#pharmacy advice

[pharmdup]

Hello again! I just wanted to really thank you for writing out such a detailed and thoughtful response! I'm actually a CA grad so i'm studying for the NAPLEX and CPJE as I type. I guess I found it funny, here in CA we're told to look to other states to find work because we're too saturated. But on that note, Is it normal to be afraid of being limited by not matching residency? For all my contingency planning and strategizing, it feels a bit overwhelming o-o;.

Oh! The California market must have changed since I was job hunting. Look at other states then, which should be a bit easier to license in compared to California. I’m glad to give a bit of internet advice when I can, and I hope it helps!

I’d have to say that the transition from student or resident to independent pharmacist is overwhelming for anyone, but especially in this saturated job market. It’ll make you frightened and start doubting yourself as the job hunt goes on.

I imagine that you do feel a bit more vulnerable without a residency, though I don’t know how true that vulnerability is. Community pharmacies never responded to my attempts to work for them, and I wonder if my lack of community pharmacy experience plus a residency made me less attractive to them—maybe I don’t appear that I’m with the investment of orientation? And to be fair, I may not have been worth it, since I might have switched back to ambulatory care or hospital.

I’ve said before that pharmacists without residency training often seem insecure when working with residency-trained pharmacists, which I think is too bad. My very best mentors didn’t go to residency—didn’t even have a PharmD, some of them, and think about how insecure BSPharm pharmacists can get around PharmDs like you and me. Experience and integrity make the best pharmacists at the end of the day, but I don’t know if they help much with the job hunt.

Knowing that you’re facing a time in your life where it’s normal to be afraid, a poem came to mind.

Life is full of scary moments, but you’ve overcome all of the ones that you’ve faced so far. You’ll survive this one, too.

[pharmdetermined2018]

No, Doctor,

I don’t know how the e-prescribing software works.

[pharmdup]

Hi! I just wanted to ask you for advice if that's okay! I am a 2020 grad from a school of pharmacy in the US. I applied for residency in the hopes of pursuing Onc, but didn't match. I'm trying to move forward and find a job, but given the current circumstances, I'm not sure that'll happen soon. So I'm just focusing on my boards and hoping to pass! It might be foolish to ask but are there any words of advice you can provide? Or any suggestions of what I can do now to show growth if I reapply? Ty!

I’m sorry, that’s so hard to reach such an amazing milestone as your graduation and then feel stalled. But so impressive that you’re thinking of a smart strategy! Here’s some thoughts:

1. I have a friend from school, just a few years ago, in the exact same situation as you. He applied to a rural job posting for an oncology ambulatory care practice and he got the position. I don’t think the residency-trained oncology pharmacists were interested in working that rural, but rural practice is amazing.

2. Don’t just license in your state. Your job and residency hunt may be limited if you do. Especially consider licensing in California, which has such a crazy hard law exam that it limits how many pharmacists license there. Many California residencies won’t consider you unless you’re already licensed there.

3. Volunteering creates incredible networking opportunities. As soon as you’re licensed, start supervising pharmacy students at health fairs or whatever they’re doing in the times of covid. Schools of pharmacy are always short on preceptors for those things and the other pharmacists will treat you as an actual grown pharmacist, because you are.

4. Consider, again, rural opportunities.

5. Consider government jobs and residencies. I believe that the VA and the Indian health service have a different residency matching program and schedule, so they’re often overlooked by other applicants since they’re not part of the Match. Their loss is your gain. Is the Public Health Service hiring? Either way, you don’t have to be part of the PHS to work these jobs.

6. For passing exams, you can’t review all of pharmacy school. You just can’t. Take a practice test, identify your weaknesses, and only study those. And on the day of the exam, before reading any test questions, quickly write down everything you’re worried you’ll forget on a scratch paper. You’ll be glad you did on hour four. And take advantage of the scheduled breaks!

