Discussion on 'How many hours does a pharmacist work a week?'

(1) On February 28, 2009 at 00:34 am Goeurope [0] said:

The hours that I pharmacist works are usually an "average" of 42 to 46 hours per week. The money is good but the conditions are horrible in many retail settings. So bad that it is physically dangerous to both the pharmacist and the patients receiving prescriptions. I have been a pharmacist for 30 years.

I am currently working 14 hour days with no breaks and insufficient support. I am working for the largest chain of drug stores in the country. When a technician calls in sick, no one will help you cover the hours and you literally have no time to call around looking for help let alone eat or go to the bathroom.

Very often, 1 pharmacist and 1 technician has to cover a drop off window, a pickup window, a consultation window, a drive up window, 6 phone lines, fill prescriptions, ring them up and call dr's offices.

Management refuses to give you more technician hours and they get away with this because labor laws don't cover pharmacists. We are in the same category as doctors and lawyers so labor laws do not apply to us. There is a huge shortage of pharmacists and the conditions are the main reason. I'm thankful that I have a job in this day but I am getting angina from the stress/liability and am afraid that I won't be able to work in my field. If I had to do it again, I'd go to medical school.

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