Is Pharmacy Saturated?

My name is Kelvin, a P3 student pharmacist. Is the pharmacy profession getting saturated? Is there a future for us student pharmacists? Here are my thoughts.
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[@kelvinkronicles]

Hey guys! Do you have any specific question about pharmacy ? Comment below to let me know and I'll answer them on my next video!

[@Yatubeaddict]

Here are some real stats: Pharmacist Job Growth (2016 TO 2026): 17,400. Source: US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. In 2017-2018 ALONE: 14,905 degrees awarded. Source: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Enough said. DON'T DO PHARMACY!

[@jasabrigana]

Hello Kelvin, I am not into social media so I am really not sure how to reach you. I'm from Edmonton, Canada and is planning to move to US soon with my family. I am currently taking Pharmacy Assistant Program here to give my career a fresh start. I am just wondering if there are Pharmacy Assistants in there or just technicians. Please help

[@nissimbaraness3591]

To be honest, one of the major flaws in having a PharmD degree is just how saturated the field is! I don’t wanna show any disrespect but I don’t see the point of having a pharmacist dispensing a medication to a patient to tell him/her how to use it because the instructions are already printed! All the side effects etc are also included! What killed it for me though is the amount of years you spend to be a pharmacist vs how much you’re expected in make in return given how saturated it is which doesn’t make any financial sense. If you really want the “Doctor” title, go to medical school, the journey is much longer but the end results are worth it way more!

[@aeneas116116]

JP .Young so true.

[@sghrigsby1]

I came across your video because I am trying to help my son who is 19 find a career. I am a pharmacist of 24 years, and worked with a new grad several years ago, and had no clue how much pharmacy school cost these days. I happened to notice most of the videos on youtube are young people and are having problems finding jobs. My comment applies to retail pharmacy (the majority of jobs) because this is what I know. I own my own community pharmacy in a rural area of Mississippi, absolutely love it. It really scares me to hear how much y'all are in debt when you get out of pharmacy school and then can't find a job. This is really sad cause I know how hard and how many sacrifices these students have made to make to get to where they are at. I would like to say (not that it matters) that one of the reasons I went into pharmacy school was because I KNEW I would NOT have a problem getting a job, and trust me, Dallas, TX was recruiting pharmacist when I graduated in 1996 and were even offering a brand new BMW to go along with the sign on bonus, true story!!! I could totally choose my own schedule because there was such a shortage. Relief work was in so much demand that I worked 6 days a week a lot of times just cause I couldn't say no. School was $800 and something a semester, and the pharmacy school I went to (ULM) sent out a letter pretty much apologizing that they had to go up to $1100. I can't think of any field other than education that has inflated in such a short length of time, what is going on? Evidently, the schools are seriously taking advantage of this federal money with no regard to this young person's life. I did not realize the extent of this abuse, so I hope I can help anyone interested in possibly pursuing this career. I have pharmacist calling all the time for relief work. Let me say that I have always wanted my own store; however, i can't deny that I also bought me a job. It's scary, and for us older pharmacist, it can be really scary because chains do tend to hire younger ones. That's all good for y'all right now, but you are going to get "older" as well. Money is so tight right now because of the PBMS and how they are essentially ruining our career. Something has got to be done and done fast. These middle men did not exist when I graduated, and I have watched them over the years merge and get very very rich and powerful with no jurisdiction or accountability. Hopefully things will start looking up soon, I can say that Ohio took a "HUGE" step last week with the governor signing a PBM transparency law that will bring much needed transparency to their state's medicaid system. The PBM had pocketed $225 million dollars from their medicaid system through deceptive spread pricing practices alone. They also prohibited requiring a patient to use "their" specialty pharmacy. Why am I telling you this? because independents are closing left and right because of their abuse and this in itself has decreased the job market. Independents can not pay pharmacist what they are worth because ultimately the middle men are stealing our money. So with the increase in pharmacy schools, and the PBM abuse, overtime, it has had a huge effect on our career. Customers come to a retail pharmacy and want to talk to a pharmacist, not a pharmacy technician and not a clerk, a pharmacist. This is what you are educated for, and yes you do use your education in a retail pharmacy. Nobody wants to go to school for 7-8 years ( whatever it is now), and not be compensated for their time and investment. Nobody wants to invest in a retail pharmacy just to have a PBM steal their money essentially, for doing nothing but creating manipulative ways to steal it. (u may have to read that sentence twice) We need a voice from the younger grads and students (politically). We want to create jobs for pharmacist but we can not do that with them taking our profits. Customers want pharmacist to be more accessible. We want young pharmacist to eventually buy out or open back our community pharmacies. None of us want to work for a chain and have some business man in the corporate office tell us how to do our job. Screw that !!!!! We want our profession back and our patients do as well. Young people, your attitude is everything in this profession. If you hate your job, how can you make a difference? For what it's worth, please do not throw in the book. Our profession is not going anywhere if we don't let it, but we have to come together and make that happen. Sorry for rambling on and on, but I felt a need to at least try to educate a young person, and to inspire you to not give up.

