re: Pharmacy: This Is What Happens When You Oversaturate A Market

I'm a pharmacist in California, there are now 11 pharmacy schools here, new grads can't get work, some for more than a year, salaries are coming down, do not go to pharmacy school

Part of the problem is the upgrading of requirements for pharmacists.

They want to think they are damn doctors.

Used to be you could go to a junior college for two years, get your pre-reqs out of the way, then go to P-school for three years. Viola. Passed the boards and you are a pharmacist.

SOmwhere along the way that changed and they added much more schooling to it. It's almost as if they want you to take on more student debt.

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Yeah, I’m kinda surprised by these posts. The clinical pharmacists I have worked with make over 100k and will admit that they don’t make near as much as those at places likes Walgreens. The ones as Walgreens get big signing bonuses too.

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Here’s the deal. If you are willing to live anywhere, and I mean anywhere, a job can be had. I know a few that took 160-170k to manage a struggling walgreens or cvs in an undesirable location. Problem is, if they don’t turn the store around it will be shut down in a few months. Signing bonuses are a thing of the past.

Every 25-26 year old new grad pharmacist expects to make 100k+ and they want to go and live in a big shiny city or they don’t want to leave their hometown. I get students, they ask “what can I do to be more competitive?” I tell them be willing to move. I moved halfway across the country to find a job to get my foot in the door.

You have schools like William and Carey in MS, UT Tyler, Sullivan University In KY, popping up pharmacy schools because they know they will get unqualified candidates and will make a killing. Unfortunately there is no regulatory body that says the market is over saturated, we need to put a halt on new schools opening. Physical Therapy had this problem, but they fixed it. Will be interesting to see if these greedy arse schools cut back class sizes until the market corrects itself. The school I graduated from is really involved and after pushback from alumni, cut last years class size in half. Hoping others follow suit

I went to pharmacy school and law school. AMA

7 years ago when I sold cars for a couple of years, I sold to two pharmacists. They both made 125k a year at CVS.

One was a Jeep, the other a minivan.

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Anyway she is starting her third year and her major is chemical engineer now.

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Sounds to me like she realized that manufacturing is way more lucrative than dealing.

This is absolutely false.

Some of the absolute garbage I see RNs put in the system in home med recs would kill people if I didn’t fix it.

Anyway, retail pharmacy is garbage and the entire field is over saturated.

Steer any family away from pharmacy school. Not worth the opportunity cost or actual cost.

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job posting for a pharmacist position in AZ. Pay is listed as $20-30/hour.

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Uhh, I guess you can find whatever you want. Even the VA starts pharmacists In six-figures.

USjobs.com

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Any RN with a few years experience could perform the job a pharmacist at Walgreens or CVS.

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Most nurses are dumb as frick so no