Any pharmacists?

[R5x]

Originally Posted by What_the?

As for selection of pharmacy, I believe that finding a good pharmacist is a total crapshoot. It is totally wrong to generalize saying that small independent pharmacies are going to provide better care than a chain one. It is purely luck of the draw, depending on the pharmacist. A good pharmacist is a good one no matter where they work. In fact, I think it may be better to find a good pharmacist at a chain, as opposed to a good pharmacist that owns his own independent shop for example. I work for a chain myself, and would consider myself reasonably good at what I do. Come Christmas time I usually get enough gifts, chocolates, bottles of wine, and thank you cards from my patients to fill up my whole locker and then some. When it comes down to it, my motivation for being good is purely for the patient. I make the same amount of money regardless of what I do, so I have no incentive to sell you more over the counter goods, cough and cold products, etc. If you don't need something I'll tell you straight up, don't waste your money. If we were in a situation where the pharmacy may lose money, it's not my money, so I could really care less if the chain takes a hit. Just a cost of doing business.

But think on the flip side, if every dollar you spend in a small independent were incentive for the Pharmacist owner because every dollar goes into their pocket? If a hit to the store is a hit to their paycheque, it might make them think twice.

Although I know what you're getting at here and some of your points are valid, I feel the need to comment for small independent pharmacies as well since my family owns one. I will not deny that there is financial motivation for selling something vs not selling something when it's your own pharmacy; however, I do also feel strongly that I would go the extra mile for a patient vs an average pharmacist working at a chain. I have come across SO many complacent pharmacists at chains since I got licensed that it's just mind-boggling. From pharmacists unwilling to do a medication review/get injection training/any clinical services, to pharmacists that need to be kicked in the ass just to even do the BARE MINIMUM expected of them. A large number of chain pharmacists only work as hard as they need to (as long as they do not do LESS than their competition - the other pharmacists working there).

The common line I hear from them is: "Why should I do it? Why should I take on the extra responsibility? Why do I need to do extra when I'm already so busy?" And some of these are people I know that graduated WITH me and are pretty much fresh out of school; not just the old-timers. What almost every chain pharmacist fails to understand is that these things are NOT extra. They are part of your daily routine and responsibility as a pharmacist. And if you don't do them, not only are you short-changing your patients, but head-office will eventually look at you and wonder why you're worth your $40/hour. I also feel that chains exploit every loophole in the system to extract the most money possible (eg. loyalty points, Airmiles, half-assed incomplete med reviews, encouraging using private flu stocks vs public flu stocks to make more money, forcing stores to meet a quota for injections, etc.) and compromise ethical boundaries just as much (if not more) as any "shady" independent pharmacy. Chains just have a larger market share and more power in the industry and can get away with things more easily. If push comes to shove and headoffice tells chain pharmacists to do something or risk losing hours or their job, what do you think the majority of them would do? Money is king even in the health care system.

The problem here is really complacency in our profession - too many people that are not held accountable BECAUSE too many pharmacists work for chains. If you own a pharmacy, you are automatically held accountable and are motivated to work harder as compared to working at a chain simply because your livelihood depends on it. Our prices for Rxs are generally the same and there is no way we can compete selling OTCs vs the buying volume of a chain. The only thing we really have left is to work our asses off and provide better service.

But I completely agree with you that it really is a crapshoot as far as finding a good pharmacist. There are good and bad ones EVERYWHERE and it really comes down to the individual vs blatant generalization. The busier pharmacies are also generally the ones less willing to help. Head offices will schedule the minimum # of pharmacists to cover a certain Rx volume. It is not based on patient care whatsoever, unfortunately.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

lol if i was a pharmacy graduate, i'd be working with a crooked lab technician... lol.

[Jermyzy]

Originally Posted by Nocardia

I had no idea there were pharmacists on Revscene! Thread has been officially hijacked. Anyone in the hospital setting?