[@kaiung7542]

My preceptors said when she graduated in the 2000s, by the time she was in her fourth year (final year) of pharmacy school, JOBS were fighting to get them onboard with sign on bonuses. Nowadays you won't get anything and would need to have your license before your application even gets glanced at in HR.0

[@YKDDS91]

So many of them are in denial. Other health professions are NOT saturated; even the saturated ones aren't anything like how saturated pharmacy field is. Pharmacy is dead. All those new private pharm schools killed the field. Trust me. You will not get a job; at least not one that pays you what they're supposed to. You mention there are other options for pharmacists other than retail? Well, you should know that jobs in hospitals and research and academic positions are even harder to get. More than 70% of the field is retail. It's insane right now. All the mega corporates like Amazon are acquiring pharmaceutical companies. There will be a major shift to the mail order system soon and the retail pharmacy will come to an end.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

yep, actually ambulatory/primary care is probably the hardest to find a job despite a residency. and you are right. Medicine is not saturated at all and will never be. radiology is to an extent but not like pharmacy. PA and NP are hot in demand but hopefully they do not turn out to be like pharmacy.

[@ladygeena81]

It’s sad

[@hehehehfun4938]

Mason K i agree. i am a nurse and i see how bad it is for pharmacy. Nursing is still growing like wild fire. I get job offer left and right. I make as much as a pharmacist without all the debts and i only have a bachelor degree. If i travel nurse, i’ll make close to 150k. Nurse Anesthetist in my OR already make MD pay. 240k per year.

[@jaysonemile6633]

heheheh Fun I think NP and PA will be saturated within the next few years

[@SmolBoiii]

U are so negative

[@deeppers69]

sorry you guys are in denial. you are literally regurgitating the things the pharm school is telling you. its in their best interest to keep you in school, you are their cash cow. as a pharmacist graduated 6 yrs ago, yes it is saturated and no there are not jobs. very few pgy1/2 spots per grad. maybe 15% will get one.

[@pointless132]

If you truly want to convince the public everything is going to be okay, make a video after graduation showing most of you classmates being employed. Talk is cheap, especially when there are stats from the real world

[@lamingtongirl123]

Nursing will never become saturated who said that? There’s more leaving the profession than nurses entering it. It’s only saturated in big cities not rural areas where no one wants to live. They’re always hiring at nursing homes too because the working conditions are so degrading they have high turnover rates because no one wants to work there.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

lamingtongirl123 at least Nursing you will have low debt and have the option to do CRNA or NP

[@lousinebabayan6909]

Good vid, I am a pharmacy student myself and there aren’t as many pharmacy-related videos on KZbin. Very helpful, keep it going 🙏

[@HereThere1989]

wow that girl said it was a good thing company fired old pharmacists to hire them? for real? I understand she meant she had a chance to get jobs but seriously, lots of corps now fire old pharmacists before their retirement age (50-60) just so they don't have to pay for benefits. Some old pharmacists still need jobs to support for themselves and their families, especially lots of pharmacists don't start a family until mid 30s. Good for her! but I feel bad for any pharmacists that get fired. Being old with experience should not be the reason y they get fired. the ones with experience and years of contribution should be treated wayyyyy better. I know the field is competitive but wishing bad things for others in the hope of having good things happen to herself is unacceptable. I hope she will change in the near future.

