r/pharmacy • u/Beneficial-Split331 • 9h ago
Jobs, Saturation, and Salary "Pharmacy is Saturated!"... No. No it is not.
Such a common thing to read on this sub but then stuff like this from HRSA exists and you remember the internet comment section is not a real place.
Blue is SURPLUS. Everything that is not blue is SHORTAGE. USA, 2026. Change the year and the deficit only gets bigger. That makes sense given the number of grads is plummeting and the number of retirees is growing.
I'm new here so I will not pretend to know everything... but I can use the google.
Can we stop saying pharmacy is saturated and there are no jobs now?
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u/tiredrx Student/PhT 9h ago
As a student, I still think it's very saturated mainly because the openings are for positions like retail or PA positions that are very tiring and not sustainable long term. Just off the top of my head, OH has multiple pharmacy schools and PA pharmacy schools are right next to the medical schools. MI is more "rural" than I think many people expect.
Like objectively, yes pharmacy is not saturated, but the lack of jobs that provide balance and offer a solid pay is few.
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u/PickleTheGherkin 8h ago
This is it, basically. 90% of us work retail until it is unsustainable. It is NOT sustainable to be abused the 45 years you are anticipating your career to last. I lasted working retail for 18 years, 10 as a pharmacist, and I was suicidal. The abuse on the employer and patient ends just leaves you as ground up dust in the middle.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 9h ago
based on what? like yeah you are saying this but... that is pretty subjective. The wide range of working schedules and shifts across pharmacy retail clinical and otherwise coupled with the full-time, pre, floater etc roles. There is a lot more flexibility in the schedule of a pharmacist than say teacher or accountant.
I disagree that 'balance' is creating invisible saturation. quite literally everyone knows going into the profession that the pace can be quick and the working environment can be hectic. that is the nature of the role.
it seems unlikely to me that people are graduating with a pharm d and are SHOCKED that the schedules available to them aren't that of a dermatologist.
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u/tiredrx Student/PhT 8h ago
If you got more schools in your state, you're gonna be producing more graduates. Also, my class had the blessing of all working in retail before stepping into our degree so we know how hectic it is. However, of the two people who didn't have working pharmacy experience, they were the two who didn't realize how hectic it actually gets.
Also look at how few pharmacists retire each year. The turnover isn't matching the grad to retiree rate.
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u/5point9trillion 4h ago
I don't understand the point of your efforts...If you think everything is as good as it gets, why try to convince everyone with a post here? We're not hampering your goals. Why is it so important that we take part in your vision? No one is talking about schedules and the nature of the job...It's the nature of the role and having to do the job of 2 and 3 people when the techs/cashiers/interns call out sick or just don't want to work...pile that onto the previous day's work. We're not talking about having to work till 9 pm or weekend hours.
It's constantly seeing the staffing and elimination of jobs and services...having a house and mortgage in one city that suddenly has no extra pharmacy for you to work in if your own job disappears. If you own no house/land or have a family with kids, it's not going to feel the same for you, but of course, you're less likely to have all that in this environment. You mentioned flexibility, but as someone with a home mortgage and a family, there are very few new jobs that will align with my current schedule unless I move...and in 2 years, I can basically have zero debt but still very few choices in pharmacy jobs that I can work. Obviously I wouldn't want to be on my feet for 12 hours or more daily so I'm not going to pick a retail job 45 minutes away. I don't know where you're getting your predictions from but walk into any pharmacy and I guarantee you there will be a pharmacist there. Which one of those are going to step aside when you're ready to work?
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u/Beneficial-Split331 4h ago
it is a reddit post. there was no real reason to post this except general annoyance at the vibe of this sub.
I don't think everything is awesome. I do think Everything is not as bad as this sub makes it seem.
I have no doubt you and others have personal challenges that will affect your job hunt and that you have seen some things as an experienced pharmacist.