Leaving community and starting hospital pharmacy in January

[Jermyzy]

Originally Posted by kb08

I also feel that chains exploit every loophole in the system to extract the most money possible (eg. loyalty points, Airmiles, half-assed incomplete med reviews, encouraging using private flu stocks vs public flu stocks to make more money, etc.) and are just as "shady" as independents if you want to look at it that way. They just have a larger market share and can get away with it easier.

When I worked for a chain (won't name which one), they encouraged us to print a medication history sheet for each patient who drops off a prescription, and to go over it quickly with them (basic cousel) when they pick up and get them to initial it, so they could bill the government for a med review even if a patient was just on birth control...no wonder they changed the criteria for med reviews.

But I agree with most of you other points as well. My dad owns an independent pharmacy and I work there two days/week. We go way over and beyond what is required of us for our patients, and that's how we managed to stay in business despite all the competition and with no points/rewards system. We have patients who have been with us for 30 years, have moved to another part of the lower mainland and still come in to us for their prescriptions, because they appreciate the level of service.

[R5x]

Originally Posted by Jermyzy

When I worked for a chain (won't name which one), they encouraged us to print a medication history sheet for each patient who drops off a prescription, and to go over it quickly with them (basic cousel) when they pick up and get them to initial it, so they could bill the government for a med review even if a patient was just on birth control...no wonder they changed the criteria for med reviews.

Yeah I heard a lot of pharmacies abusing the med review criteria before as well..and they weren't independents that were doing that. If anything we would be more scared to lose money if we were audited and deemed to be abusing the system and we wouldn't want to risk it.

Originally Posted by Jermyzy

But I agree with most of you other points as well. My dad owns an independent pharmacy and I work there two days/week. We go way over and beyond what is required of us for our patients, and that's how we managed to stay in business despite all the competition and with no points/rewards system. We have patients who have been with us for 30 years, have moved to another part of the lower mainland and still come in to us for their prescriptions, because they appreciate the level of service.

That's awesome to hear! That's how it should be and these are the kind of patients we have as well. Patients should be coming to look for YOU; not coming to you because your dispensary happens to be there while they do other shopping.

[What_the?]

Like I said before, it's the person, not the company... if you have a good pharmacist, it doesn't matter where they're from.

I work for a big chain myself, and do the same things everyone else does, if not more.

I provide immunizations. In fact, I am an immunization trainer certified with the APHA that trains other pharrmacists to provide immunizations. My company is very keen on providing immunizations, and at least 95% of the pharmacists working in the company are trained to give shots.

I provide medication reviews. I was the first one in my company in all of BC to provide a medication review, and probably one of the first in BC period to provide them. I am also part of the medication management pilot, and conduct thorough discussions with my patients where problems are always found.

I run off site flu shot clinics, I write articles for magazines, I teach pharmacy students and certified technicians, I do presentations and talks in the community for corporations and community groups, I'm trained in central aortic blood pressure screening, and I'm an editor for a new publication coming out.

Thing is, most of these opportunities to go above and beyond clinically, and for the community/patients, were facilitated and encouraged through the "big faceless company" I work for. Head office is pushing hard for Pharmacists to perform clinical services, because that is the future. They know that also. I told head office that I wanted to have a computer setup in my counselling area so I can use it during my sit-down medication consults. And BAM! I get a new computer installed.

So what's the take home message? I believe it's not a matter of where or who you work for that determines the quality of the pharmacy care you provide. It depends on the pharmacist. So I still stand by the concept that as a pharmacist, if you're good, you can be good no matter where you work. If you don't give a shit, and are complacent, and could care less, then you'll suck even if you are put into the most clinical of all clinical pharmacies in the world.

No disrespect to independents, or chains alike. It doesn't matter what environment you work in because that part is just the job part. We all work wherever we can find someone to pay our wage... That part I understand.

If you are committed to your patients and to good patient care, then you will earn their respect and mines. So that's about it.