[@dragonman7581]

Tram Truong exactly WTF she say that

[@TheMacadias]

Yeah I was like WTF? What a terrible thing to say.

[@binzsta86]

Your old, GTFO!!

[@ladygeena81]

Very wrong thing to say.

[@KanadeKiryu]

Yeah I came here to say this. And getting hired for cheaper is not good either.

[@ambien09]

Yes, pharmacy is extremely saturated due to too many schools opening. This has caused many problems in the profession. I urge students to consider MD/DO school, nursing, PA, optometry or physical therapy. There are so many great options. Please do your research before pursuing the pharmacy field so you are not blind sighted by the reality of the job market for pharmacists.

[@jaysonemile6633]

Soon I feel PA and NP will saturate within the next few years.

[@CJ-fh5xq]

I was about to attend Optometry School but at the last minute I decided not too. Optometry School is getting wayyy to expensive and insurance payouts are getting lower. Decided to do something else and invest my money. Just the ROI is not there. I have passion but my passion is not enough to justify the cost.

[@ladygeena81]

@@CJ-fh5xq Smart. I wish more people thought this way. I felt the same about law school.

[@CJ-fh5xq]

@@ladygeena81 Yea. I really do see myself being an Optometrist but I did the math. 4 years of tuition, board exams, living expenses, and insurance. It will cost me 240-250k at the end. My parents said they will try to help me to pay half of it but I don't want them to touch their retirement money. I will probably go to PA school since that is way cheaper to go to. But of course, it's a popular job so it might become saturated in the future....

[@ladygeena81]

@@CJ-fh5xq Good job! Sound thinking. Be blessed in your endeavors. :)

[@simpatiko86]

Keep dreaming until reality hits.

[@Sparksterfu]

Doctors will never be saturated.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Sparksterfu some specialities are like radiology but you can always sub specialize in medicine. And Medicine increases standards every 5 years

[@jacobl5488]

Bruh.. big cities are saturated with doctors.. there's one on every corner. -actual doctor

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Jacob L I think it would depend on the speciality. In my state, Alabama is hurting for endocrinology.

[@jacobl5488]

@@lovefunkrockmusic Let me be real with you for a second. Nobody wants to go to Alabama. The average medical graduate is not coming out of residency training hot to go to Alabama. I don't know anything about Alabama but I'm willing to bet it's hurting for alot more than just endocrinology, probably many specialties.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Jacob L yes there are. Alabama is hurting for EMTs as well. You just proved my point that medicine is not saturated. There is actually even high demand for family medicine but no wants to do it because of low reimbursement. recruiters essentially come to you convincing you to join a physician group. And hospitals do take Doctors. It is easy to find a job as a physician.

[@Chitex03]

I should’ve gone to PT or Optometry school. ROI is steadily decreasing in pharmacy.

[@user-lu6yg3vk9z]

Answer: Yes

[@rayeemon]

Why work for someone, when you have a doctorate? Run your profession the way you want to with ownership. That's what my goal is.

[@ladygeena81]

I pray you have blessings come your way. I am curious how some new grads have coped with such difficult times in the profession.

[@shilpaprasad8732]

@@ladygeena81 I am a Foreign pharmacist in texas right now, everything is truly overwhelming I want a job and i am ready to do it in any field in pharma as saturation is taking over everything

[@ladygeena81]

@@shilpaprasad8732 Saddened to hear that. I wish you the best.

[@pharmguy315]

Pharmacists roles are evolving rapidly. I believe the schools are at a peak now, and now starting to settle since they were a response to the shortage. Job market fluctuates in every field. Dental students complain about job market, engineering grads have to move out of state too to find jobs, you need to network to find internal medicine MD positions in large cities, nursing is incredibly saturated too, Optometry as well, and PA programs are opening up at a rapid rate responding to a PA shortage and demand, just like it was with pharmacy. These things all peak and fall again, and start back up. Just basic economics in healthcare related fields and majority of job market. Residencies are a response to a shortage of hospital pharmacists and it just keeps evolving and changing that way. Great video.

[@kelvinkronicles]

Couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks for watching!

