any pharmacists?

Question

I'm a senior in high school and this may sound really cheesey but I want to do something that helps people, but I was wondering how much patient interaction there actually is in pharmacy. Also what kind of hours do pharmacists work? I want to have a life outside of work and a family so is being a pharmacist too much of a demanding career to have a life outside of work? I know in retail pharmacy you would see the patients but what about in hospital pharmacy? Is it a satisfying career? If youre a pharmacist do you really feel like you are helping people?

Answer 1

I'm not a pharmacist but I worked as a RN in hospitals for 20 years. Pharmacists in hospitals get absolutely no patient contact. They spend all of their day in the hospital pharmacy getting medications ready to send to the floors so that the nurses can give them to the patients.

From what I've seen in places like Walgreen's, is that every once and awhile a customer will ask a question of a pharmacist but they spend most of the time filling prescriptions.

I applaud you for wanting a career that is helpful to others and I think that you are very smart to realize that to have a satisfying family life you need to have a career that is not so damanding as to leave no time or energy for your family life.

I wish that I had realized that at your age. Both pharmacists and RNs in hospitals work very fast paced, demanding jobs. You also have to spend extra time, after work, taking workshops and courses to keep abreast of new information.

Pharmacists in retail pharmacies have first and second shift to cover. In hospitals, pharmacists work all three shifts. Also, in both retail and hospitals, weekend work is required.

As a RN, I found that working different shifts and weekends, was very detrimental to my private and my family life. What I have come to realise is that, if you can, the best type of job to have a satisfying family life is a job where you work straight days and have every w/e and holiday off. I would encourage you to investigate what types of careers offer those work hours.

I'm 64 y/o now and think that I helped a lot of people working in hospitals, but working different shifts and almost every holiday ruined my personal life.

Answer 2

Retail pharmacist work crappy hours: nights, weekends, holidays, etc. At times I feel I am helping people and on the rare occasion someone give me an honest "thank you for helping me". Too often now, you are made to feel little more then a glorified grocery sacker with constant questions like "how much longer is it going to take? Why is it going to take 20 minutes because all you have to do is count the pills and put them in a bottle?"

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_pharmacy

The more interaction with people the more you feel like helping somebody if that is what you are after then go for retail pharmacy. With pharmacists in demand right now you could control your schedule but be prepared for a battery of chemistry subjects in college, hope this info helps..

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I'm not a pharmacist, but I believe the information below, from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Outlook Handbook will give you a good idea of the working conditions and workload involved:

Significant Points

Very good employment opportunities are expected for pharmacists.

Earnings are high, but some pharmacists work long hours, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Pharmacists are becoming more involved in making decisions regarding drug therapy and in counseling patients.

A license is required; the prospective pharmacist must graduate from an accredited college of pharmacy and pass a State examination.

New opportunities are emerging for pharmacists in managed care organizations where they analyze trends and patterns in medication use, and in pharmacoeconomics—the cost and benefit analysis of different drug therapies. Opportunities also are emerging for pharmacists trained in research and disease management—the development of new methods for curing and controlling diseases. Pharmacists also are finding jobs in research and development and in sales and marketing for pharmaceutical manufacturing firms. New breakthroughs in biotechnology will increase the potential for drugs to treat diseases and expand the opportunities for pharmacists to conduct research and sell medications. In addition, pharmacists are finding employment opportunities in pharmacy informatics, which uses information technology to improve patient care.

Nature of the Work
Pharmacists distribute drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. They advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. Pharmacists also monitor the health and progress of patients in response to drug therapy to ensure the safe and effective use of medication. Pharmacists must understand the use, clinical effects, and composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties. Compounding—the actual mixing of ingredients to form powders, tablets, capsules, ointments, and solutions—is a small part of a pharmacist’s practice, because most medicines are produced by pharmaceutical companies in a standard dosage and drug delivery form. Most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail drugstore, or in a health care facility, such as a hospital, nursing home, mental health institution, or neighborhood health clinic.

Pharmacists in community and retail pharmacies counsel patients and answer questions about prescription drugs, including questions regarding possible side effects or interactions among various drugs. They provide information about over-the-counter drugs and make recommendations after talking with the patient. They also may give advice about the patient’s diet, exercise, or stress management or about durable medical equipment and home health care supplies. In addition, they also may complete third-party insurance forms and other paperwork. Those who own or manage community pharmacies may sell non-health-related merchandise, hire and supervise personnel, and oversee the general operation of the pharmacy. Some community pharmacists provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. Some community pharmacists also are trained to administer vaccinations.

Pharmacists in health care facilities dispense medications and advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. They may make sterile solutions to be administered intravenously. They also assess, plan, and monitor drug programs or regimens. Pharmacists counsel hospitalized patients on the use of drugs and on their use at home when the patients are discharged. Pharmacists also may evaluate drug-use patterns and outcomes for patients in hospitals or managed care organizations.

Pharmacists who work in home health care monitor drug therapy and prepare infusions—solutions that are injected into patients—and other medications for use in the home.

Some pharmacists specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such as intravenous nutrition support, oncology (cancer), nuclear pharmacy (used for chemotherapy), geriatric pharmacy, and psychopharmacotherapy (the treatment of mental disorders by means of drugs).

Most pharmacists keep confidential computerized records of patients’ drug therapies to prevent harmful drug interactions. Pharmacists are responsible for the accuracy of every prescription that is filled, but they often rely upon pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides to assist them in the dispensing process. Thus, the pharmacist may delegate prescription-filling and administrative tasks and supervise their completion. Pharmacists also frequently oversee pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for graduation and licensure.

Increasingly, pharmacists are pursuing nontraditional pharmacy work. Some are involved in research for pharmaceutical manufacturers, developing new drugs and therapies and testing their effects on people. Others work in marketing or sales, providing expertise to clients on a drug’s use, effectiveness, and possible side effects. Some pharmacists work for health insurance companies, developing pharmacy benefit packages and carrying out cost-benefit analyses on certain drugs. Other pharmacists work for the government, public health care services, the armed services, and pharmacy associations. Finally, some pharmacists are employed full time or part time as college faculty, teaching classes and performing research in a wide range of areas.

Working Conditions:

Pharmacists work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated areas. Many pharmacists spend most of their workday on their feet. When working with sterile or dangerous pharmaceutical products, pharmacists wear gloves and masks and work with other special protective equipment. Many community and hospital pharmacies are open for extended hours or around the clock, so pharmacists may work nights, weekends, and holidays. Consultant pharmacists may travel to nursing homes or other facilities to monitor patients’ drug therapy.

About 21 percent of pharmacists worked part time in 2004. Most full-time salaried pharmacists worked approximately 40 hours a week. Some, including many self-employed pharmacists, worked more than 50 hours a week.

Related Occupations

Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides also work in pharmacies. Persons in other professions who may work with pharmaceutical compounds include biological scientists, medical scientists, and chemists and materials scientists. Increasingly, pharmacists are involved in patient care and therapy

For information on pharmacy as a career, preprofessional and professional requirements, programs offered by colleges of pharmacy, and student financial aid, contact:


American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 1426 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Internet: http://www.aacp.org

General information on careers in pharmacy is available from:


American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 7272 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814. Internet: http://www.ashp.org


National Association of Chain Drug Stores, 413 N. Lee St., P.O. Box 1417-D49, Alexandria, VA 22313-1480. Internet: http://www.nacds.org


Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 North Pitt St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314. Internet: http://www.amcp.org


American Pharmacists Association, 2215 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20037-2985. Internet: http://www.aphanet.org