Are You Applying For Pharmacy Next Year

[peemzy]

hie

i just thougt it would be a good idea to talk to some pple who are currently filling out application forms to get into pharmacy next year. i have personally just sent off my application to ucas and have received the welcome letter.

i am very excited. i am in my final year and i am currently studying pharmacology. FINGERS CROSSED I WILL GET IN.

[admin]

hie

i just thougt it would be a good idea to talk to some pple who are currently filling out application forms to get into pharmacy next year. i have personally just sent off my application to ucas and have received the welcome letter.

i am very excited. i am in my final year and i am currently studying pharmacology. FINGERS CROSSED I WILL GET IN.

Are you going to do a degree in pharmacy after a degree in pharmacology? If so why? Why not do a PhD instead and go into industrial research?

I'm not being funny here, but if you read the views of a lot of people on here they aren't exactly happy being a pharmacist. It takes 5 years to qualify - why don't you do medicine if you want to work with people?

[peemzy]

i dont know why i want to do pharmacy but i think it has something to do with flexibility and also tha money. i am not a research kind of person so idont want to do a PHD. doing pharmacology is doing my head in as it is. i think the reasons why pple dont want to do pharmacy are the very reasons i want to do it. they say its boring, i like that. counting pills all day is a piece of cake.

i dont know but i kind of feel it feels right for me.

peemzy

[confused.com]

Thats what i used to think as well that it was a nice easy stress free job. But how wrong i was. I wish i had researched more properly as to exactly what the profession was. I didnt even no you had to sit a pre-reg exam!! to practice and i had never heard of the pharma soc or that you could be struck off. I was so naive i just listend to the careers advisor and took his advice.

[peemzy]

confused, can you go into a bit more detail why you dont like your job. i mean i know it is monotonous but i dont mind that. are there any downsides to it that you have just found out. what do you have to do to be struck off.
how is the money . please reply

[confused.com]

Hi im a 4th year student from bradford doing the sandwich course and i have just completed my 1st placement in community with a multiple in my third year. I have so far enjoyed my course at university i even enjoyd studing the chemistry, microbiology,and modules like product technology and dosage design and form. But during my placement it just really angerd me that not once i had to apply my knowldge practically from these modules what i learnt and indeed from most of the other modules. The only thing that came in handy was the pharmacy legal aspect. I didnt even get to counsel any patients like they tell you to do at uni (and we had to take a counselling exam as part of the pharmacy modules) if you try they just look at you like your wasting their time. Most of my time was spent 1stly putting the delivery away on shelves (including bloody nappies), then sorting out the delivery collection, getting the repeat medication scripts doing them, doing labels and sticking them on boxes, doing nomads. Oh and the only extemp i got was making rose water for some old person. I even had to work out the gross % profits every week and reducing stock by 50%. Going on the resedential course the company was just trying to make you into managers i even had to do a presentation on planograms!!! It just really annoys me that my parents are forking out my tuition fees for 5 years on useless modules. I dont know ive just become disllusioned with the whole thing. I should have just done a business degree an worked with company on planograms and increasing there profits. FOR ME ive realised pharmacy isnt what i used to think. But if YOU KNOW EXACTLY what the profession entails and that is what you want then you should carry on with applying for it.

[confused.com]

Im not exactly sure but i think the starting salary if you work for a company is 30,000 starting salary from what ive heard the maximum that it will go up to is 40,000 again not sure. I hear that you get more if you locum. As for being struck off you would have to done some error which results in harm to the patients, even if the dr wrote the wrong dose its your responsibilty to check it(this is what i didnt know when i applied for pharmacy i had always thought the dr would be responsible). hope it helps.

[N.T]

OK so you say you can put up with the monotony of the job. But can you also put up with:
1. The rude f*ckwits of patients who want everything done now. Even when it's not legally possible and it's not your fault.
2. The rude f*ckwits of patients who don't believe anything you say even when you have 5+ years of drug knowledge versus their 0.
3. The managers. Endless needless targets, which distracts from your core job of (1) and (2). Also, having to talk in 'manager speak' when they're around.
4. Doctors (rude) who don't like it when you tell them how to prescribe.
5. Doctors (rude) who prescribe wrongly thus resulting in situation (1) and (2) when you can't contact then doctor.
6. Did I mention everyone's rude?

The only people I recommend to become pharmacists are dispensers/counter assistants who can either work for £5.50 an hour all their life or do pretty much the same job and work for £18+ an hour all their life.

See thread 'Careers in Pharmacy' under General PHarmacy Topics for more info.

That's my tupenneth worth. Just think carefully about it. Get some work experience done in your local community pharmacy.

[peemzy]

guys guys guys, surely it cant be that bad. honestly speaking i ma wondering why you folk are not changing your proffessions if its that bad. ohh let me guess is it the money. well i guess one has to be one to understand the basics of the job because up till now i still feel the same way about doing it, never mind i am doing a degree in pharmacology.

confused, i am at bradford as well . and i have just received a conditional offer today from bradford and from kinston university. i think i will love being a pharmacist because i am a christian and i have learned to love all people regardless of their bad behaviors.

well is there still anyone who can convience me otherwise.

[peemzy]

confused , were you getting paid on your placement. if so how much.

[confused.com]

hey i got 7,500 for six months alot of it went on tax and my accomodation well if u really wana do pharmacy well then go for it. You really might enjoy it more than i am

[Jeff]

OK kids - I've spent the last 25 years as a pharmacist in and around Bradford.

Most of the time I enjoy it.

