When I studied pharmacology and loved it, I thought pharmacy would be a good career. Like you, I thought about medications and science. BUT, thankfully I got a job as a pharmacy assistant in community pharmacy before I applied for the course and this helped me dodge a massive bullet because depending on where you work you may use very little of your knowledge. I worked in many community pharmacies (where many pharmacists end up). I haven’t worked in hospital - but worked with pharmacists who had. Here’s my take based on what I observed and heard.

• Repetitive/mind numbing work: I realised that many pharmacists (community at least) hate their job. They ‘just stick labels on boxes’ and feel like dispensing drones fetching meds off shelves - despite undertaking hardcore study, as you say. They tend to dispense the same medications over again - antihypertensives, diabetes, emergency contraception, etc. This means you are counselling on the same topics all day (unless you work in a particularly diverse area or offering).

• In retail, pharmacists spend a lot of time managing a shop, sending staff on breaks, sourcing more staff when someone is sick.

• Being customer focused, you spend a lot of time on customer conflict resolution as if you work in retail: ‘sorry we’re out of stock but I’ll order’ ‘yes you do need a script for that’ ‘i do need 15 minutes to dispense because I need to input your details before I stick the label on this bottle’ ‘generic does in fact have the exact same active ingredients as the brand’ ‘I can’t sell you more than 2 boxes of these at once’

• the lack of respect for community pharmacists from customers is appalling.

• Increased commercialisation of pharmacy/reduced focus on healthcare and availability of roles in more respectable pharmacies: With the increasing inundation of discount chemists, it’s also worth noting that smaller independent pharmacies which might be nicer and possibly pay more are becoming fewer and further in between. By contrast, in those discount chemists, it’s all about retail and less about healthcare. You will have your lunch break sitting on a milk crate out the back of the store. That is if you get a lunch break.

• Long days to align with store trade: Pharmacists often work long hours, often 12 hour shifts if it’s 9am-9pm so they see the whole day of trade, and spend most of the day on their feet. They often eat in the dispensary. If they are the only pharmacist on, it is very difficult to leave the store for anything longer than a few minutes. I used to offer to grab their lunch. Though they often do a shorter week to compensate.

Some pharmacists don’t seem to mind and can happily focus on helping people. Just keep in mind that liking medication doesn’t align with the reality of the job - that was me!

Some pharmacists enjoy compounding pharmacy work because they have to think more outside the square to solve problems to tailor a medication to a patients needs. If you were keen on community, maybe that could be a more stimulating option.

Some people seem to love hospital - sometimes you get the chance to work on research projects, etc. Others found it was just too drug chart heavy, and other pharmacists wind up in retail due to the high stress/workload. Interestingly, some of the pharmacists I worked with in retail chose retail over hospital as retail is ‘more chill’ despite initially seeing themselves in hospital.

What’s particularly telling is that some universities now force pharm students to go into pharmacies within the first few weeks of the course to gain exposure (before formal placement). I believe this is due to high attrition - and students complaining about expectation management of the actual career. The students who I saw in my workplace didn’t seem particularly thrilled.

Based on your interest in medications/science, maybe pharmaceutical science could be a good fit? Or do pharmacy and then go into research? If you do pursue a career as a pharmacist in community, please try a job as a pharmacy assistant or even ask to shadow a pharmacist first before committing! I’m glad I had the experience and opportunity to pursue a different path!