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Residencies are not a response to a shortage.if they were, you would not have 50 applicants applying for two spots or three spots. I know hospitals that do not hire clinical pharmacist, just get the resident to do the work. And to be honest, the hospital does not know what to do with a clinical pharmacist. Pharmacist need to address reimbursement and find ways to reimbursed by insurance.

[@YKDDS91]

Dental students have plenty of jobs waiting for them.

[@TankAssTanner]

How are pharmacists' roles "evolving rapidly?" Being expected to give shots and do MTMs at the same pay as before? Following an MD around a hospital and hoping they accept your med rec? That is simply a catchphrase schools use to continue to recruit more students into their programs. The tease of provider status for pharmacists has been ongoing for some 25+ years and is no closer to becoming a reality.....NPs and PAs have already swooped in and took that potential piece of the pie. The heart of pharmacy has always been in dispensing.....that is where pharmacists bring money and value to a company, including hospitals. Even "clinical" pharmacists often have to go hybrid and mix in order verification with their clinical duties. Pure clinical pharmacists are a luxury to a hospital and don't bring in any real revenue compared to the other healthcare members that work there. The heart of the job market has and always will be retail....everyone that simply thinks they will do a residency and everyone will get some cush hospital job is dreaming (hospitals are businesses too and many are shutting down and/or merging with each other). This isn't just a normal "peak and fall"...it is more akin to what happened to the law field. And unless insurance companies are reined in and reimbursements stop plummeting, the job market for us is not going to be pretty. There are simply too many schools out there, and even if 2/3 of them shut down today, the effects of pumping out so many grads the past 10+ years will effect the job market for the next 20-30. Starting wages are already dropping and most big chains, if they actually have a job to offer you, will only give you float at 30hrs a week. And hospital jobs, while still out there, have 50+ applicants coming in that are residency trained, were officers in clubs, did research, etc. I love pharmacy but this is the worst time to be in the program. I just hope you don't have a huge loan debt to pay off when you get out.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

2legit2sh!t could not have said this better than myself. Great points. Residency for pharmacy is becoming too competitive that it is beyond control. 2000 people are applying for 300 positions and 1700 will not match this year.

[@hunlee9600]

And I don't use pharmacists service anymore. I just Google or KZbin for legit information regarding my questions.

[@atxchild23]

A big pro of pursuing pharmacy for me was the flexibility of your schedule. Do you think that flexibility has been lost due to saturation?

[@ladygeena81]

I don't know what setting you wanna pursue. With that being said, pharmacy has pretty irregular hours. I worked in different settings and only a small handful of jobs have regular hours. The employers know that the market is in their favor due to situation. I don't forsee much flexibility. Employers know it it is a bad market and they don't care about your work life balance or schedule when you are one of many.

[@TheCoffeeNut711]

1:50 BUAHAHAHA There is a shortage of doctors and nurses

[@jaysonemile6633]

I feel like NP and PA will saturate within the next few years tho

[@ezinne241]

Lmao ya no MD and nurses are not saturated. I mean they paid 200K for their education they need to believe they are special

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Hospital is not easy either And because of saturation, folks want to do residency. Pharmacy residency to me overpaid hire because pharmacists that worked in the hospital when the market was great never had to do a residency

[@mike112693]

at the very least i think pharmacy is getting saturated faster than other professions. Companies like walmart said theyre cutting off 40% of their pharmacists and Amazon is looking to move into the pharmacy market now to lower pharmacists salaries. I think there will always be a need for pharmacists because no one else can do what they do but there are just too many right now

[@10byrdie]

Nursing, Respiratory, MD, DO, PA are never saturated lol. Your peers seem a little detached.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

AB PA is getting there in saturation and so is NP. Medicine will never get saturated at least not nationwide due to how highly competitive it is to get in

[@kouayep0]

NP and PA are definitely heading there. Regular nursing isn’t saturated.

[@maryhasaballa4052]

I kick myself in the butt for not pursuing a fellowship or residency. Please just try fellowship or residency even for 1 year and then do whatever you want.

