One thing I have noticed over the years in pharmacy is that for the most part retail pharmacists work together. Hospital pharmacists usually don’t. I don’t mean that hospital pharmacists NEVER work together, but when it comes to the designation of “clinical” pharmacist vs. non-clinical pharmacist in the hospital setting, it’s almost a love or hate relationship. For example, as I was working just yesterday, a clinical pharmacist paged me to ask me why it was taking me so long to enter and review an order. Seriously? Apparently she was waiting for me to finish. There is a complete lack of professional courtesy or complete professional courtesy. Love OR hate.
Why is this? In my opinion, as I have said many times in the past, clinical pharmacists can be your jaded medical school rejects. Maybe that particular bitterness of rejection and need for acceptance both mentally and as a clinical pharmacist drives them to be super defensive. Perhaps it is just their personality and they are therefore WELL suited for the role. I have met and worked with some great clinical pharmacists.
Yesterday I noticed it was more of a Yankees vs. Red Sox mentality.
Hurry up with that order you peon. We are all waiting on it.
I’m a pharmacist working in a hospital all the way across the other side of the world in Australia. and i can totally relate to your post/experience. While I think most pharmacists do work well together (I work in a hospital) there are certainly a few who do think they are much more above it all. However I think I have been very lucky to have worked in a generally cooperative environment. Great to hear about how things work over in the states and its somewhat very different to Australia!
Hi Blonde pharmacist, If you could go back.. would you have pursued medical school.??? Im debating whether or not I should do pharmacy. i sent in my applications … have two interviews coming up but im debating whether or not I should just take the MCAT study for it. Then apply
Hospital pharmacy has been like that for 35 years that I know of. My senior class of ’74-75 was the first from the University of Colorado to ever do internships. I was in 3 or 4 different hospitals for 4-6 weeks each. Every one of them was divided. I’m not sure that there were any techs then, so I can honestly place the blame directly on intelligent, well-schooled pharmacists.They were divided by race, by age and even body size. Each pharmacy was split down the middle, and the groups hated each other. All I can say is “thanks”, because I never once considered taking a hospital job. It’s really sad, not to mention stupid.
Clinical pharmacist here. You’re totally right on this. Amongst other clinical pharmacists, I’m like a leper because I eat lunch with the techs and staff pharmacists.
I work in several small hospitals in the same corporation in which managerment come from retail.
I work as staff hospital, and always have except for stints one summer as intern in independent retail, one summer in retail part-time to help out, and a couple years picking up agency work in retail. Before the agency work, I always considered myself as egalitarian, and tried to distance myself from the pomposity of clinical hospies and silent ‘put-down’ by those in charge, and mock humility of ‘tailers that think they’re ‘not good enough’! I would say that a lot of the division comes about as a result of manager attitudes; clinical positions with plum jobs in the pharmacy department with more leeway in time off, interesting work assignments, and ‘warm fuzzies’ from ancillary personnel, physicians, and other health providers, and the expectation from ‘privilege begetting privileges’.
Now, that I work in the small hospitals, I really find myself motivated to do all that I can in the name of pharmacy, since I’m expected to provide all aspects of pharmacy for my patients that I can, as well as am held responsible for the more direct relationships with clinicians of the small hospital and to meet managerial and health team expectations for the clinical knowledge I possess. However, the fly in the ointment, is that technicians also have a potentially deleterious role when the assume attitudes of more authority than the law allows.
I think the attitude of separatism is fostered when duties are lumped together without allowing each to assume some authority over different areas of responsibility, even for part-timers!!