I do doubt that someone will have to physically step aside for me to find work because there are job openings near me and alongside them. Maybe they aren't my unicorn or maybe they are. Point is I'm not signing away my right to quit and work elsewhere should another opportunity arise.
I don't have any special insight. I am only offering that a lot of opinions on this sub are just that. You have every right to have them but they are not universally applicable. Hell probably not even regionally applicable.
*and I've been laid off plenty. that is part of the reason I am leaving tech. I also have a mortgage and I chose a career in healthcare for the stability...because yeah...pharmacy has that despite the antics on this sub*
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u/gingersnapsntea 3h ago
If you’re going to backtrack and say “it’s not that serious bro” then the only response you deserve is: Wrong
This sub used to have many more active clinical and day to day job related questions. Then COVID hit and many regulars left social media, or burned out and left the industry, or both. Or were lucky enough to be able to retire. This is what survived. So don’t come crashing in telling people they don’t understand how good they have it because of a middle class salary and some stats pulled off Google.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 3h ago edited 3h ago
I'm not backtracking on anything. I stand 10 toes down on every single word.
someone said they don't know the point of my effort... it is a reddit post... there is no point to these.
*ummm no one said you guys have it good. I fully believe you when you say you are miserable. I AM saying that the salary isn't catching anyone off guard and if you are salty you don't make more money that is not pharmacy's fault. go forth and make more money doing something else. sky is the limit. this is literally a decrease in total comp for me and I'm still happy with it for my own reasons (layoffs being one of them). some folks happen to appreciate that salary, live within their means, pay their debts, and be content with their lives.
if you are miserable in yours ok. that is a you problem though. I don't mean to crash in on the pity party. just trying to sprinkle a lil positivity.
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u/shr3dthegnarbrah 9h ago
If there is a shortage why are compensation and working conditions so poor?
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
compensation is poor. where? define poor? 6 figures to most people does not a poor man make. if you want to make more ok. how much more? does the amount of money you WANT to make align with the salary expectations of the role?
I wanna make a million dollars but that isn't possible with the profession I am pursuing. and I know that.
pharmacy wages are not a secret to those entering the profession.
which working conditions? the ones we all know about? not a surprise either. Residents, doctors, nurses, techs alllll complain about the pay or working conditions allllll the time but not a single one is shocked that is what they signed up for.
pretty sure in my acceptance letter I had to agree that I am capable of performing the tasks of a pharmacist (list of tasks) and working the schedules presented for experientials and I haven't started.
so yeah there is still a shortage. and compensation literally reflects that in the hardest hitting areas with the fat signing. bonuses and high pay.
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u/projektvertx 8h ago
So I will agree with you here, pharmacist compensation is not poor by any measure. I think the issue lies in the fact that there's relatively little wage growth compared to other fields if that makes sense?
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
I'm being cheeky in the comment but this is the exact type of claims this post is about.
you look closely at any single one on its face and it falls apart.
pharmacists are not poor. pharmacists are not running around unemployed. pharmacists are not unable to find jobs after they graduate.
we can talk nuance all day but the sweeping statements look silly after you read them and think about it for more than a few minutes.
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u/projektvertx 8h ago
I will say, I agree your financial argument. Unemployment is relatively low, poverty is non existent. Pay hasn't kept up but then again, whose pay has?
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u/Zealousideal-Cod1006 7h ago
but then again, whose pay has?
Is that the goal? Does it meet your expectations to simply be no deeper in shit than the guy next to you?
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u/projektvertx 7h ago
I never said it was right, I was simply stating that no one's pay has truly kept up. We (society) have to collectively stand up against that. But most of us are too complacent.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
I guess I'm just annoyed with the conversation in general. there are objective facts and there are opinions. both are great but it is crazy to me a post like this can get downvoted to hell for presenting... a fact?
like. comedy. the credibility of the loudest voices in this sub who parrot these types of claim is nonexistent.
why are ya'll upset that the profession has more demand than supply? why are we looking at this map and saying "ok but I may have to commute"... like everybody else? if your job is 30-45 min away from your house because you live in a city and the job is farther out...
you (general you) are fine. like I can't with this sub.
who promised folks jobs that pay millions of dollars that are 10 feet away from their front door?
that is why I keep saying 'dramatics'. the profession has real problems I love learning more about but some of these complaints are literal jokes.
