Help Me Decide

[melodycool]

Hi all, I'm new here but could do with some advice.
I've had a very long career in retail so far and frankly have had enough.
I'm a manager in a supermarket multiple and have been at the same branch for 12 years! This has been my choice as I work part-time and the convenience factor is high since I work close to home and work school hours.
But I can't bear it any longer; my staff are p*****g me off with their pettiness and back-biting. The targets and workload are unachievable - especially on my hours and with little support from 2nd pharmacists. Everything falls on my shoulders and I'm always being called at home with queries etc.
The pressure from other depts is also high as I get hassled about why the locum costs are high (hello, employed pharmacists are on holiday therefore we need to have locums!?!) and then when I try to keep these costs down I get hassled as to why no reviews or training has been done!
Anyway - I'm ranting.
I think things need to change and I feel drawn towards locuming.
I've never done this before and although it seems as though the grass may well be greener - I need to be sure.
I've only ever worked in community although would love to try something different - but don't know if I have the skills/confidence.
I'm at a crossroads and am not sure which way to go.
Help.
Sorry for the long post.

[Fleegle]

If you are finding your pharmacy career so difficult to come to terms with, why don't you consider an alternative.....jewellery perhaps?

Fleegle.

[Rafael]

hey fleg, i believe he was asking about locuming and how to start. i did not see that coming (i.e if you dont like the current situation, switch to another career) let him/her get it all out of his/her chest

[Fleegle]

Leave this one with me please Raoul..

[Rafael]

it's all yours fleg

[ramroum]

If you don't mind low pay and on-calls try hospital pharmacy, do part time, and some locums.
The problem is that you have to do the clinical diploma!
Don't worry, you will be trained. I recently saw an advertisement of a hospital basic grade job with a better salary than what all other hospitals usually pay (basic salary + £5000 RRP), I don't know if it is close to where you live. PM me if you are interested in this job.

I am on the other hand feeling like you, I am having thoughts about moving to the community (part time) because of the hospital diploma which I am not very keen on doing!! I am still thinking about it.

Good luck.

[Sir_Dispensalot]

to me it seems like mel here is being micromanaged at the supermarket by an overzealous manager.

Have you considered speaking to your area coach / regional pharmacy manager about transferring to another store?

If it's still crap there then you can start speaking to some of the recruitment agencies and keep browsing the journal jobs....

[melodycool]

Thanks for all your constructive replies.
I have asked to transfer but the area manager has asked me to wait a couple of months as she feels things will improve - there has been a lot of disruption recently with staff leaving and pharmacists being off sick etc.
I really enjoy the pharmacy side of things but feel bogged down with all the management stuff.
I would like to try hospital, but wouldn't know where to start - is it possible to go straight from community to hospital or would I need some sort of clinical training first?

[Zoggite]

Melodycool,
First of all; Welcome & nice to hear from you!
secondly: GET OUT OF THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Nobody deserves to have to put up with that sort of pressure. I've been there, I hung on, blaming myself for not "managing" properly etc...; but leaving that pharmacy has been one of my better decisions in life; I no longer go to work dragging my heels, looking over my shoulder to make sure no-one is aiming a dagger at my back whilst being all nice 'n smiley to my face, and so on...
You say the convenience factor is high: can it really be that high?
I'm sure you could find greener grass in a different community pharmacy- you wouldn't necessarily have to move to locumming or even hospital pharmacy.
Finally; I have never regretted "doing" something, only "not doing" something!
I couldn't live with the "What would have happened if...?"; far better to look back and say "Oh well, at least I gave it a go!"

[melodycool]

Well the convenient part is that I can walk to work, I can drop my kids to school in the morning and pick them up myself. I've been with the company a long time and have a good overall package and i work part-time.
But I'm not enjoying it anymore.