Career Advice MEGA - Courses and Careers related to Drugs

^^^
Actually the incentive would be to keep experienced employees as opposed to constantly re-hiring and training new people.
 
protovack said:
^^^
Actually the incentive would be to keep experienced employees as opposed to constantly re-hiring and training new people.
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true. The managers would have to hire new people. However the pharmacists would be the people who'd have to do the majority of training. The managers just do the store inventory, paperwork and such. I was just trying to say most people in management positions would unfortunately rather get a bonus than pay their employees more.

my posts are somewhat biased cuz i listen to my GF complain about her job all the time. The full time techs who've worked there for a few years make +$15.00 an hour. Considering that you don't need a degree, a tech is a pretty decent job. It's not physically intensive, it'll have benefits and all those goodies. Considering the alternatives for someone with only a HS diploma it's not a bad option at all. Plus (depending on the store) your certification will be paid for by the company.
 
^^ I think it depends on where you work because my GF is a pharmacy tech and they get automatic raises as long as they work there. It also pays a lot better than what you're talking about (and she is only doing it as a part-time college job). She also handles narcotics and all the scheduled drugs and has more responsibilities than some of the other posters describe. And the certification test that my girlfriend took had lots of memorization that really had no practical application at her pharmacy and required a few hours for everyone to take.

Oh, and stealing drugs at a pharmacy is an incredibly stupid thing to do.
 
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PH.D in Pharmacology

i'm trying to figure out if after i'm done with school as an undergraduate if i want to continue on to get a ph.d in pharmacology. the problem is that i don't want to work for a pharmaceutical company, but most pharmacology jobs that i've seen seem to be drug discovery or something similar for pharma companies. that doesn't interest me. what interests me is researching the effect of drugs on humans, but there doesn't seem to many jobs opportunities doing that. considering that, would i be better off not getting not trying to get a ph.d in pharmacology?
 
PH.D in Pharmacology

^i forgot about trying to working at university. that does seem like an option.

btw - just so everyone knows, when i say research the effect of drugs on humans i'm not just talking about psychoactive drugs. psychoactive drug research interests me the most, but i realize that i may not be able to just always research them because of restrictions due to the illegality of many of them.
 
I'm going into either psychiatry/neurology (HAHA if I can go through all those years + money), -OR- Biological Psychology (Psy.D or Ph.D.)

Both fields seem much more rewarding than pharmacology, especially when dealing with topics about the mind.
 
I am not sure where you're from, but if I have read correctly, a degree in pharmacology actually does not qualify you to work for pharmaceutical companies. What would is a degree in pharmacy and/or Medicinal Chemistry.

As a pharmacologist, your only hope is to work for a university. With luck...

At least, thats how things are in Canada
 
^I can tell you that is NOT true at all for the US. While I am currently in academia, I have worked for several pharm co's in the past. Honestly, pharm co's really don't care much about what your actual doc is in, but rather what kind of experience you have and how extensively you have been published.

To the OP- if it is freedom to research your interests, it is correct that academia would be the place for you to go. In a pharm company you are basically given a specific problem or project and expected to find the answer. Academia gives you more freedom as long as you can secure funding for your project- which isn't a trivial thing at all!

If this is really what you want to do, start looking for people you would like to work with. Find the people that are doing similar work to what you think you would like to do. Keep in mind though, that whatever it is you think you want to work on now isn't necessarily what you will like working on once you actually try it. I would have never guessed I would be in the field I am now- it is nowhere near what I was expecting to do, but i love it. I found that my original interest wasn't all that interesting to work on.

Make sure that there are at least a few people you would like to work with at each of the grad schools that you apply to. Your first choice may not have the necessary funding to be able to support your Ph.D. and you may have to go with your 2nd choice. That's actually a really important question to ask prospective mentors (when you interview); ask if they have space to accept a student currently. Most will be honest with you and tell you if they can't fund you.

feel free to PM or post more if you have any other questions- I've been through the whole process (in the US)
 
huhwhat said:
^i forgot about trying to working at university. that does seem like an option.

btw - just so everyone knows, when i say research the effect of drugs on humans i'm not just talking about psychoactive drugs. psychoactive drug research interests me the most, but i realize that i may not be able to just always research them because of restrictions due to the illegality of many of them.
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Well as I see it, the War on Drugs is nearing an end, so hopefully in the near future, you can carry out research to your hearts content!