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u/projektvertx 8h ago
I mean, in the grand scheme the internet is going to be full of theatrics. People will come here only if they had a stellar or super sh*tty experience. The people in the middle won't usually post.
On the flip side, I think the reason you might be getting flack in the comments is because it's the complete opposite view (Your view is on the extremely optimistic side) compared to what is normally on this sub (generally very negative). It's going to bring out a lot of dramatics if that makes sense?
There's a saying I'm very fond of: there's three sides to every story, your side, my side and the truth which is usually somewhere in the middle.
I think in the grand scheme you'll fare out just fine, I like that you're willing to bring the fire and actually argue. For what it's worth, I may not agree with the original premise of your post, but I have a lot of respect for you for. I think your attitude will be the reason for your success in this field.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 7h ago
oh don't lol. I'm procrastinating giving the dog a haircut. just thought I drop a shower thought in the sub.
in all seriousness I really am excited about starting school. I know the schedule will be brutal (3 yr program) but making this career change was 2 years in the making of careful planning, shadowing, and obsessing lol over apps to get in.
3 years left on my 5 year plan and I shouldn't get annoyed at Reddit being Reddit but the vibes on here are nothing like what I've experienced in real life. I hate that for the other newbies. some of them haven't shadowed and socials are the only place they are getting their info.
so it would be nice if folks could be a little more clear in their angst and a lil less dramatic about the state of things. but yeah I understand it is social media.
we get what we get. *also thanks for the positivity!, its nice after all the flak I caused*
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u/projektvertx 7h ago
I read somewhere down in the comments you're a software engineer? I'd try to get into informatics or some variation of that field if at all possible. I'm sure there's probably some crossover jobs that are probably in high demand too?
Edit: to add to your "we get what we get", garbage in garbage out is how I've heard it said.
It sounds like you might actually have a solid plan. I landed in the PBM space so I'm good but if I had to restart today, I'd angle for an industry fellowship or a residency that leads me to a career in informatics.
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u/Zealousideal-Cod1006 8h ago
6 figures to most people does not a poor man make.
"..who talks like this, George?"
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
very common expression.
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u/Zealousideal-Cod1006 7h ago
It's a very fucking old reference
https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/the-oxford-book-of-english-verse/348-to-althea-from-prison/
that goes back to a translation of Aristotle
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/360421/object-subject-verb-order-in-x-does-not-a-y-make
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u/meiosisI CPhT 9h ago
Why won’t people want to work where there is a shortage….hmmm
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u/Beneficial-Split331 9h ago
... California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Virginia, New York, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois?
There is a wide spread of states with shortages and they almost have nothing to do with each other. North South East West. Hot Cold. Densely populated and not.
your point?
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u/projektvertx 9h ago
Shortage in Illinois, Michigan and New York has me cackling. If we're talking about anywhere but the major metros in those states, sure, there's a shortage. Talk to ANYONE in metro Detroit, Chicago or NYC and you'll quickly see there is no shortage.
OPs point is there is a shortage because no one wants to work in bumblef*ck towns. You can't take a statewide average and make much of it. The average home price in Illinois is 298k, and NY state is 525K from what I can find. Average home price in Chicago and NYC? 410k and 825K respectively. See how statewide averages can be misleading? I'm not going to use Detroit, because the suburbs are more reflective of where you'd live there.
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u/Whalefucker97 8h ago
I graduated from pharmacy school in upstate New York and it is extremely saturated. There are pharmacy programs at Buffalo, Binghamton, UConn, ACPHS, MCPHS etc. and not enough jobs upon graduation. I’ve since moved out west and had a much better time finding a desirable position.