On a side note: we've begun a gift pile at my work for christmas to see how tall it gets before the new year. We're keeping it in plain view, and I think that's helping it get bigger because alot of people never think about thanking their pharmacy staff for all their help in the year... at least not until they see our gift pile hahaha...

[sindragon]

great to hear a lot of pharmacists here. I am planning to get in a program either in BC or somewhere in canada in a few years. A main thing that i have learned here is not to be a dick and enjoy what I do in the future. thanks

[yameen]

^ that goes for all health professions. don't be a dick and you may actually enjoy your job by helping people. many health care professionals lose sight of why they entered into their specific field in the first place.

i believe you get paid substantially less, but i have the most respect for clinical pharmacists =)

[What_the?]

clinical pharmacists get paid more than us in the community... at least in Vancouver

Work is work... you work to live, not live to work...

I've had so many friends graduate, thinking there should be some sort of profound satisfaction and fulfillment of their inner soul associated with their jobs... and then when they realize it's not really that profound, and it's really just a job, then they become unsatisfied and unhappy... but this is mainly because they put such high expectations on their work and what they want to get out of it that it's sort of unrealistic...

It almost seems like people are expecting to everyday save a child's life and have their parents profess their eternal gratitude for your amazing skills and talents as a healthcare professional or something... but realistically sometimes the biggest differences we make are the little things that happen day to day.

The other day I had a gentleman come to the counter and whip out a list written in my handwriting for some supplies and drugs to pack when going on a trip. He came and said "Oh! you wrote this list for me of things to bring on a trip... can you help me round them all up?" So I put together everything on the list, and went over when and how to use them. Rang him up at the cash register, and before he left he said "Thanks so much for your help in this whole process! You're awesome" I'm happy for casual interventions like this, and why i'm more of a community pharmacy kind of person.

Anyways, Sindragon, regardless of what profession you pick, just remember ultimately it's still a job. You can do good at your job, but make sure not to lose sight of your passions elsewhere. I go to work, do my 8 hours, then at 4 o'clock on the dot, i'm gone... out on the water, exercising/training, and enjoying the sun (i do alot of water sports). This kind of stuff is what keeps me sane... My gf is a physician, and i'm sure she saves tons of lives and things during the day, but still, work is work. The long hours still suck, and outside of work she balances things out with rock climbing, baking, and eating lots of candy.

A job is just a job, if we had enough money we probably wouldn't work or work part time and just do things we enjoyed. Make sure not to lose sight of these things when you're pursuing your career.

[Jermyzy]

Originally Posted by What_the?

clinical pharmacists get paid more than us in the community... at least in Vancouver

Not just clinical. Grade I pharmacist make about ~20% (hourly wage) more than I was getting paid at a community chain pharmacy, it's ridiculous. But I guess that's the same with any government job

What_the? --> It's obvious from what you do that you are a great pharmacist, but from my experience in working at a chain pharmacy, you are definitely an exception. I'm glad that you are getting support from your head office. When I worked at a chain, they were putting constant pressure on us to increase numbers. They cut a lot of hours from our staffing levels, and would constantly be hounding us why weren't doing as many adaptations, med reviews, recruiting new blisterpack patients etc. that they wanted.

[SiRV]

Damn, your getting put at the top payscale for the grade 1!
We have a pharmacist at my hospital that also did a community -> hospital transfer after 9 years and ended up on the top payscale as well

[R5x]

Originally Posted by What_the?

So what's the take home message? I believe it's not a matter of where or who you work for that determines the quality of the pharmacy care you provide. It depends on the pharmacist. So I still stand by the concept that as a pharmacist, if you're good, you can be good no matter where you work. If you don't give a shit, and are complacent, and could care less, then you'll suck even if you are put into the most clinical of all clinical pharmacies in the world.

Yeah I just wish pharmacists in general would be less complacent and from what I know, you are definitely an exception. The profession was spoiled for too long and it's pretty frustrating sometimes. The result of the certified tech movement is a typical example of this. Pharmacists only started to scream when shit hit the fan and it was too late.

