The Walgreens in my town just closed and one of the reasons is that there is a National shortage of pharmacists.
Do you think this problem is caused by the fact that to become a pharmacist today a person needs to obtain a Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy) which is a significantly longer educational process than it has been traditionally.
I suspect also a lot more expensive.
Iāve heard Walgreens is closing stores, but there are 3 Walgreens within 3 miles of me plus a CVS and 2 local grocery stores that have pharmacies.
I believe itās a five year program.
Iāve heard many people are turned off by the hours. Also I think the average person canāt pass the courses. Itās a very difficult degree.
Both KCFlyer and Henrius have talked about how certain careers in the medical and dental fields now require a higher degree than previously, along with the associated higher cost. I believe KC said this deterred his daughter from pursuing a career that she would otherwise have pursuedand done well at.
Thos would be yet another example.
I have a pharmacist friend and consolidation is hurting salaries, also Walmart becoming so big in pharma. Theyāre depressing salaries, of course I talked about this last 5 years ago. At full employment Iād imagine pharmacists salaries are up with everybody else.
I donāt know what it costs to become a pharmacist and what starting salaries are but thatās the main blame for the airline pilot shortage. For last 25 years you could incur 300k student loan debt to get on with a Regional and starting salary was 25k. My son is on with a regional now in his first year and heās making 100k. He started at 47k and got his salary doubled 3 months later.
Pharmacy has been a doctorate degree for as long as I can remember.
I think they need a research degree and a dispensing degree. Iāve been told the degree is overly difficult for the work you will actually be doing.
The last time I talked to my pharmacist friends. The starting wage and the wage with experience was similar. Basically you called out really quick.
What is interesting is when people come with a degree from another country. We pay them a lot less. Friends wife is only paid 60k as a pharmacist.
The airlines want to bring in foreign pilots and change the rules with the FAA. There are Aussies, Brits, and South Americans flying for US airlines, but they must be trained to FAA standards and presumably are paid the same as US citizen pilots.
The pilots at my company were getting paid about $75K just a few years ago. Today they are about $150K. We lost a few pilots to big airlines due to the massive pay increases so we hiked our pay to retain the remaining 4 pilots.
My wife is a veterinarian. Similar issues as pilots and pharmacist. Long education at high cost with shitty salaries. My wife also more than doubled her part time pay. She was working for $65K for 2 long days per week and now she is making $150K for 2 long days per week. Her days are normally 14-16 hour days.
There are similar but not as drastic changes going in the CPA field. Currently you have to have 150 credit hours to be eligible for CPA. This was a increase from 120 hours in the sarbanes days in 2004. Now they are debating about decreasing it back to 120 because fewer people are entering the field and a shortage is emerging in the accounting field.
Weāre going to see this in different fields, ādumbing downā requirements. SkyWest floated a proposal to remove seats in their smallest aircraft to the level that would require only one pilot. So a plane that holds 60 would now hold under 20, the idea landed with a thud to the union, FAA, and flying public.
Airline trade groups worldwide are advocating rule changes to allow one pilot operation of airlinersā¦a horrendous idea that hopefully will never gain traction.
The railroads did this successfully, this one of the reasons they are having issues.
We need job levels more now than ever. It seems like everyone wants someone with full experience but low pay. Crazy.
I am paid well for my job but I know many people trying to get into IT who canāt. They have a degree but no experience.
My brother has his CPA and said in hindsight he shouldnāt have got it. It didnāt open any magical doors and required continuing education.
Maybe this will open the door for more meds to be available OTC.
Pharmaceutical companies would fight that, insurance companies would love that to happen.
One of the ironies of prescription vs over the counter drugs is that the consumer frequently pays more for it when it goes from being prescription to over the counter even though the actual price is less. That is because even though the prescription price is higher the copayment for it is usually less because it is covered by health insurance and over the counter meds arenāt.
Sometimes.
I get generic Zyrtec for $1 a month through my insurance since my Dr. prescribes it.
Once the pharmacist said to me āyou know you can just get this OTCā, and I looked at him and said, ābut that is $10 a bottleā.
Which is why we purchase the lowest cost part D drug coverage offered here (about $9/month each). Having it is basically protection against a future penalty for not having it if we need an expensive drug. We use goodrx pricing for our prescriptions, and end up paying less than deductibles and copays.
Doubt it, likely less profit in otc.
I agree, unfortunately.