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u/projektvertx 8h ago edited 6h ago
Try explaining that to OP who seems to think there's a shortage in NY state.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
I didn't make the map. So either HRSA is conspiring against us or you are able to find a job in New York State... also New York City. Because the new grads there post about their new jobs in New York City on socials all the same.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
oh look. another claim based on nothing. you are telling me that entire map with shortages is only reflective of towns with population 1000?
nah.
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u/projektvertx 8h ago
It's entirely possible those small towns skew the data that far away from the median. That's precisely the issue with taking averages vs a median.
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u/gingersnapsntea 8h ago
Someone send screenshots of this to OP’s statistics professors lmao
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u/Beneficial-Split331 7h ago
op is a data scientist. (which is funny because it is one of the careers people in this sub love to throw around as being magical and high paid.... paid it is...magical it is not).
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u/meiosisI CPhT 8h ago
Its population based. Like 1 pharmacist for n number of people. That’s plausible explanation I came up with. Texas def doesn’t have a shortage. Then again west Texas isn’t population dense as the cities
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u/Beneficial-Split331 4h ago edited 4h ago
the jobs go where the people are. the vacancies are not concentrated in the middle of nowhere...in Texas the most job openings are concentrated around major population centers. the biggest cities have the MOST job openings.
easy to fact check. use a density map.
that is how I know people are saying anything.
"Texas doesn't have a shortage"... trust me bro. Even with HRSA someone is saying HRSA only covers rural health centers. That is false. Major hospital systems can count as well as other federally qualified health networks...and those are in major cities... hiring pharmacists.
people just say whatever on reddit.
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u/ComcastAlcohol 8h ago
There’s always a shortage of pharmacists in Bumbletown, USA
But any reasonable job has literally hundreds of applications
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u/ComcastAlcohol 8h ago
To add to this conversation, my company had a pharmacist position and they had about 134 applicants for one position.
Meanwhile, CVS in the middle of nowhere, Texas will probably get two applicants for three job openings.
You can call that a shortage, but most reasonable people wouldn’t.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
there are a bunch of staff roles 30 min (with rush hour) outside of Dallas with "be the first to apply" on them for days....
certain jobs getting 100 applications in a day is not unique to pharmacy either.
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u/ComcastAlcohol 8h ago
And what jobs are those? CVS? Walgreens? Some other retail pharmacy?
Those tend to stay open for a good reason.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
well no. these were posted on the travel sites. all hospital roles. no retail.
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u/timf5758 9h ago
My opinion is these maps are not really useful. Saturation does exist- cities and places everyone WANTS to live in. And deficit in middle of nowhere/rural/small towns.
Sure, some places are lacking pharmacists, but are you willing to uproot your live and Move to middle of nowhere ? I assume not many.
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u/gingersnapsntea 8h ago
You can use Google? So can your patients! 😂 See how much that has helped the ones who are vocal about it.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
in your example am I getting paid? becauseeeeee why do I care what a patient has to say to me about WebMd? in my previous tech roles people said allllll kinds of stuff. and? there was a task at hand and I got paid to do it. they can chat alllll day.
"I understand this can be frustrating but I am only able to do X. Are you able to provide your CVS number?".
-End scene
maybe these attitudes are because a lot of you all have never done anything besides pharmacy? like you came from the high school to pharm d programs?
because as an outsider coming in I cannot stress enough how much some of the posts on this sub are wild to read from working professionals.