[jACEDesignsLtd]

I've had my fair share of working with pharmacists.. hospital, community, chain, independent. I agree that it's the person that fills the job that makes the difference.

Same goes for any job really.

[yameen]

^yup. you'll see tons of nurses that hate their jobs and tons that love it. those who hate it do it for the money and benefits and those who love it find the job less stressful. i've had nothing but good experiences from clinical pharmacists and they seem to enjoy their jobs. when i approach someone from london drugs, they don't seem to give a direct answer or look into the question if they don't know the answer. i'm not generalizing this to everyone, but this is strictly based on my own experience.

[Nocardia]

Originally Posted by Jermyzy

Leaving community and starting hospital pharmacy in January

Yikes, sorry to hear. Hospital pharmacists are getting a 14% roll back in wages starting in April

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/G...345/story.html

[truth]

heard the news last week through a friend, pretty brutal. was there any indication of this or just a sudden announcement?

[pharmed]

Originally Posted by Jermyzy

Leaving community and starting hospital pharmacy in January

Originally Posted by Nocardia

Yikes, sorry to hear. Hospital pharmacists are getting a 14% roll back in wages starting in April

Government hands wage cut to B.C. hospital pharmacists

Yes, that may be, but you can't say that having a higher salary trumps a fulfilling job in which you continually learn, are challenged, exercise your mind and actually use your knowledge. I still keep a casual position in a retail chain and can pick up 5-10 shifts if I feel like it. A foot in both doors helps me stay grounded and (regretfully) be reminded to avoid indifferent health care.

[Nocardia]

Originally Posted by truth

heard the news last week through a friend, pretty brutal. was there any indication of this or just a sudden announcement?

Very sudden, our managers had no idea and even their managers had no idea. There are still plenty of open positions because many pharmacists are not adequately trained to work in the hospital. Our schooling does not prepare graduates to work in the hospital, many try to go onto complete a residency but there are only limited spots across canada.

Anyways, if anyone is reading, please spend the time to click a few buttons to help out @ Stop unilateral wage rollback for BC

Ask questions if you would like before you send away the letter, or draft your own.

Originally Posted by pharmed

Yes, that may be, but you can't say that having a higher salary trumps a fulfilling job in which you continually learn, are challenged, exercise your mind and actually use your knowledge.

Agreed.
The only problem is when people have mortgages that are dictated by their wage. A few % drop isn't the end of the world but double digits makes life difficult.

[pharmed]

The only problem is when people have mortgages that are dictated by their wage. A few % drop isn't the end of the world but double digits makes life difficult.

Sorry, didn't mean to downplay it. I guess we're still okay for the time being in Alberta and it doesn't really register yet.

[spoon.ek9]

can't really call it a wage cut when it was offered as a bonus all along. the extra 14-15% was offered when there was a huge shortage of pharmacists. since that shortage no longer exists, it makes sense that they would remove that bonus.

does it suck for pharmacists? hell ya it does. but to act like this was a wage increase instead of a bonus is wrong imo. there are however some pharmacists who didn't realize it was a bonus at all and those are the ones who are hit the hardest by this.

also, don't forget, technicians are the ones who had their wages cut long ago and to this day have still not regained what they lost. they were also labelled as "glorified janitors" by Gordon Campbell.

[Nocardia]

Originally Posted by spoon.ek9

can't really call it a wage cut when it was offered as a bonus all along. the extra 14-15% was offered when there was a huge shortage of pharmacists. since that shortage no longer exists, it makes sense that they would remove that bonus.

does it suck for pharmacists? hell ya it does. but to act like this was a wage increase instead of a bonus is wrong imo. there are however some pharmacists who didn't realize it was a bonus at all and those are the ones who are hit the hardest by this.

I understand the wage increase was due to a shortage but to call it a bonus is incorrect. Technically it was a "market adjustment".
When community counterparts are making ~%20 more to start, the adjustment was required to entice pharmacists into the hospital.