7. ACCP lists more residency programs than ASHP does.

I hope some of this helps! Remember that the job hunt is longer for new grads now and that’s no reflection on you.

[pharmdup]

Hi i just started my p4 year.. as a student whos battling mental illness and looking for possibly doing a residency im worried that i wont get a residency that would meet my needs. Im a person that tires out quickly and my only exposure to what residency is are from residents who are complaining of being overworked(80+ hrs/wk).. do you have any advice or reassurance? Are there residencies out there that won't overwork their residents?

Oh man, such big questions. Brought me right back to my P4 year. To answer briefly: no, I don’t have any personal experience with a residency that doesn’t overwork residents. I guess that they probably exist, but I don’t have personal experience with them. All of the residents at all of the residencies in the city where I did mine looked like they were having a mental breakdown at the final residency poster session in April, and the residents at my current site seem a bit overwhelmed too.

But also like, why do you want to do a residency? What kind of job do you want afterwards? What dreams do you have for your career? What work helps you be happy? Sometimes when things are hard in the world, especially when we’re battling mental illness, we forget to dream. Even if we don’t get the exact life we dream about, it’s a good way to point out the direction we want to go in.

I did one because my dream was to someday write package inserts, plus I graduated still terrible at understanding acute care. When I research and write about drug information, time flies. Failing that, I’d like to help primary care practitioners provide excellent care to psychiatric patients. I thought a residency might help me get there. Obviously that’s not where I am, though my current job could lead to either, so I don’t know yet if a residency helped.

Is it to help with your job security? It still took me months after residency to get a job offer. Some people go to residency to avoid having to distribute drugs but, despite what pharmacy schools try to tell students, you’re definitely going to have to do that. It’s what we do. I don’t know why any of us try to avoid it. It’s such important and honorable work, and I don’t think I’d feel as good at being a pharmacist if I went pure clinical and didn’t handle drugs.

Sometimes we seem to think that the only real clinical pharmacist is a residency-trained pharmacist, but I do know that every single good pharmacist is a clinical pharmacist. They stay current on the science and do gymnastics to advocate for their patients even when their retail overlords try to prevent it. If you don’t do a residency, though, I think you’ll always have a bit of imposter syndrome when you talk with residency-trained pharmacists, which you’d have to work through. Residency pushes you in ways you might not push yourself to achieve excellence. You’ll have to do research. You’ll have to do the excessive work or they’ll dismiss you and you’ll lose your job.

As for reassurance: I put off starting college until I had my anxiety and executive dysfunction problems solved. After a few years, I realized my mental illness wasn’t getting any better and I still wasn’t going to college like I wanted. I started college, thinking that if I had to battle anxiety, I might as well do it while I was pursuing my dreams anyway. Will you be struggling with mental illness even if you don’t do a residency?

If residency is your dream, then fight for it. Make a plan for how you’ll find the support and therapy that you need to do it. Remember that it’s a bit lower stakes for us than medical residents—if you’re not able to graduate from residency, the worst that will happen is that you’ll still be a licensed pharmacist, able to work in any pharmacy.

And I believe in you. Overcoming hardship will make you a better, more compassionate pharmacist. The fact that it will be very hard and painful doesn’t mean that I think you’ll fail. You can do hard things, if they’re worth it to achieve your dreams. Mental illness doesn’t mean your dreams can’t still be as big as the universe. I hope this helps.

[starsbegantofall]

skin care (pharmacy)

This is generalized skin care from a pharmacy perspective. This doesn't replace medical advice from your physician, dermatologist or aesthetician.

Sunscreen always, moisturizer often, cleanser good, don't pop pimples, do research and be in tune with yourself.

