Pharmacist
(Female, Age 26) from Charlottesville, VA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 26 who works as a Pharmacist in Charlottesville, VA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Pharmacist |
|---|---|
| Salary | $90,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Charlottesville, VA |
| Years Experience | 1 year |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I worked for a popular chain pharmacy, but I am on a maternity leave currently with our baby daughter.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Pharmacist – fill and check accuracy of prescriptions, speak with doctors regarding patient medication, counsel patients on their current and potential medications.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
health insurance, 2 weeks vacation, 1 week sick days, 401K (insurance/retirement only if desired)
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I work with customers daily, as well as technicians and other pharmacists. Generally, yes. Sometimes customers can be impolite, but that’s the nature of the job – many do not realize the importance of accuracy and that they are in a line of prescriptions to be filled.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
A pharmacy – they can be very cramped, and it’s a long day without the opportunity to sit down. I like that it’s organized, everything you need is there, but again, it’s cramped particularly with lots of people in the back and you HAVE to stay organized so that it doesn’t become cluttered.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 5
Benefits: 6
Hours: 1
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 7
Level of Responsibility: 8
The Actual Work: 4
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Honestly, since I am currently on maternity leave, I am not having my “regular” work day. However, I will demonstrate the typical work day when I’m not on maternity leave below. |
| 8am to 9am | Open Pharmacy. Begin filling prescriptions and take messages from voicemail. |
| 9am to 10am | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 10am to 11am | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 11am to 12pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. Pharmacists at my chain do not get a lunch break. Some pharmacies offer 30 minutes; we eat while we verify. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. Again, no time allotted for dinner – eat while working. |
| 6pm to 7pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. |
| 7pm to 8pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. Complete all the return to stocks, ensure that all prescriptions due before 10 AM the following day are printed and filled for the next pharmacist, set out the “call backs” for the next day, as most doctor’s offices have been closed a couple hours by this time, and we do not expect to hear back. |
| 8pm to 9pm | Continue verifying prescriptions; return doctor calls and transfer prescriptions to and from other pharmacies. Counsel patients. Lock the pharmacy, assuming all prescriptions are filled, accounted for, and insurance issues dealt with. |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Online
What was the application process?
Resume, paper application, interview
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, one interview, with the store supervisor and regional pharmacy manager. I had to describe my experiences in pharmacy school, my rotations, what my strengths and weaknesses are as a pharmacist.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
What is a situation where you had to diffuse a frustrated customer? What was your favorite rotation and why? Why do you want to be a pharmacist? Where have you worked before?
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, they did a training session and placed me with other experienced pharmacists when I started to see what they found to be successful.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I completed 3 years of undergraduate to complete the prerequisites, took the PCAT and scored relatively high on it (crucial to get in pharmacy school), applied to 4 schools, attended interviews, got in; then I completed their Pharm.D. program successfully, including a full year of demanding and varied rotations.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, I have a Doctor of Pharmacy, and it’s the highest level of degree you can get in pharmacy. I am qualified to work in a hospital, retail pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, etc.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
More or less, yes.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
They would have to go to pharmacy school and get a Pharm.D. I recommend researching the responsibilities and then considering which pharmacy school would be the best fit for them regarding tuition and whether it’s year round, or if there’s a break in the summer; what sort of prerequisites they require, etc. It is a lot of work to get into pharmacy school. You also must take (and generally excel on) the PCAT.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You absolutely have to be organized, you must be able to diffuse situations with customers who are frustrated, techs who are exhausted, despite your own fatigue. You cannot be someone who is easily distracted, as mistakes can be disastrous. You must be good at math, science, relating to the public, and motivated.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Absolutely
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Take your time – don’t be rushed by those who are impatient. Don’t let yourself burn out – get along with your techs and build relationships to find who is best at what, so you can get the most efficient and accurate pharmacy possible.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes and no; I’m getting to use my degree to help support our family, but I look forward to working part time when our children are older.
What are your current career goals?
This is something I use to support our family.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Intern | 4 months | $27/hr | Worked under the supervision of a pharmacist and helped with all aspects, ordering, filled prescriptions, counseled patients, etc. |
| Prior Job 2 | cashier | 3 years | $8/hr | I worked as a cashier all through high school and the beginning of undergraduate. After that, I focused solely on school and didn’t hold a job while I was in pharmacy school. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.6
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.8 | Presbyterian College | N/A |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3 | University of Georgia | Pharm.D. |
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