Drug Topics - March 10, 2008 - (Page 36) 36 DRUG TOPICS MARCH 10, 2008 www.drugtopics.com Cover Story we conducted our salary survey, only 23% of pharmacists saw an updated resumé in their immediate future. Mail-order pharmacists are the most likely to circuDT CAPSULE late their resumés (40%) within the next 12 months. In 2007, the average The least likely to comb want R.Ph. fetched a yearly ads are pharmacists who are employed by mass-merchandisers (22%). More pharmasalary of $107,403. cists from the Northeast are updating their curriculum vitae (31%) than those who hail from the Northwest (17%). practitioner couldn’t hold back and blurted, “This job sucks.” Multiple verbatim responses included complaints about working conditions, work environment, and workload as the key motivator. Aggressive recruiting Six percent of respondents reported that they are pursued almost daily by competing pharmacies that want them to apply for positions with them. Twenty-seven percent of respondents admitted that they receive these overtures at least once a week, 31% receive enticements several times a month, 32% are hunted down several times a year, and 4% said they are rarely or never courted. More than half (52%) of respondents said the invitations have increased in recent years, 40% said there has been no change, and 8% said the solicitations to jump ship have decreased. Reasons for wandering Making more dough was cited by over half (52%) of hospital R.Ph.s as the reason for considering a career move. This compares with 38% of R.Ph.s who work in mass-merchandisers, 35% of chain R.Ph.s, and 26% of Working harder supermarket R.Ph.s who cited this as their driving force Not surprisingly, the majority of respondents (70%) for looking elsewhere. More said their workload has inthan half of urban R.Ph.s said creased within the past year, up How does your salary professional advancement was from 66% of our respondents compare with other goading them to make a change, who reported that their workR.Ph.s in your area? compared with 39% of suburload got heavier in 2006. ban and 32% of rural R.Ph.s. Pharmacists who work at Percentage of Among the respondents who mass-merchandising pharmacies respondents are considering bailing out of (79%) bellyached the most Above average 11% their current position, the most about their workload increasing common reasons cited are inwithin the past year. Perhaps this Average 59 come (43%), professional adhas to do with the low- or noBelow average 20 vancement (43%), and geocost generics many mass merDon’t know 10 graphic location (28%). chandisers offered last year, One R.Ph. considering a job which drew in a lot of traffic. change said, “Burnout, lack of pharmacist help, and lack Mass merchandisers were followed by 72% chain and of trained techs” were behind his decision. Another 71% hospital pharmacists who also said their workload R.Ph. said he was “dissatisfied with management and rose last year. too many cutbacks and central control.” Another respondent Location, location complained about his “idiot It doesn’t seem to matter which Benefits received boss.” Yet another discontentregion respondents have settled Percentage of ed R.Ph. griped that “increasin. Pharmacists in all regions are respondents ing administrative demands swamped with work. More phardetracting from time at the macists (78%) who hail from the Vacation 97% bedside with clinical activities” Northwest reported an increase in Health insurance 97 was a good enough reason to workload than those in the Dental insurance 94 roam. Another R.Ph. cited Northeast (68%). “loose law abiding at current Holidays 92 job” for his interest in moving Speaking of fairness Life insurance 84 on. One R.Ph. offered this One out of 10 pharmacists recomment, “Love the work, ported that compared with other Sick days 84 sometimes hard to work with pharmacists in their region workthe higher-ups.” Still another ing in the same practice setting, http://www.drugtopics.com
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