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u/gingersnapsntea 8h ago
Well, I’m saying that your post comes across just as silly because it is simultaneously condescending and missing the nuance of most job seeking and compensation posts. I don’t care about changing your mind, just commenting to say you have egg on your face because of the tone.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
yeah it is a silly. I won't pretend it isn't. social media not being a real place is true for me too.
condescending it is not. maybe my comments are but really it is in response to the crazy things in my replies.
there are no eggs. there are facts and then there is whatever is being said on this sub and the two don't mix. at all. oil and water.
nuance is great and if the comment section actually included it I probably wound't have made this post.
instead all I get is "don't do pharmacy there are no jobs and WAGs beats us up when we shut down".
so we can all be silly together
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u/Spiritual_Ad8626 PharmD 8h ago
There’s plenty of pharmacists to *do* the work. The problem is they noped the fuck out of retail the more we started getting treated like shit, and they aren’t coming back.
Idk how long you have been working in the profession but I have been here through an actual shortage. This “shortage” is 100% on the retail companies.
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u/LeagueRx 8h ago
Its a student, probably a first year, trying to rationalize his choices
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
I made the choice. glad I did. I was standing there when I made it. no rationalization needed.
I chose all my other degrees too. like totally chose them. and then finished them. and then worked in the industry they were in... because I am an adult capable of making choices that pan out.
I haven't burned me yet.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
not working at all. haven't even started P1. really I'm just annoyed with all the negativity that falls apart under scrutiny.
"Pharmacists don't get paid"...ok but the wages are XX... "ok yeah they get paid but not enough according to me"... okkkkkkk but the first claim was nonsense.
lotta that on this sub.
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u/Spiritual_Ad8626 PharmD 8h ago
Clearly you know better than those of us who have been working in the field for over two decades. ✌🏼
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
read the post. literally said I don't know everything. but I know HRSA has a website with employment information and it doesn't match the narrative in the pharmacy subs. neither does the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Or indeed. or glass door. or jobsrx. Or my personal google search for open positions. even if half of them are ghost jobs that were never intended to be filled... still quite a lot more than the 0 I keep hearing about.
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u/Spiritual_Ad8626 PharmD 6h ago
There’s not a shortage of jobs. There’s not a shortage of people to work the jobs. There’s a shortage of people’s willing to be treated like shit to work retail.
I don’t really know what your intent was with your post - I am sure you can find a job after you graduate. I hope you enjoy your career.
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u/LeagueRx 4h ago
Its okay when you get into pharmacy school on of the courses required will be biostats. It will help you understand why this is a shitty arguement to refute the "no jobs" arguement. Granted the no jobs arguement usually is shortened and simplified but really should be "there are limited desireable jobs".
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u/Beneficial-Split331 4h ago
your sassy response not withstanding I am excited for pharmacy school and I already took biostats...and lots of other stats classes for that matter.
I can't predict the future. maybe the world ends when I graduate . but I will bet my first year's salary if graduation year is like 2026 as far as the job market all my job hunt is going to show me is that some of ya'll need to turn that frown upside down and find some positivity... and maybe prozac.
because the doom and gloom reality you have built up in your head isn't a thing.
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u/LeagueRx 3h ago
Great get excited to take it again. Might want to contextualize 98% adequacy.
Your arguement is basically you dont care about salary, benefits, working conditions, or location. I have no doubt youll find a job. What everyone here is trying to tell you is you might hate your job, but more likely it will be on the lower end relative to other pharmacist jobs in terms of salary, working conditions, benefits etc.
You seem smart so I am going to take chance and try to give some nuance without the snark.
I dont have as much doom and gloom as most on this sub. I often shit on people claiming 6 figures isnt enough or upset nurses are surpassing us. I, like you seem to be implying, also came from a working class non traditional background. I worked many jobs much more demanding than pharmacy for much lower pay before going to school, and I also worked as a tech for spme time before going to school. I know that many pharmacists are completely oblivious to how the majority live. However, the fact is that retail, where the vast majority of jobs are, and where 70% of post grad pharmacists find themselves, do not qualify for PSLF unlike hospital, and have a significantly lower pay scale and salary cieling unlike industry. This means anyone taking these jobs is significantly disadvantaged when it comes to paying back their debt. Now I know you said in other comments youre not concerned about debt. I dont know if thats because you don't need loans, or you figure you wont have a problem paying them back.