Always wear sunscreen. Even if you're staying inside. Even if you have dark skin. The first time you get a bad sunburn will determine your skin health in the future so if you have kids, be extra vigilant and for everyone, remember to reapply if sweating or swimming. Skin and lung cancer are the 2 deadliest cancers and yet they are the cancers you can do the most direct action to prevent, so therefore you should also not smoke/vape/anything like that. Find any sunscreen that agrees with your skin and that you will remember to wear, at least spf 30 but you don't need the highest spfs. There, you instantly decreased your chance of cancer and also wrinkles.

Consider moisturizer. You hydrate by drinking water to help your inner organs, but you do need external moisturizer for your outer organs (skin and also hair). Especially if you live in dry areas or just want your skin to feel smooth and comfortable. I recommend starting with something unscented to prevent acne and breakouts. For example I use Clinique (allegedly doctors help develop this line) and lotion safe for babies and kids like Aveeno. I also find Korean and Japanese skin care agrees with me since I'm Asian, and obviously European brands do not. Whatever works for you, use it. Conversely, do not leave your scalp wet after washing for too long, it causes skin problems and infections.

Also consider cleanser, especially if you have problem oily skin with acne. If you cleanse, then you need to moisturize after. Also remember to clean your towels and pillowcases and makeup tools regularly. Try to not touch your face with dirty hands, if you do, then try to wash your face at the next opportunity. Greasy food doesn't cause acne, but dirty hands all over your face is not going to help. Also don't rub your eyes a lot, rubbing your eyes affects your vision and the delicate skin around the eyes and you don't want to give yourself pink eye if you're around kids.

Never pop pimples yourself! If you must get rid of them, go to a licensed aesthetician with disinfected tools and good technique. If you pop pimples with dirty hands, that's a septic blood infection waiting to happen. Organ failure and brain damage and death. In fact, never use anything except disinfected tools and distilled water and sterile medications near your eyes and nose. Brain eating microbes exist. Treat pimples with over the counter treatments as directed, or get actual medical advice from a doctor if it's looking extra horrible and hurts you.

Your skin and hair comes from your parents DNA and is very hard to change, so be gentle with yourself if you thought a miracle treatment would work but it didn't. Less stress is better for your skin anyway. The problem people have these days is they are not in tune with their bodies or minds or emotions because life is busy and overwhelming, but if you take some time to record what you ate or your stress or hormones level or what exercise you did, you can track down issues before you get sick, or at least not be clueless at your next doctor appointment. Habits develop after at least 6 weeks of everyday work so it's never too late to start good healthy routines.

Again this information cannot be used as personal medical advice, this is general knowledge based on what pharmacists go through in their training. Always consult a doctor if you want to try something drastically new, and don't blame me if you misunderstand any of that and something happens to you, although I seriously doubt it because this is like 99% common sense.

[thomasdrugs]

Why Doubling Meds After a Missed Dose Is Risky

Missing a dose is more common than people admit, especially with busy schedules or complex regimens. When it happens, many assume the quickest fix is to double up on the next dose. This may sound like a harmless solution, but it can actually create more problems than it solves.

Learn more:

https://www.thomasdrugsny.com/why-doubling-meds-after-a-missed-dose-is-risky

[lotuspharmacy]

Pharmacists: Your First Line of Defense in Health

At an independent pharmacy in California, pharmacists play a critical role in ensuring medication safety.

When it comes to staying healthy, many people overlook how vital pharmacists are in preventive care. Your local retail pharmacy in Menifee, California, isn’t just a place to pick up medications—it’s a trusted source for expert advice and services that can help you stay on top of your health. Whether it’s advice on over-the-counter remedies or more personalized care, pharmacists are always there to guide you.

[thequeenllc]

Pharmacy Tips for Safe Medication Storage

For prescription refills in Houston, Texas, keeping an organized medication inventory can simplify the process of managing your prescription

Ensuring that medications are appropriately stored is crucial for maintaining their effectiveness and safety. At a retail pharmacy in Rosharon, Texas, we often encounter questions about how to store medications safely at home. Proper medication storage helps prevent deterioration, misuse, and potential health risks.