[@stevengonzalez7257]

Keep in mind there are different types of pharmacist not just retail or clinical

[@golfer0197]

This idea that you will just be able to waltz into industry, academia, or even a clinical position is incredibly shortsighted. You have to work for what you want. Doing a fellowship sets you up to be an MSL (read salesman) and residencies now give you a basement job in the hospital. Go talk to pharmacists about the realities of our profession, not a bunch of P3s. It’s rough out here, accept reality and start working to fix it. Network network network. Go find a job in a pharmacy that will lead to a job after graduation. Stop telling yourselves that everything is going to be okay because it’s not unless you take steps to secure your future now. Oh, and the money you borrow in student loans to supplement your lifestyle is real money. Don’t borrow more than you need so you can take your time finding a job that is right for you when you get out.

[@shilpaprasad8732]

your wise is exactly what I was looking for soo truthful, I am a foreign graduate in us which adds a little more hurdles but a job is better than no job because I have a family to support, is there any way where I can attain job security, do you have any suggestions.

[@pcdihealth]

Thanks for this information. Jobs in healthcare depending on the training program and the admissions requirements can become over saturated. Nursing is one field that is becoming oversaturate due to the money and the short amount of time in getting the RN degree.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Dr. Anthony Wallace DrPH MA BSc last time I checked Nurses can still get a job and it is not saturated as of yet. And the school makes you work during course work

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

yes, Medicine will never be oversaturated not like Pharmacy

[@FowmowF]

Are you at Manchester?

[@carmaynejones]

Yea he looks like the guy on the brochure.lol

[@samven582]

I have bad news, my friend. Pharmacy is retail lol. Most jobs are going to be in the community setting.

[@kelvinkronicles]

I work in retail.

[@tungtruong3000]

These p3 students are clueless. LOL

[@kelvinkronicles]

would love to hear your opinion

[@nghibui6162]

Bro, Go to texas and try to find a job, there is none! It is very easy to get accepted into pharm school here cuz all they want is your money!

[@delsmontgomery]

@@nghibui6162 ^sad truth :( it's crazy how in a state like TEXAS, where jobs are abundant, pharmacy jobs are really, really limited

[@shilpaprasad8732]

@@nghibui6162 I am in Texas right now and I am a foreign pharmacy graduate is there really no way I can get a job? can you please help me a little with the information that you have

[@shilpaprasad8732]

@@nghibui6162 thats super sad iam a 2023 foreign pharmacy graduate in texas is there really no hope at all? my priority is a job that is absolutely crucial

[@lamingtongirl123]

As long as you’re comfortable being in rural areas in possibly a different state you’ll be better off.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

lamingtongirl123 the hope is rural. It looks like rural may not be hiring

[@shilpaprasad8732]

@@lovefunkrockmusic hey where you able to find any opportunity in rural area I am a foreign graduate and any kind of advice would be great

[@thejaebeing]

Got laid off in michigan. All the white majority cities definately are saturated since everyone wants to he there. There are positions in the black majority area like Inkster and benton harbor, and downtown Detroit that has some jobs. Otherwise it is all rural areas in Michigan.

[@vietnamemperor123461]

So does it matter if the student at a private pharmacy school will get a better chance than public one?

[@kelvinkronicles]

I don't think it matters where you go to school. In the end, you'll still get a PharmD no matter where you go. I think the only advantage of going to a public school is that it's cheaper (less student loan to repay!). Hope that helps.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

No. Actually you would have better chance in landing a job with an established school previously but now all schools are increasing their size

[@americanpriness1]

lovefunkrockmusic and you don’t want to go to a pharmacy school with a bad reputation either. That’s would make it harder to find a job.

[@aeneas116116]

These people have no clue , they are still in school. The field is saturated resulting in lower pay and horrible work conditions. When I was in school they sell you on all the opportunities out there but then when you are applying for jobs, you realize it is a very different story.