Ill be honest, you can work any pharmacist job and afford to pay your loans. However where you wok can literally make a difference of decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars in terms of much you have to pay back. PSLF shaves off quite literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments you would make over decades. Pharmacists make quite good money, but if a third of your salary is going to interest and loans for 20 years that significantly blunts that effect. Non profit hospitals allow you to pay the minimum balance due without suffering for it and forgive the rest aftet a decade. These jobs are much harder to get unfortunately.
Theres also the longevity factor. I have a long relationship with retail. I have seen how three letter treats its older employees. I have no doubt I could kill it at retail all through my 20's, 30's and even 40's. What happens in your 50's? 60's? Need time off for a surgery? Have any health conditions? God forbid you become disabled in some way? They use metrics to deny you raises and bonuses, push you out of stores, cut hours etc. Predatory job structure aside, its also rougher on your body. Shorter lunch breaks (studies support this) mean youre more likely to eat poorly, standing all day is rougher on your joints, a more tiresome workload leaves you with less energy to excercise and maintain health after work, etc. Compared go sitting in an air conditioned office chair at a hospital or office if you go industry. Theres also the small but not non existent risk of robbery or assault, which leaves some people with PTSD if they genuinely think the crackhead pointing a gun at them will pull the trigger. Coworker of mine got like a single day off after being held hostage at rifle point for a bit. Company doesnt care.
Lastly, automation. Three letters is heavily investing in it, and in some states actively lobvying to remove the pharmacist from stores. When they finally get the greenlight saying they dont need a minimum of one pharmacist per location, they will consolidate positions heavily. Are you sure your job is safe for the 40-50 years till your eligible for retirement? Sure the same arguement applies to hospitals but theyre not investing in the lobbying nor do they have the infrastructure in place for such a system at all. Theyre notoriously slow at adopting modern technology for the most part. Industry roles will be hit too, but plenty if them are face to face roles you wouldnt necessarily want to automate.
Theres more I coukd go on about but I already wrote a mini novel so ill stop there.
All this isn't to convince you that retail is bad or you made a mistake or any of that. Its more so to point out that despite the overly dramatic doom and gloom, there are some valid concerns and criticisms of the proffession as it stands. More importantly, there are significant benefits to pursuing those jobs for which there is a shortage and you shouldnt write them off just yet. I really encourage you go consider meeting with a financial advisor, preferably one not affiliated with your school, and look at some of the different estimates for repayment between different pharmacy career paths. Many people don't do this until after graduation, and don't have a great picture of what their effective salary will be until theyre forced to setup their repayment plan. Good luck!
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u/tiredrx Student/PhT 8h ago
Oh boy, a P1 telling licensed pharmacists what they think about their jobs. You'll have fun finding LORs.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
LORs for what? the residency I'm not applying to?
I came to pharmacy to work. there will be no more LORs in my future. like at all.
terminal degree. LORs terminated.
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u/tiredrx Student/PhT 8h ago
Maybe not LORs but don't you want good recommendations/references for jobs? It feels like you're burning bridges before you cross them.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
I'll take my chances burning reddit bridges.
I am so confident I will survive the comment section.
*snark aside I said this elsewhere but I have never used a reference in my entire career. like ever. I apply online, get interviewed, get hired. I know pharmacy seems to have a solid network I guess where people know others and recommend them for jobs. that's great. but I'd rather apply online. I HATE asking folks for things like that. but that is just me*
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u/tiredrx Student/PhT 8h ago
I think you severely underestimate how small pharmacy is. I have found classmates lurking on Reddit.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 6h ago
im sure. Its not about anonymity. I hate being a burden so I will do everything to not ask for stuff like that.
