I have been working in community pharmacies for almost 5 years now. I have probably seen enough of everything.
Ps. I am not allowed to give out any specific health advice.
[AMA] I Am a Community Pharmacist, Ask Me Anything
Farmacist on 05/11/2018 - 10:43
Last edited 05/11/2018 - 10:47 by 1 other user
Last edited 05/11/2018 - 10:47 by 1 other user
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me too!
We have to do a certain amount of training annualy to maintain registration. We can go to seminar, workshop conference etc. It is not that hard to keep upto date if you really put in the effort and really care about the profession.
How long do we have before we are wiped out due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria?
Depends on how many people still going to dr to get ab script for just a cold :( tbh if we use ab wisely we still have plenty of time
"seen enough of everything" … ? what kind of everythings ?
How can I obtain viagra ?
Get a prescription
The legal way is prescription :)
At the moment it is prescription only. However, there is a push to make it over the counter. https://ajp.com.au/news/schedule-change-proposed-for-ed-drug…
is the back area of a pharmacy like vegas, in that what happens there, stays there.
Exactly. What happens there stays there :P
Is there any health advantage of buying panadol over panamax?
as a regular person who knows very little about pharmaceuticals, this is one thing i do know. it's the same active ingredient (paracetamol), the only difference is the coating, taste, shape, branding and price tag.
panadol rapid on the other hand i believe add something else in the tablet that helps it dissolve/dilute faster to kick in a bit faster
same deal with neurofen 'back pain, period pain, and any targeted pain branding' its all bullshit. same ibuprofen.
then you got neuromol and others which basically put 1 paracetamol and 1 ibuprofen into one tablet and sell it for a bucket load. you can do it yourself.
note this might be wrong since i know sweet FA about pharma stuff, but i rkn i got this right.
Panamax and Panadol give me the same relief but the panamax table is bitter and powdery gross af. I prefer the brand call parapane (cheap and less gross)
No particular health advantage but Panadol tablets are almost half the thickness of panamax and and Farmacist said, doesn't taste as bitter
Why do pharmacies seem to employ more and more dispensing machines?? Is it to save on the labour cost ???
Busy pharmacy will benefit a lot from dispensing robot. It save us time and also increase the accuracy. Robot pick vs hand pick if you get my drift. It is not really to save labour cost.
They save space so in a shopping center pharmacy rent is also a large issue
Do you have any views on the growing controversy around statins? Thanks.
I'm talking about the growing solid scientific evidence against statins (their real efficacy, side effects, the role of cholesterol in disease, etc), and not the pseudoscience waffle that some health bloggers dish up.
I like your question. Yes I believe statins should only be used when you really need to or when benefit outweight the risk. There are some recent evidences show that long term use of certain statin can lead to type 2 diabetes. Make sure to have a chat with the pharmacist or doctor if you want more information. At my pharmacy where I work, I usually sit my patients down and show them some research paper and discuss with them. Most of them appreciate the time and efforts that I put in.
How has price disclosure affected you?
A LOT. The amount of profit making from prescriptions have dropped significantly since the pbs price disclosure arrangement. However, it pushed pharmacists to expand their scope of practice such as: immunisation, medication review etc.
A box of medication has a full cost e.g. $270 and the PBS price e.g. $38.80, how does the pharmacy get paid the difference in the cost? Is the price paid by the government a fixed price or the difference between the PBS and the box price?
Do pharmacies make more from vitamins than prescription medications?
I've heard the PGA has been pushing for pharmacists to start doing health checks, medication reviews, etc. Does the subsidy for this go to the Pharmacist or to the Pharmacy owner? What is your opinion on having to do these extra checks? Also does the Pharmacist take on a legal risk by talking to the patient about health issues? (Honestly I've seen an iPad in a pharmacy left for customers to fill in on their own as a 'free heath check' so it seems a bit questionable).
- It is paid by the government with the fixed price.
Depends on the type of pharmacies. However I will say yes in general. Due to the price disclosure with pbs, the profit from prescription medications have dropped.
The reimbursement go to the owner (on a rare occasion, pharmacists may get a smalllllll bit of it, but very rare though). I personally enjoy doing health check and medication reviews. I am planning to do an extra accreditation in medication review at home. Doctor have to rush through patients because of the short consultation time but pharmacist can spend more time and find clinical issues. It helps optimize the health outcomes for the patients.
