Being a pharmacist has to be one of the best jobs right now. The job market is constantly growing, especially in Florida (the retirement state); and is not just limited to one type of work, but a wide variety of positions. The work itself is really straight forward, and depending on where you work it will determine if you will have more or less responsibilities. Best of all is the income, and we are not just talking about a yearly salary, but three words: “sign on bonus”! Let me elaborate a little more…
This job is in demand!As the baby-boomer generation grows older more medicines are needed to help maintain good health, so naturally there is a need for pharmacist to provide that medication. Now you may not know this, but pharmacists are in more places than just a chain pharmacy like Walgreens or CVS. There are all types of pharmacies such as, retail, hospital and even independent ma & pop locations, not to mention if you are the entrepreneurial type you could start your own pharmacy!
So you might be asking yourself, just what does this job entail? Well, first let’s see just where you might fit in. If you are a people person and enjoy the satisfaction of helping someone, retail is the way to go. But maybe you are more of the intellectual type and enjoy compounding/preparing specialty cancer treatments or IV administered drugs; well a hospital is the place to be. Or if you prefer a lower stress environment where your loyal customers are your friends too, and people know your name, there is no better place to be then a ma & pop pharmacy.
Ok, now that you have an idea of where you might enjoy working let’s talk about what a pharmacist does. Basically, when it comes to drugs a pharmacist is like quality control, you are making sure what the doctor prescribes is safe for the patient and that there are no mistakes made on the prescription.In retail and ma & pop locations a pharmacist will also be something like technical support by providing answers to questions patients might have, and also providing important information about the medication, like “this medicine may cause drowsiness, and you cannot dive while taking it”. I mean, imagine if someone just popped a pill like that and drove off!
So, does this sound like a job for you? I’m sure that by now your wondering just how much money a pharmacist makes. On average expect to make at least $100,000+ a year or about $50+ an hour. Not bad right? But that is just the beginning. Overtime with chain pharmacies is one of the best ways to earn some serious extra cash! Most chains will give you an additional $20/hr for overtime, and that’s a great way to save up for a luxury cruise, house, or what ever you may want the extra cash for. Not to mention, generally (on the east cost) the more north the state the higher the sign-on bonus; we are talking as much as $30,000 per 5 year contract, and some pharmacies will even throw in a car!
Well, I hope I’ve shed some light on the mysteries of pharmacology and maybe even grabbed the interest of future pharmacist. Job security, enjoyable work environment, and a great income are just a few reasons why pharmacology is such a great field. If you want to learn more about becoming a pharmacist or if you’re just curious, I posed some good links below. Thanks for reading, and whatever your career choice I hope it’s a success!
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Engineering and Natural Sciences Manager
Professional Organizations of Pharmacology
American Pharmacists Association
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Pharmacology Graduate Programs In Florida
University of Florida - PhD
Florida A and M University – MS, PhD
Pharmacology Employment Opprotunites
Shands – Pharmacies, Pharmacy Residency
Medco Health Solutions (Search Pharmacist)
Three Popular Books On Or About Pharmacology
Pharmacology Demistified (Barnes & Noble)
Merc Manual (LINCCWeb)
The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (LINCCWeb)