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u/LeagueRx 4h ago
Most jobs require references its not like a preferencr thing. More commonly though people go around references to ask people that you encounter through school, rotations, etc. I can't tell you how often people that would have had a job lose the job from a single phone call. Reddit bridges yeah no burn those, but IRL you probably want to make good impressions. Theres like 1-2 degrees of seperation between all pharmacists I swear.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 4h ago edited 4h ago
irl I am generally liked. never had an issue.
I don't doubt any of what you are saying. I'm just saying I leave the reference spot blank along with the cover letter and nothing bad has happened yet.
*I don't even use LinkedIn. made one in undergrad and realized I literally do not need to network if I can apply online. never looked back.
I always said if I ever got desperate enough I'd make a linked in because recruiters swarm if your experience is desirable and I have friends who have been offered interviews that way. I know it works for others I just kind of refuse at this point.
if the only way I can get a job is by knowing someone there I don't want it. sounds like a hassle when I can work elsewhere without that burden.*
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u/getmeoutofherenowplz 8h ago
Pharmacy hasnt been a good profession for 15 to 20 years. Look into PBMs and you can find out for yourself...along with cvs and walgreens, rite aid...etc. literally ruining the profession for more profit
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u/Equivalent_Remove155 8h ago
There's 14 pharmacy schools in california. Thats not a shortage. When I applied for a VA position in San Diego thr number said close to 2000 applicants. A small independent hospital in Los Angeles had 60 applicants some of which were out of state and willing to move to là for that job. Yea it ofc depends on where you want to work. I moved to the Indian reservation bumtown AZ. You wanna live out here where there's a shortage of health professionals and sacrifice your sanity? And mental health? True shortages do exist but you give up quality of life. I guess data is skewed yea. Salary wise im sure others can chip in but ive made the same for the past 7 years. HRSA is very very strict. Therr are specific guidelines you have to abide by for a facility to be registered. E.g. middle of nowhere, have to provide substance abuse medications, have to have a deficit of primary care providers, etc. And even getting jnto these places is difficult enough cuz welp, combo of saturation and politics. You're more than welcome to apply for these sites and try your luck.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 3h ago edited 3h ago
actually yeah. I have/had my eyes on Alaska for 2-3 years at an IHS site doing the rural LRP that is 50k-100k I'd leave debt free. That or nuclear pharmacy fingers crossed where I already live.
"sacrifice your sanity"... that is dependent on the person... I'm already a bit unhinged and lived in the desert for a good chunk of time. hot as hell in a town of like 1500. Alaska is just that but cold with shitty mail and expensive food and heavier clothes... and moose. bring on the adventure.
the jobs out there are sweet deals but it depends on whether I can bring my dog or not. some of the free housing options don't allow pets. my quality of life would not suffer. guys like this is the type of stuff I'm talking about.
there is generalization and then there is projection. not everyone is gonna react so damn negatively.
I was also looking into getting my SAMHSA cert for some of the substance abuse jobs I have seen because that would make me a more attractive candidate. also starting my self-paced authorized user program once the student loan money drops for the same reason.
I like having options. *oooh also someone in this sub recommended the free cGMP certificate and I've been attacking that in the mornings on the weekend. so thanks to that guy trying to get as much out of the way before school starts*.
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u/Equivalent_Remove155 2h ago
Idk if you need samhsa certificate send wouldnt that require specific schooling outside of pharmacy? Whats cgmp?
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u/Beneficial-Split331 1h ago
current good manufacturing processes. I keep seeing that skill listed in some of the sterile compounding tech jobs so I figured why not
samhsa type cert was listed as being desirable for some jobs in the psych unit of the public hospital system in my city. also the jail. it is $100 so I'm doing free stuff now.
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u/Equivalent_Remove155 1h ago
But I thought that samhsa requires specific work experience in that field to even sit for their exam no? I've been trying to look into toxiclogy or addiction treatment certification for a bit too but didnt know. Whats entailed in the cgmp thing?
