Do you like your job as a retail pharmacist

[Apothecary]

I was just wondering how many of us are satisfied with our job? I thought I'd try a poll on this. Please answer if you have time. It's just for interest, and may be useful to students thinking of studying to become a pharmacist.

If you like your job what do you like about it?

If not what do you not like about it?

Thanks

[Linnear]

Hi there.

The biggest problem I have is the lack of professional autonomy.

Especially with the new contract it seems that everyone is telling us what to do, how to do it and how little we're going to get paid for it.

Look at Extemp Dispensing. One fatal error on the part of an inexperienced pre-reg under the poor supervison of one pharmacist and we are no longer deemed fit to make extepm products any more.

Imagine if the Shipman enquiry came up with "GPs can only write CD scripts if they are coun ter signed by another Dr". There is no way the BMA or the Drs themselves would put up with it.

I realise that we now live in a culture whereby no-one is allowed to elarn from a mistake, legislation has to be set down about it but I don't like the way we have all jsut accepted it.


:evil:

C Morris MRPharmS

[Pari]

it's the same here!

I used to think that no pharmacists have ours problems, we Iranian Pharmacists! but reading carefully the posts in trhis website made me quite realistic! thank Goodness! what a releife!
I was always worried about my permition in the pharmacy, about the money, about stablishing my own shop, etc.
one more worrying topic for me:
All the time I am thinking of "where are we-pharmacists- standing exactly?" May be I can discuss this with someone :wink:

[alex]

Seeing as the vast majority at the moment seem to be fairly unstaisfied, what sector are the people saying this working in? What aspects of the job are making you not like your job?

Is it not challenging enough? Is there a lack of respect from the GPs/the public? Is the job monotonous?

On face value, you are offered steady work, with good job security, and you get the chance to help people who genuinely appreciate your help; together with a wage which allows a comfortable level of living (thats why I chose to do it anyway )

My biggest fear for when i'm (hopefully) qualified in 18months time is that i really don't like being in the same place, staring at the same 4 walls day in day out every day. I found that in my 8 weeks at boots in the summer, hopefully i won't have that problem doing my pre-reg in hospital. ATM though, i'm optimistic and looking forward to learning more relevant things than i'm having to do now.

[admin]

Retail Pharmacy Poll

Alex

As you can see the poll as aimed at retail, so we are talking about retail pharmacy.

Is it not challenging enough? Is there a lack of respect from the GPs/the public? Is the job monotonous?

Yes all of the above.

On face value, you are offered steady work, with good job security, and you get the chance to help people who genuinely appreciate your help; together with a wage which allows a comfortable level of living (thats why I chose to do it anyway

Yes the work is steady, security is fairy good compared to other jobs. But the point is we all wanted a career didn't we? We wanted to be professionals and we don't feel like we are ( well I don't). I'm not sure who you mean when you say people really appreciate our help? The odd member of the public thanks you for your help, but most people get really angry if they have to wait just a few minutes.

staring at the same 4 walls day in day out every day

I have wroked in many pharmacies where the dispensary is about 7 foot by 12 foot. There is no tea-room and we take it in turns to sit on a stool while we grab a sandwich at lunchtime. I hate this feeling of "cabin fever" which is why I like to locum, and travel around a bit.

I think it's a trade off. You either go for the money (retail) with all the problems that entails, or try hospital where you earn a lot less. Having said that I know someone who left hospital to go back to retail, and I did the same myself.

Try reading the threat in "moans and groans" on lack of pharmacy staff. That may give you an insight into people's feelings.

[alex]

Re: Retail Pharmacy Poll

As you can see the poll as aimed at retail, so we are talking about retail pharmacy.

I was up extremely early this morning to take my girlfriend to the airport - sorry for the doziness :wink:

The kinds of people I was thinking of were the likes of young mums, and where I'd worked, whihc had a lot higher elderly population than the average, we had a lot of family members coming in asking for the pharmacist's advice or guidance on things they could do to help a relative they were looking after.

In that pharmacy though, the pharmacist was permanetly based there and had worked there for about 5-6 years, so all the people who came in were really familiar with her and had built up a trusting relationship with her.

When you became a locum, did you notice any difference in the relationship with your patients? I'd of thought that when you do locum, with the possibility of being in a different place every day, that it makes it a lot harder to build up a relationship with the patients where they have confidence and trust in you enough to use the pharmacist as the government intends.

It does seem like a tough juggling act to me at the minute; if i do opt for community eventually, I'd want to get to know the patients and staff well enough so that i feel i make a worthwhile contribution, on the other hand, as I said, i am prone to cabin fever and would hate being stuck in the same tiny space day in day out.

[admin]

Relationships

Alex

When you write: -

When you became a locum, did you notice any difference in the relationship with your patients? I'd of thought that when you do locum, with the possibility of being in a different place every day, that it makes it a lot harder to build up a relationship with the patients where they have confidence and trust in you enough to use the pharmacist as the government intends.