This adjustment actually put the new grads closer to what can be made in the community and those with 6 years of experience, more than what community pharmacists make *IN THE LOWER MAINLAND*. Unfortunately with the union being BC wide, there is still a large difference between wages when you move North.

So, who should we compare our wages to? Across Canada? Even with the current wages, BC Pharmacists are a few percent under the national average, with this wage decrease, they will be >15% below national average.

Should we compare to our american counterpart - you don't want to see the differences.

Originally Posted by spoon.ek9

since that shortage no longer exists, it makes sense that they would remove that bonus.$

Since this market adjustment was due to a shortage, if the shortage is gone, you would assume the market would adjust itself and wages to follow. So what definition of shortage would you use? I believe the minister noted the increase in # pharmacists, I can't find the exact number stated however I can tell you that an increase in number does not equal an increase in FTE's. Due to the shortage at the hospital I work at, we have only 2 full time pharmacists at the moment.
Maternity leaves (female dominated profession now) and retirement (~20% of pharmacists are in the retirement window), leaves staff shortages. Yes, jobs are posted. No these jobs are not filled. It has been noted that >50 clinical pharmacist jobs are posted in BC, the only applicants at the hospital I work at are unqualified for the position. Is there still a shortage?

It was discussed this wage decrease will save the government $8 million per year. I suppose it is up to you to decide if this is negligible to the >$62 billion budget. It is all relative and we pay a price to live in BC, but the idea is to get people informed about this and understand the value of pharmacists. I do note that there is very minimal claimed overtime by pharmacists and when someone calls in sick, there is no replacement (like physicians). Pharmacists are encouraged to claim overtime to show the financial impact of our extra work. Suffice to say that the impact is large.

If you are interested in the actual wages made by pharmacists (no, they do not make $80/hr), you are welcome to view it here: Health Sciences Association of BC :: Health science professionals


Anyways, I do not mean to attack your post, but explain where I come from on the issue. Many posts/people/comments like this wage roll back to a patient on insulin wrt their blood sugar. When you give insulin (wages), the diabetic is fine, so naturally you may assume you can withdrawal insulin (like in cats), but the diabetic patient still has diabetes and will soon have complications.

[spoon.ek9]

Originally Posted by Nocardia

I understand the wage increase was due to a shortage but to call it a bonus is incorrect. Technically it was a "market adjustment".
When community counterparts are making ~%20 more to start, the adjustment was required to entice pharmacists into the hospital.

You can call it anything you like, but that still doesn't change the fact that this was a temporary increase from the very beginning. We see similar situations arise in community wages for techs. Techs can be paid anywhere between $10-$14/hr to start while pharmacies located near a hospital must offer more to entice techs to work for them. In those cases, techs start at $18/hr or higher and that is still less than what a Hospital tech is paid.

This adjustment actually put the new grads closer to what can be made in the community and those with 6 years of experience, more than what community pharmacists make *IN THE LOWER MAINLAND*. Unfortunately with the union being BC wide, there is still a large difference between wages when you move North.

So, who should we compare our wages to? Across Canada? Even with the current wages, BC Pharmacists are a few percent under the national average, with this wage decrease, they will be >15% below national average.

Should we compare to our american counterpart - you don't want to see the differences.

I am aware there is a large difference. there is also a large difference in the amount of income tax taken by the US gov't.

Since this market adjustment was due to a shortage, if the shortage is gone, you would assume the market would adjust itself and wages to follow. So what definition of shortage would you use? I believe the minister noted the increase in # pharmacists, I can't find the exact number stated however I can tell you that an increase in number does not equal an increase in FTE's. Due to the shortage at the hospital I work at, we have only 2 full time pharmacists at the moment.
Maternity leaves (female dominated profession now) and retirement (~20% of pharmacists are in the retirement window), leaves staff shortages. Yes, jobs are posted. No these jobs are not filled. It has been noted that >50 clinical pharmacist jobs are posted in BC, the only applicants at the hospital I work at are unqualified for the position. Is there still a shortage?

