A blog for all Pharmacists to discuss the daily challenges facing them in their pharmacy career search. This blog focuses on giving current information on the ever changing landscape of pharmacy and also providing insight into education, job search, salary, salary negotiation, interview, job preparation, career development and career satisfaction.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Polls Don't Lie or Maybe They Do?
Our most recent poll has just closed and the aim was to see what pharmacists or anyone in general thought about a possible pharmacist shortage. The reason we did it was because we have been accused of propagating a lie about there being a shortage of pharmacists, although we are not the ones who come up with the numbers, we get them from the federal government and the other pharmacy labor resources. I understand that in some micro areas in some states there is a glut of pharmacists fighting for jobs and in some areas there is a shortage of pharmacists. The question was based on the idea that nationally there is a shortage and we were not speaking about any specific area or metropolis. The numbers where overwhelmingly lopsided, 17%percent of those who answered said that there was a glut of pharmacist, 60% percent of those who answered the poll said there was a shortage and 20% said they were not sure if there was a glut or shortage of pharmacists. Am I missing something we are always getting attacked for saying there is a shortage! Could the federal government, pharmacy governing bodies and the media be wrong. Either way please post your answer here as to why you think there is a shortage or not and why. I would like those who do post to give a very specific answer as to what is going in their area or market with pharmacists and what they also think the national trend is. I am also going to reopen the poll. Remember this poll is not scientific.
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I think you are right there is a shortage nationwide and it is only getting worse.
ReplyDeleteHere in New Jersey there seems to be a little bit of glut since some hospitals have closed in past few years but even with that there is still quite a few jobs out there.
ReplyDeletehi it is nice article about shortage of pharmacist Canadian Pharmacy
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that there has been a shortage, but it is rapidly disappearing with all the new pharmacy school graduates, as well as the pipeline of foreign graduates. A glut is developing in some large metropolitan areas, although in areas more than 50 miles from pharmacy schools there is definitely still a problem in recruitment. It one wants to live in a large city or suburb it will be increasingly difficult to find work unless one can accept terrible hours or undesirable work environments. Pharmacy has alway been a relatively passive profession, and the direction of the field has been run by the chain stores and the schools of pharmacy, who are not always acting in the pharmacist's interest. My bet is a national glut in 4 years.
ReplyDeleteThe whole US health system is corrupted and there are enough medications available.. IMO its simply propaganda and mass hysteria. Why do you think people start buying their prescription drugs online at places like CheapOnMeds.com !?
ReplyDeleteAlmost any drug can be obtained online through reliable sources, if only the DEA would loosen up there wouldn't be any problems; the global pharmaceutical industry is booming harder than ever! ~ Teresita Tejada / FindRxOnline.com
Hello Readers,
ReplyDeleteIMHO the US health system is corrupted and there are enough medications available to supply each and every resident of within this world more than a single time. Below I explain my opinion; please do not reject my statements without reading the following:
The shortages seem to be simply propaganda which is causing mass hysteria of which this forum is a small contribution. Why do people start buying their prescription drugs online, at places like CheapOnMeds.com which provide complimentary consultations, or at phone consultation services where narcotics are prescribed to legit chronic pain patients!?
Over 99% of all people that buy prescription drugs online live in the USA. The reason? Doctors, specialists, and clinics, are expensive unaffordable for those of us without insurance, or on low income. This group simply has no way to pay for the fees being charged at pain clinics, to visit doctors for the only sake of monthly refills, and to submit to the expensive tests often ordered in order to establish 'proper medical records', not to mention the process doctors often make you go through before they are willing to provide ongoing pain management to legit and terminal patients.
I remember an episode of the Dave Chapelle show where he came up with an alternative solution to solve the current health care issue: "False Canadian ID cards for all Americans" :-D...
Free health care in the USA, as currently present in Canada, would in my opinion without doubt constitute a big improvement. There will no longer be people trying to buy their prescription drugs, eliminating also a large risk, and the older generation and single parents working 2 jobs do no longer have to chose between medication or the heater / air conditioner in an attempt to survive.
Almost any drug can be obtained online through sources that have proven reliable delivery in the past and 99.99% of the customers at these sources are North Americans. However, it remains illegal to import controlled substances without proper license, and even non-controlled substances may no longer be imported from outside the USA.
If DEA would loosen up there wouldn't be any problem with shortages; the global pharmaceutical industry is booming and there are enough medications manufactured to provide the current global population with multiple doses if needed!
The pharmaceutical business is not exactly the most honest market sector as billions are made each year and if people kill to cover a life insurance you can imagine what they would do for big sums of money that go around in this industry. Just something to think about and feel free to respond at my email, just Google me if you wish to get a contact email.
I wish everyone a healthy day!
The glut is already here!!
ReplyDeleteThe recruiter for the Rocky Mountain Poison Center tells me that (Aug 11, 2009) 6 months ago a posting for a pharmacist position would generate 3 to 4 applicants. Now he gets 20 to 30 applicants. One hospital position at a major Denver hospital generated 40 applicants, according to the hiring manager (if you’re still interviewing for a pharmacist job, and I’m sure many of you are, just ask how many applicants this year compared to last). Schools continue to open, and class sizes are continually increased. In metro Denver, the number of new grads has gone from 120 four years ago to 170 new students in the state school and 60 more at the new private school. That’s almost twice as many!
Schools generate revenue by making PharmDs. There is no incentive for schools to consider their students’ employment prospects. An east coast recruiter tells me that all major metropolitan areas are totally saturated for hospital pharmacists and he’s now placing only in rural Maine. A major chain with that has been opening 500 stores per year is done with that and enhancing services at their extant stores, which does not require additional pharmacists. There still is no viable model for covering expenses for Medication Therapy Management.
With this glut, qualification inflation has set in. A hospital in Denver posted for a pharmacist, accepting only applications for PharmDs and strongly preferring a residency. Many good, experienced RPhs will be locked out. As the engineered glut continues, the “clinical” pharmacists driving pharmacy education will get their wish to have all PharmDs complete residencies. But will residencies be available? And afterwards, will jobs be available? Many pharmacists have postponed retirement, having seen over ½ of their retirement wiped out by the stock market crash.
Approximately 30% of my class could not secure employment as of graduation (Informal survey—representative of class in terms of academic standing, work ethic, desire for immediate employment, internship experience, etc.
Good Luck to the classes beyond 2009.
hi...pharmacist is an important part of our lives.if any pharmacy forget yours duties what happened i think it is a great loss of humanity
ReplyDeleteit is a blessing online pharmacy cause every one not afford doctor dues
ReplyDelete