Pharmacists are not allowed to diagnose patient but they can provide health advice such as self-care advice or things to do to prevent getting a certain health conditions. They are taught and trained in this area.
Pharmacies make a lot more on prescriptions than vitamins due to the sheer volume
I think there's a misconception that doctors have to rush through patients with short consultations
It's entirely up to the doctor whether to do short or long consultations. The ones you might've seen choose to rush and fit in too many patients per hour.A good doctor can and will spend more time with patients.
The hard part is finding a good doctor
I've heard the PGA has been pushing for pharmacists to start doing health checks, medication reviews, etc.
Too many oldies kicking the bucket on course?
There is a set limit on how many medschecks a pharmacy can do, unless it is being maximised the government isn't going to increase this cap. That is the guild's angle
What degree did you study to be a pharmacists? Would you say a Pharmacists role is going to be made redundant in the near future? I mean a person can say insert his prescription (swipe card) chose the med (generic) wanting to be dispensed and bam off you go?
I completed Bachelor of Pharmacy then proceeded to complete 1840 hours of supervised training before passing a final exam.
Some of my friends believed so but I do not thing it will happen. There are a lot of thing that a machine cannot do in place of pharmacist. Sometimes, we have to bend the rule a little bit (nothing illegal) to achieve certain thing in pharmacy and AI are not flexible enough to do that.
I don't think it's about AI but rather the future of medication dispensing and health information. People want convenience and it's just more convenient to get your prescription dispensed through a computer system and have it delivered. The small hurdles in place now such as having to be counseled by a pharmacist are easily overcome and won't stop the future.
It's also just way easier for people to be knowledgeable about their health and medication these days. My parents are extremely health conscious and they do diligent research on every medication they get prescribed to the point where they know as much or even more than me. As a pharmacist, we have general knowledge about every medication but they can get in depth knowledge on just the ones that are relevant to them.
Do I think the role of the pharmacist will become redundant in the near future? Probably not for another few decades. It takes time for big changes to occur. Things happen gradually, not overnight. The guild tries really hard to make the profession more relevant but it's only a matter of time imo.
Although a machine can dispense it faster than human, it's the actual human error in the prescribing doctor's script that the machine wouldn't pick up that a pharmacist is trained to spot.
I see it all the time when a pharmacist will identify something whether it's a wrong strength or something that would interact with what the patient is already on, they would need to call that prescribing GP to confirm if it's correct or if it should be amended.
A machine won't do this
@clem0ximus: I mean the interaction/contraindication part is already being done by software. The pharmacist is just reading that off their screen. They don't actually have to remember everything like they used to.
All it would take to cut the pharmacist out of this process is a fully functioning national health record that detailed the patient's medical and medication history. Then software that can reconcile that with any new prescriptions to pick up any problems at the point of prescribing.
Realistically, this isn't even that far away but the pharmacy lobby groups will no doubt try to delay progress to keep their profession relevant.
Is chemist warehouse and other discount pharmacies putting independent pharmacies out of business?
Yes, I feel for those who own those small pharmacies.
I dont, their fault they chose the dying business model
Their business model is the same as discount pharmacy, the difference is the capital needed to buy in bulk. If there was a business that allowed indepdents pharmacy to pool funds to then purchase at discounted wholesale prices, then these business can remain viable, but its still not even a good option. Its still much better for indepedents to covert into a corporate discount pharmacy franchise.
@minotaurian: The core of the discount pharmacy involves low rent and efficient processes. The business model is most certainly not the same
@minotaurian: The issue with the corporate model is it depends on which corporation you join.
You can't join your pharmacy to the chemist warehouse group without them buying a significant proportion of your pharmacy.
Then there are some groups like priceline that will charge you a banner fee (six digits annually) plus some will charge a proportion of your sales as well.
Sometimes it's just bad positioning as well, like you would think being in a shopping centre would increase sales as a result of increased foot traffic, but usually it's not enough to offset the rent charged buy the shopping centre, which is often scaled to your reported revenue as well.
@minotaurian: There is such a thing and it's called pharmacy alliance. Lots of independents pooling buying power.