You still have the pharmacist/customer relationship, in other words the people that want help will ask, wether they know you or not. As for making long lasting relationships with the public, well been there, seen it, don't want to do it again.

[Linnear]

Pharmacist customer relationships? The more people I meet the more I like my cats! :twisted:

[admin]

Cats

Linnear

How true is that

I prefer my old Lucy and Louis to the public any time! At least they can only sctratch you!

[Zoggite]

I love my cats-and my job!

Alex-
Don't be put off by the likes of Linnear- some of us really do love our jobs.
I've been the manager of "my" seaside pharmacy for 5 years now, and I have a great time, great staff, great customers and great customer relations. I thought I'd get bored of doing the same thing day in, day out, but somehow no two days are ever the same,and the months just fly past. Mine is an intensely gratifying job, I can't begin to tell you how moved I am when I get "thank You" cards from patients, and not just at Xmas!
To this day I still have no idea what made me choose this line of work- I started off wanting a Maths degree!- but I can honestly say that I have never regretted my choice.
A pharmacy degree will open up so many opportunities for you, so just knuckle down, get registered, and then take your pick of careers!

[admin]

Job Satisfaction

Zoggite

I am really pleased for you, truly I am, as you are one of a very lucky few. Can I just ask you a few questions: -

1. Do you own the pharmacy you work in
2. How many items a day (average) do you do
3. How many methadone clients ?
4. Do you run a needle exchange scheme ?
5. How many physical encounters have you had - say in the last year
6. Are you a big guy - can you fight well etc ?
7. You honestly don't get bored of checking scripts - be honest now
8. Would you recommend pharmacy to one of your own children - be honest now - and I don't mean if they inherit your pharmacy
9. Where do you work

Thanks in advance. I'm sure we'd all appreciate your answers

[Linnear]

Zoggite I'm glad to hear you enjoy the job.

My old boss was the same he loved his shop and all the customers. I think that I miss out on the chance to form real relationships with customers as a locum but in my experience people these days are just more demanding and I'm too much of a mean spirited cynic to jump at their demands!

Good luck to you Zoggite, I hope the job remains a source of enjoyment for you.

[Zoggite]

why I love my job

1. No, I don't own my pharmacy(it's one of a Large multiple), never have done, and I don't want to, either. I willingly turned down an offer of a profit-related bonus as I believe there is often a conflict of interest between the healyh of the till-drawer and that of the patient...
2.average 200 items a day, peaks of 350/day, especially in the summer & before bank holidays when I open 7 days/week.
3. okay, I don't have any regular, local methadone patients throughout the year; I usually end up with about 6/day in the summer season, as they come on holiday to North Wales too!
4.No needle exchange, the scheme has collapsed in my area due to the "NIMBY"-attitude of the local population, so Hepatitis-C infection rates are set to rise again...
5.Not sure what you mean...lots of hugs from my staff, lots of handshakes from my patients, even the odd freebie haircut once!
I did get stabbed in the arm once when I was working in Brussels: I foolishly refused to hand out some rohypnol on demand, the script was a dreadful attempt at a forgery...
6.why do you assume I'm a bloke? I'm a 38-year-old woman, 5ft 8in, size 12 dress.
7.Honestly: no, I am not bored of checking scripts. It isn't a major part of my working day, maybe that's because I only have 200 items a day to check.
Dreaming up what to cook tonight and having to go food-shopping every week, now THAT's boring!
8.Without any hesitation I would recommend this job to my children. I myself didn't have any pharmacists in my family; I hope that I can infect as many people as possible with my enthousiasm and passion!
9.North Wales coast- why? would you like a new job? all things can be arranged!( nice subject for a TV programme-"Job-Swap"!)

[admin]

Job Swap

Thanks for the reply Zoggite

The idea of a job swap is a great one! Sorry I didn't mean to assume you are a guy. I have had two fights, been to court three times, and I am a woman too. I just wondered if its your area or you that stops trouble.

I guess working in a small town and in the inner cities is a lot different. I used to work at a needle ex scheme. We did over 400 scripts, had 40 methadone, 450 needle clients (average 40/day). In the pharmacies I work in, scripts just fly by your nose all day. If people are told they have to wait a lot of the time they get aggressive. I have tried to find a nice place to work, but haven't in over ten years yet.

Maybe it's the different area's of the country we live in. Everyone I know who is a pharmacist is trying to get some kind of an angle to get out of it. Be that via becoming an area manager or working for the PCTor something else.

So thanks a lot for your reply. It gives those thinking of studying pharmacy a different angle to look at it from, and for that we thank you.

I hope you remain happy in your job.

[Stratos]

Re: Do you like your job as a retail pharmacist

Pharmacist customer relationships? The more people I meet the more I like my cats! :twisted:

Totally agree!!!!