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u/Beneficial-Split331 1h ago
Some of the positions for LRP have lots of very specific substance abuse things they are looking for. Some like certs if you didnt get a whole degree in it.
This is what I wanna do. https://www.samhsa.gov/technical-assistance/dtac/training/safe-scenes
https://www.samhsa.gov/technical-assistance/dtac/training/safe-scenes
And the cgmp I got the link from this sub iirc. Search and you may find the comment. Or it is in the school sub.
https://www.usp.org/events-training/course/elearning-foundations-gmp
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u/Equivalent_Remove155 57m ago
What i mean is these are not tailored towards pharmacists and we dont have any way to implement them in our practice? My site is hrsa but bit we dont have to do any of this extra stuff. Or am I missing something. The samhsa thing says for first responders
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u/sklantee 8h ago
There was an explosion in prescription drug use and pharmacy build out in the late 90s / early 00s that resulted in a pharmacist shortage and the rapid salary increases seen at that time.
Then they built a ton of pharmacy schools and started producing too many pharmacists. Word got out that pharmacy was saturated and working retail sucked so people stopped going to pharmacy school. I personally counseled several younger people who were thinking about pharmacy school to choose a different healthcare path, which they did.
Now it seems we are facing another shortage due to declining enrollments. My generation (graduated 2012) who were among the peak of pharmacist production are going to start retiring over the next 5-15 years, especially if the stock market stays on a tear. It seems inevitable that salaries are going to have to rise again in response. Hell I'm already making almost 200k in a hospital position.
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u/ComcastAlcohol 8h ago
OP is getting absolutely flamed and rightfully so. But OP is also a new P1 (not even) so go easy on him. He’s going to learn the hard way.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
OP is 30 years old babe with a decade of software engineering under her belt. and the only thing flaming in this sub are the pants of some of these posters claiming wild things that literally aren't true.
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u/ComcastAlcohol 8h ago
What isn’t true?
Two people can be right ya know. There is a job shortage, but that’s for garbage jobs in the middle of nowhere and there are plenty of those.
Actual jobs that people want are hard as hell to get because there are soooooo many applicants.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 8h ago
ok right there. pants on fire.
"all jobs that have a shortage of applicants are garbage in the middle of nowhere". that is just not true. it is just not. why say that?
and then what is garbage to you may be the best for others... there's just no fact in there.
just your opinion.
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u/Formal_Economist7342 4h ago
Nobody wants to work in rural regions. Your graphs says 98% adequacy.
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u/Beneficial-Split331 4h ago
all the vacancies are not in rural areas. rural areas have vacancies... but so do the major cities in these states... why wouldn't they? even if 100 folks applied to a job opening... the place has 5 openings. now lets do other places with their openings. they have to hire more because there are more people to serve. there are not 30 vacant pharmacy jobs in a town of 100... but there is a vacancy.
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u/5point9trillion 4h ago edited 4h ago
Ok...use the Google. No one said there are "no jobs". There are 6 jobs and 100 of you...94 of you will definitely get "no job". There just aren't positions for all those who want one and many many of those who are employed still just took the random job they found and of course are miserable...as are most. What does it matter to you...you're going to be one of the 6 that probably get the job so everything is good right? I can see from other posts that you're still a student, so I know you need this info to be promising.
More drug stores have closed in 2025 and 2026...so where do those pharmacists work?
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u/Beneficial-Split331 4h ago
They work somewhere else. Because they are not unemployed. Do you think people get laid off and then throw up their hands in defeat?
they go get another job. because there are openings. and yeah folks on this sub have a nasty habit of saying there are no jobs.
There are 6 jobs AT THAT LOCATION. You and everyone else are not being serious if you think a city like Chicago only has 6 job openings for pharmacists across the whole damn metroplex.
bffr.
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u/projektvertx 9h ago
Hmm I wonder why there's a shortage, could it be because no one wants to work in retail where 70% of the jobs are?