 6 years and passing the exam, the pay goes up to half the salary of a registered pharmacist. The pay rate of a registered pharmacist over here varies from state to state. It can be anywhere from $100,000-$125,000 annually, and depending on the need of the region or specific area within the region, there can be an additionaly signing bonus and even a car lease thrown in to attract new hires.

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by RXJOE

Thanks for the clarification Zoggite. It sounds like the pharmacy degree is still a Bachelor's degree over there, whereas in the US it is now required that all new pharmacists graduate with a PharmD degree. This still consists of the 4 years of courses, followed by 2 years of internships, which by the way are not only without salary, but you're actually still paying the college tuition for these 2 years of basically working 40 hours a week!! On top of doing these 2 years of internship, you also must complete at least 1500 hours of "externship" working for pay. This is done throughout the 6 total years of schooling, at whatever pace you want, as long as you complete at least 1500 hours worth altogether. When I worked for a chain, they set the pay rate based on what school year the student is in. First year students would get $8/hr, and every additional year they get a $1/hr increase. After you complete the 6 total years, you still have to take the NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacies) exam and pass it before you get a license to practice on your own. During this short period of time between the end of the 6 years and passing the exam, the pay goes up to half the salary of a registered pharmacist. The pay rate of a registered pharmacist over here varies from state to state. It can be anywhere from $100,000-$125,000 annually, and depending on the need of the region or specific area within the region, there can be an additionaly signing bonus and even a car lease thrown in to attract new hires.

The UK degree is a Masters degree (MPharm), as it is over four years and incorporates a major research project.

What is the youngest age one could realistically register as a pharmacist in the US (assuming no skipped years at school)? And when does compulsory education end in the US? In the UK, the youngest you can realistically regsiter is 23, and compulsory education ends at 16 (so 16-18 is A levels, 18-22 is university and 22-23 is pre-reg).

[nadie]

hi - did my pre-reg last year with boots - paid 16k.. heard it might be going up!! lloyds and superdrug pay the same...

rumour has it that supermarkets can pay more (upto 20k) but hard to find jobs with them.... hospitals pay less (i think more around 10-12k)!

however.. i wouldnt think about the salary so much - more importantly look for the right experience for yourself... i would advise a fairly busy environment often gives you more experience and prepares you for everything.

goodluck

[luckydip]

Did my pre-reg with Lloyds last year got £16500 but this has gone upto £17500 this year. Hospitals were offering around £19K, this was after Agendy for Change. Prior to this the wages were around £12K.

[riks]

how much do you earn if you own your pharmacy. what about the salary after pre reg.

[snowy]

I think the pre-reg where I am doing my Boots placement now is getting £18.5k which is a lot more than I thought community pre-regs get. The pre-reg at the independent I worked at last year only got around £12-13k.