I think what you may be forgetting here is the role of technician regulation. The number of pharmacist positions (especially in community, of course) will decrease. Guaranteed.

IIRC, back in 2004, UBC accepted 125 students into the Pharmacy program. I haven't looked up the number for current numbers but I'm told it's around 200-225 students being accepted. That's nearly double the amount of graduates compared to just 8 years ago. UBC doesn't care if you get a job, their business is to pump out as many graduates as they can handle.

In my opinion, this is part of the problem. The minister would of course look at these numbers and conclude (however incorrect they may be, as you pointed out) that the shortage is over. Add to that the fact that RPT's will be taking many Pharmacist positions in the community, and you can see why the shortage no longer seems to exist.

I can't speak for your hospital, but for the one I work at, positions are filled on average between 1-4 weeks. Even clinical positions.


It was discussed this wage decrease will save the government $8 million per year. I suppose it is up to you to decide if this is negligible to the >$62 billion budget. It is all relative and we pay a price to live in BC, but the idea is to get people informed about this and understand the value of pharmacists. I do note that there is very minimal claimed overtime by pharmacists and when someone calls in sick, there is no replacement (like physicians). Pharmacists are encouraged to claim overtime to show the financial impact of our extra work. Suffice to say that the impact is large.

I am aware that many Pharmacists refuse to claim overtime. It's done in good nature but also in fear that it won't be accepted by their employers. IMO, this is totally wrong! If you work extra, you should be paid accordingly. And to answer your previous point, the gov't doesn't care how insignificant a number may seem to the employees. Their bottom line is what's most important to them and they are willing to cut costs anywhere they can.


If you are interested in the actual wages made by pharmacists (no, they do not make $80/hr), you are welcome to view it here: Health Sciences Association of BC :: Health science professionals

I never made such a claim... not sure where that came from.


Anyways, I do not mean to attack your post, but explain where I come from on the issue. Many posts/people/comments like this wage roll back to a patient on insulin wrt their blood sugar. When you give insulin (wages), the diabetic is fine, so naturally you may assume you can withdrawal insulin (like in cats), but the diabetic patient still has diabetes and will soon have complications.

I'm not trying to attack your post either, just replying to some of the points you made.

[Nocardia]

Originally Posted by spoon.ek9

You can call it anything you like, but that still doesn't change the fact that this was a temporary increase from the very beginning. We see similar situations arise in community wages for techs. Techs can be paid anywhere between $10-$14/hr to start while pharmacies located near a hospital must offer more to entice techs to work for them. In those cases, techs start at $18/hr or higher and that is still less than what a Hospital tech is paid.

It is interesting you state this actually because it leads into the point further down. Community technicians pay scale changes compared to where they work, similar to community pharmacists. However the job of a hospital technician is different as well, not harder or easier, but different. Your comments here neglect the comments I had right after you wrote this, pharmacists in any hospital in BC make the same wage. There is no shortage of pharmacists west of Surrey. Most pharmacists in rural hospitals are part time (usually mothers) who take the wage cut for the schedule, but as they move to maternity leaves, retirement or if they were able to entice a full timer, they generally move away to a larger centre for a more challenging position.

I am aware there is a large difference. there is also a large difference in the amount of income tax taken by the US gov't.

They also have more litigation and more responsibilities in their roles so our jobs, while similar, are not identical.

I think what you may be forgetting here is the role of technician regulation. The number of pharmacist positions (especially in community, of course) will decrease. Guaranteed.
At least at the hospital I am at, technician regulation does not impact pharmacists as there is already a tech-check-tech process and the hospital pharmacists only position in the dispensary is to verify prescriptions and take clinical calls. I believe at other hospitals pharmacists may check chemotherapy so I can't comment in those specific situations but I would be surprised if it is significant.

