Best Careers 2009: Pharmacist

Pharmacy Jobs are changing, get on board!!!

The new emerging trend is the employment of "clinical pharmacist" and now many hospital pharmacies - at least in the South East - require hospital experience before HR will forward your app to the pharmacy department and the best way to get this done is through completing an approved residency. The now developing glut of new grads seems to be clogging the market while a vast number of "Clinical Pharmacist" jobs remain unfilled. Be smart, plan ahead because "things... they are a changin' " in the hospital pharmacy environment.

Also, another reason to consider doing a residency is that if you plan to work in a hospital YOUR FUTURE may depend on it. There is about to be a HUMONGOUS change in the realm of 'Hospital pharmacy,' especially in hospital's that received Stimulus money. That is the implementation of CPOE, or "Computerized physician order entry," like the EPIC system.

This will clear the landscape of many of those 'decentralized satellite jobs' on the floors - where written orders that are now interpreted and inputted into pharmacy information systems - will be POOF! GONE!! Orders will come directly from physicians to the pharmacy, obviating the need for your 'clinical expertise' in interpreting written orders, which will instead be sent directly to the pharmacy to be filled, from physicians. People have laughed and said this will not happen in their lifetime, but believe me - its happening.

It may be a decade before this landmark change is widespread, however with the need for reducing costs with technological innovation, the push is ON and its in the works at many institutions. Expect those first hospitals to be 'online' with this technology in the next couple years and it can only catch fire from there, spreading to other institutions that seek to reduce medical errors and costs in the face of declining reimbursements.

With the advancement of technologies, comes change. Many Pharmacy Services department aren't sure where many of the jobs will be after this transition. Expect some of them to be converted into 'Clinical Pharmacist' positions, for those who have advanced training in the form of an approved APhA residency program. Others will find work in IV drug preparation and extemporaneous support in addition to supervising technicians. While this may be okay for some, many will be disappointed being recalled from the "front lines" that used to be the medical floors and instead shuttled into a more compartmentalized, sterile and monotonous environment of a central pharmacy or USP 797 "clean room.

However, if you are one of those satellite pharmacists or have planned to be, you may still be at a lost to see where you will still fit in. Likely you will still be needed to some extent for purposes of "checking" drugs before they are being sent out to the floors, but this is not a lot different from retail, in terms, of them using your license to legally distribute medications, depending on state laws.

K.T Pharmacist of FL @ Nov 26, 2009 13:03:30 PM