[@shilpaprasad8732]

hello are you a pharmacist, I am a foreign graduate, and your words seem too real but I respect you for saying how the reality is, that getting a job to support myself and my family is a priority do you have any tips for me to excel in my goal

[@davidjite999]

"The problem is over population, think about it 8 Billion Freaking people live on one planet with a surface area of 510.1 million km². " -Thanos In Some Avenger Movie 2003

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

OLADAPO BRO Then why are Physicians able to find jobs anywhere nationwide and all over the world. Increased demand

[@mike112693]

I think in time we will see a reversal of the saturation. This may happen by, less and less applicants, thus schools closing down because not enough applicants, etc. Something has to give. Maybe in the coming decades there will be a slight shortage again lol

[@ladygeena81]

Lol

[@mike112693]

@@ladygeena81 they only have a 1.6% unemployment rate according to USNEWS. thought it was worse

[@aleksander4711]

As a pharmacist I can say that this profession doesn't make sense anymore. Depending on location you are a weird combination of a shop assistant , clerk and client's henchman. There are some people that like it but it is a minority. Usually authorities all around the world avoid paying even a cent for pharmacist's services so they are making a living from margin of selled goods and are able to keep their heads above the water level only through artfificial legislation. Outside of pharmacy you are worth close to zero with your knowledge. Employers know this and abuse it. And All these oportunities of after pharmacy it is utter joke. Would anybody stay in such a miserable work setup as retail pharmacy with all those existing in reality not made up? Would there be saturation even in retail? The answer is very simple.

[@saifrahman5643]

Computer Science Engineering or Pharmacy? Which one do you recommend? My family wants me to study CSE but I'm little bit weak in math 😶

[@shilpaprasad8732]

sir can you suggest a better job availability route in pharma world as I am currently a foreign pharmacist right now

[@Derekdach344]

Plenty nurse jobs

[@mrbrain9111]

I am PharmaD and I get more then some doctors 😉

[@shilpaprasad8732]

sir, may I know where you work? I am a foreign graduate wanting to know if there is a sector that I should focus on in order to get more job availability, any info will be greatly appreciated

[@ladygeena81]

Where is the logic that nursing is saturated? "All healthcare professions are saturated"?

[@foodmens]

Hey man thAnks for this video especially since there is sooooo much fearmongering in youtube about pharmacy. U know who im talking about lol. But I think its good nonetheless. When Everyone is scared off there will be more room for me as a pharmacist muhahahaha (evil laugh, rubs hands in a creep manner)

[@kelvinkronicles]

haha...Thanks for watching! I say you should always go for what you truly want and not let other people decide it for you.

[@Low_pH]

Where will the jobs come from ? The retail is brutal and over saturated . The number of slots for pharmacy schools has doubled in the last 10-15 years, yet more of them continue to open each year. With mergers and acquisitions (CVS + Target, Walgreens + Rite-Aid) and the lack of reimbursements for MTM and NO provider status for Pharmacist ! The big chains have the most hope to get a job in a market with an unemployment crisis. That is how the retail chains take advantage of that and treat us like crap and the brutal long hours on your feet with out a lunch or barley a chance to go to the bathroom pharmacy techs are very few and we have to do a lot of their work since the retail chains want to save money we get very little help and a ton of scripts to fill wile angry customers wait and some are insulting and rude as if we were just some clerk, we are made to dust and do peon labor and do stupid corporate crap non related to what we study so hard for this is alarming and concerning. The growth of pharmacists to be only 3% over the next 10 years. That is roughly 9100 new jobs over the next 10 years. During this time, roughly 150,000 students will have graduated from pharmacy schools and that is assuming no new schools open. THAT IS ALARMING !!!!! $200k+ in loans and no job growth !! Pharmacy schools are hungry for profit, and to maximize that, some schools will take just about anyone regardless of GPA or PCAT as long as they're willing to sign away $200k+ in loans. THAT IS AN UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS OF MEGA PROPORTIONS is better to do to PA or NP school more respect and more jobs.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

or do Medicine.

[@khadimbaksh3041]

Low pH well said my friend and very very accurate.

[@lovefunkrockmusic]

Well, Walmart is cutting 40% of pharmacists and paying 31 dollars an hour

[@alishamurray3296]

Who wants to be an assistant though? You're an assistant to the physician which I would rather be the physician.

[@shilpaprasad8732]

you are soo right and its true the statistics are scary I am a foreign graduate in the US I would like to know if there is pharma position that I can obtain even in the middle of all these uncertainties your input will be a great asset to me