IIRC, back in 2004, UBC accepted 125 students into the Pharmacy program. I haven't looked up the number for current numbers but I'm told it's around 200-225 students being accepted. That's nearly double the amount of graduates compared to just 8 years ago. UBC doesn't care if you get a job, their business is to pump out as many graduates as they can handle.

In my opinion, this is part of the problem. The minister would of course look at these numbers and conclude (however incorrect they may be, as you pointed out) that the shortage is over. Add to that the fact that RPT's will be taking many Pharmacist positions in the community, and you can see why the shortage no longer seems to exist.

I can't speak for your hospital, but for the one I work at, positions are filled on average between 1-4 weeks. Even clinical positions.

I agree with your comments, but from this information, I assume you work in a large centre or one in vancouver. This is precisely why the shortage does not appear as dire. Areas around a pharmacy school, specifically a large city (ie vancouver) will never have problems attracting emplyees due to their proximity to the school, academic opportunities and interesting jobs. Outlying and rural hospitals loose all their pharmacists because they go to these jobs for the same pay they get at their small, underfunded hospitals. I myself may move to a larger hospital for that very reason. You mentioned earlier that techs in the community are paid differently depending on where specifically they work, pharmacists in the community do as well, but the hospital, due to the provincial union, do not, hence more reason to go to a larger centre.
So to give some credence to what I have said:
Currently the 1 position open (other positions taken down/removed due to financial/inactive issues) at my hospital has only been applied to by community pharmacists, who are unqualified.
Over the past 2 years Northern Health has had 4 pharmacists for their residency program, not 1 has stayed (med school, community pharmacy, move to vancouver...as for the comment I noted above)
Ridge Meadows hospital runs with 2 clinical pharmacists and one is going on maternity leave shortly, they have not been able to hire a new pharmacist for ~1.5 years

I am aware that many Pharmacists refuse to claim overtime. It's done in good nature but also in fear that it won't be accepted by their employers. IMO, this is totally wrong! If you work extra, you should be paid accordingly. And to answer your previous point, the gov't doesn't care how insignificant a number may seem to the employees. Their bottom line is what's most important to them and they are willing to cut costs anywhere they can.
I don't think pharmacists refuse to do it, it is their obligation to claim it. It is clearly a culture and I have seen it change over the past few weeks. I understand $8 million is still a large pot of money, I am just trying to give my comments substance and not just "I feel" or "I want" or "I deserve"

I never made such a claim... not sure where that came from.
The wage claim was not directed at you by any means, after discussing the issue with friends and LPN/RN/RD/OT/PT, not one thought we made under $70/hr, so it was more of a blanket statement

Anyways, I do not mean to attack your post.[/B]

So I can see that the issues will be long standing and with the new technician regulations changing their scope, community pharmacy will have a huge impact. I can only assume that once hospital pharmacists wage decrease, community pharmacists wage will decrease, leading to technician wage decreases (or at least frozen again for the umpteenth year). International grads are having an increasingly difficult time working towards being licensed in BC (which is likely a good thing as you noted BC will start graduating ~225 grads) and even our own grads will start having issues finding positions in the next few years. This means that their options will be to fill positions in rural areas or go to the USA. I can only imagine that people would work in Bellingham, Burlington or Seattle over Bella Bella or Kitimat because of the wages and proximity to Vancouver.

[SiRV]

Speaking of USA.. anyone written the NAPLEX? which states are we eligible to work I'm sure the geography of where we are allowed to go has changed over the last 15 years.

[Okami]

Originally Posted by SiRV

Speaking of USA.. anyone written the NAPLEX? which states are we eligible to work I'm sure the geography of where we are allowed to go has changed over the last 15 years.

sorry not answering your question.

but now i remember where i saw you!

you were at burnaby hospital giving a presentation about careers in pharmacy.

tell us about this

lol kidding aside.. the info we had then and the info we had a few months later was such a big difference..