Sorry another question. Is there some easy way to find out which medications are meant to be taken with food and those without etc and for those which it doesn't matter?
I know sometimes product information mentions it but at other times it doesn't?
What is your favourite book (1. pharmacy related 2. general)?
The best is to call up any pharmacy and ask the pharmacist. They will be able to give you the most accurate answer. Do not google the answer.
My favorite book is Australian Medicines Handbook, Medications in pregnancy and lactation. I also enjoy reading British Medical Journal to update my clinical knowledge
what's the worse can happen if you take medication with food when you aren't meant to and vice verse?
Not a pharmacist but was close with one.
Usually when it's taken with food, it may cause an upset stomach if you take the meds without food.
Not sure if there's medicine that you aren't supposed to take with food.. Need @Farmacist or any of the other ozbargain pharmas to step in on that one.@cwongtech: Some medications need to be taken with food because they are fat soluble and need to meal to dissolve the medication so that it can be absorbed. Some need to be taken without food because food stops their absorption.
A while back, actonel didn't have a coating so you would have to remain upright for 30 minutes after taking the pill to avoid oesophageal corrosion. Luckily it has been replaced with a coated tablet so this problem has been minimised.
Is there some easy way to find out which medications are meant to be taken with food and those without etc and for those which it doesn't matter?
Here you go: https://www.nps.org.au/medical-info/medicine-finder
Whats your salary like ? I'm looking into this career path.
Also a community pharmacist here. Don't do it unless you are really passionate about retail. The pay is not as good as you may be led to think and the hours can be terrible. See above comment from OP about actual salary.
My best advice is to head into a few pharmacies and ask to talk to the pharmacist - ask their opinion on the future and how they feel working.I'm a pharmacist. I am hesitant to recommend pharmacy to anyone, especially community. Salary in community pharmacy has remained unchanged for at least a decade at around 70-90k. Most of the junior pharmacists realise too late that pharmacy is quite an unfulfilling job. I would recommend that you try working there as an assistant to truly see what a pharmacist does. It will not be what you'd expect from someone who has studied 4 years at university.
Thanks for both replies, wasnt sure if it was a path I should follow.
If you're making 70-90k you're lucky.
Most of my friends who are pharmacist, are around 50-60k, granted they are only a few YEARS into their registration. Ridiculous.
60k max with not much likelihood of increasing lol
If you want a job where you don't need to worry about pay rises but get the joys of paying for indemnity insurance and higher costs of living every year, then choose pharmacy!
Depends how good you are. They dont teach you this at pharmacy school, but a good dispensary manager who is able to connect with their customers are worth a lot more than the 60k these guys are talking about. I'm paying my dispensary manager around 90k with, she has around 5 years experience and she is worth every penny.
1 of my local pharmacy was encouraging me to try something they make there. I think it is 'compounding' when pharmacies mix up meds themselves.
Is there much higher profit margins with meds that are compounded by pharmacy, rather than meds they buy from another company then onsell ?
The pharmacy owner who was encouraging me to try something he makes, he is a nice enough bloke. Kind of turned me off it though, that he was so keen for me to try it, and also not covered by PBS so a bit expensive.Not necessary high profit margin. It could just be a way for them to make you come back. however, without knowing whats the medication is I cannot really comment further.
Margins are hit or miss with compounding. Whilst it is unregulated by the PBS, it's hard to get into as there is significant outlay required to purchase the required equipment and upgrade facilities (up to 50k to get the required hoods, hotplates, unguators, PPE, upgrade facilities). There is also the cost of ingredients, which scales based on how much you buy as well, making it harder to compete against other players in the market.
The facilities are someone you can't cheapen out on either, a significant number of pharmacies in NSW and VIC were given cease and desist letters when they were found to be making hormone creams on their kitchen sinks.
Edit - just realised I misinterpreted your question. From a technical perspective, they are not allowed to advertise compounded goods or suggest any therapeutic benefits.
Good answer, and interesting insight. Thanks.
It is a bit concerning that pharmacy would only get a 'cease and desist' letter for mixing up stuff in their kitchen sink. I would have thought they would be shut down straight away, lose their pharmacy license etc.
What is your opinion on the activation of AMPK by utilising salicylate?