And by the way, I want to be involved in exactly the same thing as you at the end of my schooling. Too bad about my grades and such...
 
huhwhat said:
btw - just so everyone knows, when i say research the effect of drugs on humans i'm not just talking about psychoactive drugs. psychoactive drug research interests me the most, but i realize that i may not be able to just always research them because of restrictions due to the illegality of many of them.
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If you're working in the right lab with the proper accreditations, it is not a problem to work with scheduled drugs. I've worked with several CI's and others that were expected to be scheduled as Ci's. As long as you've got the license (or the PI you're working with), it's not a big deal.
 
I'm seriously thinking of getting myself in the direction of Medicinal Chemistry next year.
Can anyone here (i've noticed a few pharm dudes) recommend anything that would make my process/study a bit more of a breezy flow.. ??
any highly recommended units? that go really well with etc ? :p


At the moment I'm finishing a certificate in science, doing chem, bio, math, physics.

Cheers for your time :]
 
Pharmacy Career/ Pharmaceuticals

I am unsure I posted this in the right forum, hopefully it can be moved

or copied appropriately without completely removing it from the OD

thread. I Have done a little research on the qualifications of becoming a

pharmacist. I feel that I have an above average knowledge of medicine

and pharmaceuticals and would like to hear anybodies responses about

employment in this sort of field. I am only 19 years of age so obviously

I have not had too much in-depth education about being a pharmacist.

I know there is a test called the Pharmacy College Admissions Test. But that is simply to apply to a college for a 4 or 6 year degree.

Any responses are welcome. Even if they are sort of off-topic.

Even working with animals at a Veterinary Clinic? I know they dispense medicine to them.

How do you become a pharmacist at stores like CVS, Walgreens, Veterinary Clinic, Target, Walmart (fuk walmart), RiteAid... etc...



ANY RESPONSES WELCOME!!!
:)
 
I assume your in the US, right?
I believe to be a liscenced pharmacist in the US you must first complete a pre-pharmacy undergraduate program. I don't exactly know all the details, but a PCAT(Pharmacy College Admission Test) is also required at most colleges and schools of pharmacy.

edit : oh, sorry you already know about the pcat :p
 
Pharmacists must be licensed by the state pharmacy board of the state in which they wish to practice, with one exception: A pharmacist with an active license may practice in a federal facility regardless of the state which issued the license.

In order to obtain an initial license, or license by examination, a candidate must have graduated from an AACP accredited school or college of pharmacy, satisfy requirements for internship, write and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), in some states write and pass the Multi-state Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) and sometimes an additional state exam. Upon licensure, one may then be designated "Pharmacist" or "Registered Pharmacist" ("R.Ph."), as usage of these titles are generally regulated by state governments

A pharmacist in good standing may reciprocate an active licensure by examination to another state. Typically the requirements for licensure by reciprocity are less intensive and may require as little as passing an additional law exam.

After obtaining a license, it must be periodically renewed by completing continuing education and other requirements as prescribed by the state of licensure.
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(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacist#United_States)
 
Also what are the extents of being a pharmacist at a convenient store like CVS...? all they do is answer phones and fill prescriptions.

I wonder what there employment requirements are..?

Are the paths of becoming a Doctor and becoming a pharmacist similar? Because I know that becoming a doctor is very difficult and I was never really good in school.

Are there any jobs available where you can work in a pharmacy, fill medications, and NOT have a PhD?
I know that after getting out of a 4-6yr college while studying to become a pharmacist has jobs available that pay 90k+ a year.
 
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I don't really know. I assume there are some standards though.
As for your question about being a vet...veterinary school lasts for four years just like human medicine programs.
 
What about working at a vet? The people who dispense medicine there. Do they have there PhD? Have the completed the PCAT and NAPLEX?

Also what are some jobs that are related to this field that have oppurtunites to learn more. Any recommendations of fields of work I

should be looking into? Maybe working at a hospital? I could be a Pharmacy assistant? Probably pays better than minimum wage. :)

basically I'm wondering if there are jobs right now that can prepare me NOW rather then going off to school for it just yet.

Thanks for responding!
 
If your just looking to work in a building with lots of drugs, you need to get a degree or anything, just a job at the building. If it's a hospital or vet clinic, work as a clerk or something...or a janitor.....keys to everything man=D

just don't get caught ;)
 
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