Planograms are tools - they are useful because they take most of the shop stock decisions away from you - the best leave some room for manouver.
Think of them as help from people who are working for you.
Same for the SOP's - can you imagine having to turn out that lot unaided!!

If you want to talk to patients - then be selective about where you choose to work - not all pharmacies are the same.

The change in contract means that quieter pharmacies can become more profitable because they have the time to do MURs - and MURs are a great way for a new pharmacist to introduce themselves to the customers - and treat them as a learning opportunity - patients will mention diseases you know nothing about - look them up (Prodigy PILs are a useful starting point
http://www.prodigy.nhs.uk/patient_information/pils )

The move to ETP means that the opportunity exists for patients to collect their scripts from the pharmacy that is most convenient for them ( i.e. where they live or work rather than from the one nearest the GP surgery)

If your only contact with the GP is to tell them that they have done something wrong - of course they wont be pleased to hear from you.

Talk to patients ad talk to GPs when you have concerns about patients especially if it has nothing to do with their prescription.

It's not "urgent" so you don't want to speak to a doctor at once, but it is confidential so you cant tell the receptionist, and ask the doctor to phone you at their convenience because you have some concerns about Mr XX.

Bradford is lucky it has PACE meetings that are multi-disciplinary. So if you attend you can meet the doctors, nurses, practice managers etc. when they are not working.
http://www.learnonline.nhs.uk/PACE/

The addiction units in Bradford are pleased to meet the local pharmacists and show them round. I've even the e-mail addresses of a couple of the addiction unit docs so that I can voice my concerns without interrupting anything.

John Bolloten at needle exchange offers regular training sessions that might be a bit of an eye opener.

Signposting is increasingly important - it's for the stuff we are not trained to deal with, and again Bradford takes care of most of it for you - and it's a real feelgood factor.
http://www.divabradford.org.uk/

For community pharmacy networking is important and it takes time to build up a network.

If you don't look further than the prescription then I can understand your frustration.

Jeff

[admin]

Hi Kids

One of the best jobs I had was when I set up and ran a new needle exchange scheme. The other store owners were obviously concerned about the scheme, but meeting and reassuring them did the trick.

Through that scheme I met loads of people. I used to attend a "methadone prescribers group" on a regular basis, that had anyone and everyone that dealt with drug users going to it. It was a great way to meet all the GP's, nurses, councillers, drug workers etc.

I then invited some of the people I met there to come and see our system. Most were really impressed with our set up. I had made a lot of contacts by this time, and was getting leaflets/posters etc about everything to do with drug abuse, it's problems, safe practices etc etc etc

One scheme based in my town used to run a needle ex in a flat on the estate I worked on. When they saw how committed I was to it they happily closed it down.

If you find a job like that, with a subject that you find interesting, then it can be rewarding. I had a great relationship with all the local GP's etc. That meant they always took my calls, as I sometimes used to ring them to let them know if they were wasting their budget, or voice my concerns about a client. Like Jeff points out, if the only time they hear from you is if you are moaning about something, they will be funny with you.

The reason I left that job was for one thing security - I was always being threatened by people, and even had a couple of little scraps. I had a security guard, but as he was good at his job he just kept getting called away to other shops. That left me to deal with shop lifters etc on my own, in a very rough part of town.

Secondy, the company then decided they would not send me on any courses, but they would a guy who was an ex bouncer (my security guard). So the scheme is now run by this guy, and I was basically pushed out back into the dispensary to just check scripts again. That was after about 18 months of hard work, getting it from zero to over 500 clients.

Another company is now trying to recruit me to work in a job share in a store that has over 150 addicts a day. It's a "name your price" kind of deal, but the store is open until 10pm every night, and until 8pm Sundays. Although I'd quite like to do the actual job, I just don't want the hours they are offering. Its also a 44 hour week, which again I don't want.

If you take a regular shop on as a locum, or manager etc, then go and introduce yourself to the local GP practices. If they are funny with you for doing that, then they are probably rude to everyone. Most seem to be quite glad when you do that, and it's a face they can put the voice to, if you have to ring up. For example I once had someone prescribed massive doses of tramadol, so I phoned the GP - I knew him already from the methadone group. I just said "hello" and when he heard it was me he laughed and said "I was expecting your call. I know, I thought the same thing, but the patient has MS and the consultant assures me you can take that dose". I knew him so well I didn't even have to ask the question!

Remember, most GP's probably started out wanting to be a consultant (wouldn't every Dr ?) and so are probably just as fed up with their job as you are with yours.

I personally never say "sorry to bother you" - I am doing my job, and I never apologise for something that is not my fault. If you act submissive, people will treat you like a doormat.

[BeesKnees]

Reading the first page of this thread made me feel rather depressed- suppose i'll have to toughen up if i'm going to learn to deal with those "rude f*ckwits". Great recovery by Jeff and admin though. Made me feel a little less worried.

I personally never say "sorry to bother you" - I am doing my job, and I never apologise for something that is not my fault. If you act submissive, people will treat you like a doormat.

Really good advice - politeness is so often confused with weakness so probably best to get to the point.

[The Drug Man]

Reply

Hey all

I have read all the posts on here and while it would make me think twice about starting a career in pharmacy i think that some of them are over exagerating. I myself have worked very hard and cant wait to become a pharmacist in a few years time. I know pharmacy is changing a lot at the moment and there are bad parts to it but i know (having spent a lot of tim researching other possibilities) that i would love to be a pharmacist

I hope there are more people out there who actually enjoy their job. But i want to thank all the people who have expressed their opinions.