Pharmacist that cannot answer a general medical question.
Seems legit ;)
What is your opinion on GABA (Gamma-AminoButyric Acid) supplementation?
what do you think about online pharmacies that don't need prescription? For example reliablerxpharmacy provides tretinoin without requiring a prescription. Do you think the quality is a problem?
That can be very dangerous. I am not against buying things online but make sure that you have consulted health professionals before taking any medications. Every medications has their own contraindications, side effects, interaction etc. Some can be quite dangerous if you do not take it properly. Tretinoin for example. Female need to be on contraception while taking it, you cannot donate blood for a certain period of time etc
Hello OP, I like to get scripts filled at my convenience which means at random pharmacies depending on where I was at that time. Is this advisable or should I stick to one? Is shopping around going to sound an alarm or something on my file, especially when I have restricted scripts occasionally. Thank you.
I used to be a pharmacy assistant - for general customers I don't think there is any issue with shopping around as convenient. The patients who are on multiple long term medications can benefit from 1 pharmacy because the pharmacist gets a better idea of the meds and can red flag if there are contraindications between certain meds. Also pharmacists can sometimes supply you an emergency amount of medication (say 3 days worth?) if they have a regular record of you using a daily medication and then you send the script through afterwards- if you rock up to any pharmacy and ask for that good luck.
3 days worth can be done under the current legislation with an empty box or a relatively recent dispensing with no fuss….
Handy to know (not that I'm on any meds heh but still handy)
Does that mean, say if I'm in a strange place but only brought meds in my pillbox and they ran out; without the case/script, you won't dispense in case of emergency? As you know hospitals are not always accessible, especially in rural.
@EyesWideOpen: They could call your regular pharmacy, but would probably charge you for the whole box for the 3 day supply.
It will pay off if you are on multiple meds and want to make safety net procedure easier. However, if you just on 1 or 2 meds and want to get the best bargain then shop around. However, if you stick the the same pharmacy, they can have a very good understanding about your general health and help you manage your health better
Thank you for starting this thread. Never know you guys' humble earnings, had thought it was the other way, being healthcare and all, then treating rest of us like cash cows. I'll be respecting my pharmies a lot more now. (and direct the neg towards the greedy owner instead….hmmm.. maybe)
What salary do pharmacists make per year?
What is a starting salary in the industry first year?You'll probably make about $32 to $36 per hour. Around $60k per year to 80k per year depending on metro / rura and seniority. But there is very little hope of payrises unless you change jobs. I know people that haven't had a payrise for 5 years.
Starting wage is probably $30 per hour.
The starting wage is about 26 an hour at a discount pharmacy
You tend to make a lot more if you are good; 90k excluding super etc is what I currently pay my dispensary manager as she is able to connect with customers.
Zovirax Cold Sore Cream is the biggest rip off ever on pharmacy supplies
You ask for a cold sore cream and they always trot out Zovirax because of the massive over pricing
You can buy the generic product containing three to four times the amount for less money, and it is identical
Don't you feel guiltyPharmacy owner here.
Pharmacies generally make MORE profit from generic brands as opposed to the named brand such as Zovirax.
Zovirax net price to store is substantially higher because the company has spent a substantial amount of money in advertising. People generally will pay more for a product they are familiar with, that's just how advertising works.
Most pharmacists or pharmacy assistants will recommend you the generic brand, but if the customer is unsure about generic brands then we will recommend a more known brand.
Have you received many requests for provide Enhancement Steroids?
Some guys came instore and asked me about it but I just act blurred
Hello!
1) In your opinion, how to maximise your chances of getting a hospital internship?
2) How much would you need to open up a community pharmacy? (millions?)
3) And, How much of what you learn at uni is really applied to your professional life?Thanks!
I have worked in both the hospital and community pharmacy domains.
1) Besides nepotism, if you are interested in a hospital internship, first of all make sure your uni marks are good. Try to have a good, thorough knowledge of medicines unique to hospital (especially narrow-therapeutic index drugs and specialist medicines you wouldn't see in the community setting). Be mindful of the importance of processes and protocols. Try to display that you would do well in a collaborative environment as part of a broader health care team and show an interest in ongoing personal development.
