When I applied to Butler U for pharmacy school in 1996, after one year at a local extension of Indiana University – studying for a major in Chemistry
But what they did not tell you back then was around 1 out of 5 or 6 Freshman Pharmacy declared majors would make graduation. Getting in was EASY… getting to graduation was a BITCH… Back then, there was 82-84 pharmacy schools… today there is abt 142 schools and they are graduating some 14K-15K and those pharmacy grads from 1980 – abt 8,000 are now retiring… Doesn’t take a Math major to figure out that Pharmacy has a very serious – and growing – Pharmacist SURPLUS. Today, new grads are getting pay offer of abt $20/hr less than I was making when I retired in 2013 and unless the new grad agrees to be Pharmacy manager – may not even get FULL TIME. Today’s grads, many are coming out of school with a SIX FIGURE STUDENT LOANS. When I graduated from Butler U… I owed about what was 2-3 week’s pay, once I got licensed, which I was able to do in Kentucky by mid- July after graduation. Followed up getting my Indiana license in Sept or Oct.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a work environment that has become both unsafe for the pts and the Rx dept staff. And many Pharmacists are starting to fight back… A local Walgreens a couple of months ago all three pharmacist WALKED OUT… similar things happened to local CVS’. Our small county of abt 80K population has THREE INDEPENDENTS and as far as I know … non of them missed a day being open their scheduled hours and Rx dept staffed.. Here is a hyperlink to help you find a independent pharmacy by zip code https://ncpa.org/pharmacy-locator
Back in the pre 90’s when independents dominated the market place, Pharmacists showed up FIRST PLACE on most respected profession surveys… the last survey I have seen Pharmacists are now down to FOURTH and now that the chains dominate the market place … probably headed for the end of the list along with used car salesmen and members of Congress. But those current surveys rank pharmacies by ownership… independents are always at the top ranking of the list by customers/pts.
Filed under: General Problems
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