2) Depends on the size and turnover of the pharmacy. Most average pharmacies are at least $2mil. However, despite paying that kind of money you could still be buying a lemon. In fact, the risk of pharmacies and pharmacists closing and going bankrupt is increasing.
3) B Pharmacy gives you the background knowledge and skills required to find and apply the answers. I find that whilst the degree has a large portion of pharmacology and medicinal chemistry etc, its actually the softer clinical and practice skills which I depend on more in my day-to-day work.Hmm my course average currently sits at 75%, is that even competitive?
I would like to actually work as an assistant or a technician in a hospital to gain an understanding of the hospital system, but have been largely unsuccessful :(Thanks for replying!
Depends on the ebit of the pharmacy and the cap rate they are charging. All you really need to come up with is the 20% deposit so the hurdle is probably a lot lower than some would have you believe.
The most important parts are not taught at the universities; how to manage, how to deal with people, how to really get that personal connection with your customers etc. Hell, if I had a pharmacist who just passed uni who was great with people I would pay them more than someone who is the best clinician in the world but had no idea how to interact with others
Another question,
Would you recommend a young person to study Pharmacy? Is it really worth it studying a 4 year degree then getting nothing in return?Unless pharmacy is your passion or you are coming from another health degree with even fewer prospects, then I would say NO… don't do it!
I was once led into studying pharmacy by the dream of working in a highly regarded health profession where I could care for the community whilst being well rewarded and remunerated for my efforts. Sadly those days are long gone.
When you consider the responsibility, care and potential liability in the job versus the low remuneration it just doesn't add up.Wow… I guess the opportunity to help people is worth something? My sister and her husband have had a family and a few investment properties, they have been Pharmacists for close to ten years now. They have worked in a rural areas for the last six years.
Yes helping people is rewarding in it's own way.
Working is rural pharmacies definitely pays better. However, I don't know of many young people who would study pharmacy looking to work out in the sticks. The pay is better because is it much harder to consistently find good pharmacists willing to work in remote and rural communities.
How do you feel about your brethren that are on 50-55k a year/ 26-29 and hour?
If you are getting paid only 26-29ph then you are working for the wrong person or there is something wrong with yourself.
This is what all pharmacists get paid at a discount pharmacy (I will not name).
I pay my pharmacists above 40ph and I run a discount pharmacy :)
Where are you based? In your opinion what's the best community pharmacy in terms of service and knowledge? Thanks.
Just my two-cents as I'm also a pharmacist, I find that service and knowledge in highly dependent on the individual pharmacist running the show (pharmacist in charge). Having an enthusiastic pharmacist, who takes pride in their work, has a caring, empathetic attitude and who looks to constantly foster good relationship often trumps the location and banner group to which the pharmacy belongs. As a broad generalization, these "good" pharmacists are more often found working in smaller, independent community stores where the focus is on individual patients. I find larger chains (Ozbargain-friendly pharmacies) are turnover focused - they care more about the sale of products rather than the provision of services and promotion of positive health outcomes.
I run a discounter based pharmacy (not CW), I have great personal relationship with my customers and know most of them on a first name basis. Our pharmacy also gets paid around 5-6k a month at least under 6cpa programs. I believe your comment is a gross over generalisation
Why is it such a hassle to purchase the morning after pill?
Why do you have to register the purchase with ID?
What happens if I keep buying it, like once per week every Saturday morning for example? Would I ever be denied the right to purchase it (and forced into a surgical abortion)?
You can buy it as frequently as you like. It is to ensure it is safe and appropriate for you, and an opportunity to discuss contraception/safe practices/side effects. It’s not 100% effective.
The MAP is like pharmacist prescribing => We need all the details and we have to ask all of the questions that need to be asked to make sure that it is appropriate. Just like when doctor giving out a script to you.
You can take every day if you want but it will cost a fortune and more likely to cause long term side effects
Is it common for a pharmacist to provide different dosage instructions to what was prescribed? It's happened to me many times, and of course I always follow my GP instructions, but it still puts doubt in my mind.
This would be a dispensing error or fixing the Doctors error after contacting the doctor. Pharmacist generally are not allowed to change he the directions.
I read this as "I am a Communist Pharmacist" and was very confused
How do you guys keep up to date with the newest drugs that come to market?