<p>my mom works for cvs as a pharmacist, and earns base 80,000. she earns overtime for working at understaffed pharmacies in ny (she has 2 licenses). our area is also one of the lowest-paying for pharmacists in the northeast.</p>
<p>There are levels of accountability in all healthcare positions and pharmacists have significant accountability for patient safety. So much so, that Joint Commission that accredits hopsitals evaluates the pharmacy as a stand alone area. Salaries seem to be around $75 to $115 to start and are probably higher in specialty positions, academic teaching hospitals, industry, etc. Here's one link I just found with salary survey info <a href="http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary-surveys/pharmacy/#pharmacist_salaries%5B/url%5D">http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary-surveys/pharmacy/#pharmacist_salaries</a> and one for physicians <a href="http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary-surveys/physicians/%5B/url%5D">http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary-surveys/physicians/</a></p>
<p>MDs should make more but some do not - pediatricians do not make as much money as they should.</p>
<p>Re: title - in the hospital I find that those of us with doctorates that are not MDs are careful not to confuse the patient. OTOH, patients are more sophisticated than they used to be and are usually pleased to find that their team, and not just one team member, is well prepared.</p>
<p>agreed...doctors have much more responsiblity</p>
<p>I think Pharmacists have a truckload of work.</p>
<p>I think that pharmacist should make at least as much as medical doctors because of their amount of work. They are experts on medicine and have to go to many years of school to earn a doctorate degree. They also are autonomous and don't work under anybody. While they do fill prescriptions, they also ensure the safety of the patient and are vital to our society. They have their own schools and nobody can have their medicine without their approval. Not to mention the amount of scripts they have to fill a day.</p>
<p>comments?</p>
<p>Gardeners work hard too, but that's not how we figure pay-scales here. I could have gotten my pharmacy degree three times over in the time it took me to train for my subspecialty. In addition, a physician can legally dispense all the drugs he or she chooses to without ever involving a pharmacist, while a pharmacist can neither dispense medications without a physician's prescription nor refuse to fill a prescription unless he or she is willing to stake his or her license on the physician having made a serious error. Pharmacists are important but they are supporting cast, not marquee players.</p>
<p>A good physician knows their limitations and how to access expertise from other areas. No physician is trained in the ancillary fields and it has been many years since any physician could remotely claim to have the same depth of knowledge. While the MD may manage the patient's care and be responsible for decisions, an awesome responsibility undoubtedly, only an insecure and arrogant doctor does not seek out, recognize or respect the training pursued and acquired by others in healthcare to ensure optimal care. Often, this physician finds himself with poor outcomes and even lawsuits. Certainly the pharmacist does not manage the patient's care but one can't honestly tell me that they have the same knowledge base regarding medications that pharmacists have, regardless of what the law allows a physician to do. I see pharmacists educating doctors regularly and providing input to team care - but these are the doctors who think about their patients first and not their own egos. Perhaps you have not seen the statistics for medication errors in hospitals where there is actually oversight - one can only imagine what is happening in the private sector. Check out the latest JCAHO inititiatives regarding med errors! There is no doubt that pharmacists are not physicians but to belittle their role and expertise is simply unacceptable. Pharmacy is NOT the same as medicine but that does not mean it is not a valuable and rewarding career for someone on this listserv.</p>
<p>I am reading Sedrish's posts and I could not agree more.</p>
<p>Pharmacy is certainly a rewarding and important career in society. But with the additional work to become a doctor and the additional responsiblities (pharmacists dont work 80-100 hour residencies), doctors rightfully deserve higher pay and generally, a higher level of respect among the public.</p>
<p>Let's be honest...I have yet to hear a kid tell me they want to grow up to be a pharmacist.</p>
<p>I totally agree - they should be paid more - in fact, with HMOs, Medicare, Managed care in general, physicians are not being paid enough for the hours and the training they must pursue. Regardless, people choose fields for many different reasons, and there are many dedicated people in healthcare who play a role. In many hospitals you will find non-physicians with doctoral and post-doctoral degrees - with their own specialties - who have a key role or in a particular area or who spend 70 hours/week in the lab doing medical research. There are many unsung heros in medicine who also deserve the public's respect. If they are not recognized by the public, and I am not just thinking of pharmacists, they certainly should be recognized and respected by physicians.<br>
Not all kids who want to grow up to be MDs are right for medicine, want the lifestyle when they realize more about it, or want to spend so many years and $$$$ on their education. Not everyone who is smart or academically accomplished puts their talents to work as a physician. Some CHOOSE to be a biochemist or a radiological physicist, or a pharmacist, etc. Many of these fields require PhDs, and years of post-doc training.</p>
<p>While physicians might be underpaid, pharmacist are also underpaid. They are becoming more knowledgeable and have more responsiblity. A pharmacist require Doctorates, and years of post-doc training too and contributes much to society. They are autonomous and society as we know it wouldn't exist without pharmacist therfore it is only fair that they get higher pay and respect. On the other hand professions like lawyers that contribute nothing to society are overpaid.</p>
<p>The original question posed was: Are pharmacists real doctors?</p>
<p>The answer is: no, they're not. </p>
<p>This is not an indictment against pharmacists but they have different training, different responsibilities, and different working hours from doctors. Enough said.</p>
<p>Gohan gohan gohan...I am guessing you are a pharmacist or are hellbent on becoming one in the very near future</p>
<p>Still, some of your quotes are questionable:</p>
<p>"therfore it is only fair that they get higher pay and respect"</p>
<p>Yes...I will alert President Bush and we will immediately fix their levels of pay and respect</p>
<p>"On the other hand professions like lawyers that contribute nothing to society are overpaid"</p>
<p>Absolutely correct. Criminals should prosecute themselves and then sentence themselves to prison.</p>
<p>One of the original questions was - is the pharmacist called "Doctor". The pharmacist with a PharmD is entitled to be called Dr. just as a physicist with a Ph.D is entitled to be called Dr. However, in the medical setting, it is important for patients to be able to recognize the difference. Thus, in the hospital setting, the non-MD is often identified by the badge with the different designation and is certainly obligated to inform any potentially confused patients of the non-physician status. Contrary to what was implied, most patients are thrilled to find out that other members of their healthcare team are competent and well-trained. </p>
<p>I am not advocating for students to choose pharmacy - just for fairness in the presentation of any profession on this forum. Students should definitely seek out professionals in the fields they are considering for "real life" discussion. Most professionals are happy to give 30 minutes to someone interested in their field and it might suprise you to see what a real day is like.</p>
<p>The original question was: "Are Pharmacists real doctors?". The intent of this question was to determine whether or not they play a role as co-equals with physicians. The answer is a resounding NO.
Now if someone wants to asks me if pharmacists are good guys, well educated, helpful, necessary to the system, I would answer with an unequivocal yes. But that is a totally different matter.
Lastly, let me say that comments here need to be kept on point and never personal. You may disagree to your heart's content, but do not make this into a forum for insulting anyone.
Posters unable to abide by these rules of civility will find their posting privileges suspended without further warning.</p>
<p>I am a parent participating in this forum but I have also worked in healthcare for over 25 years and possess a doctoral degree. Students should not be discouraged from pursuing non-MD healthcare oriented careers or encouraged to develop negative points of view as to their "status".</p>
<p>I think pharmacist should have at least equal respect compared to a physician. Just because a degree is not a MD does not mean its easier and less respected.</p>
<p>I think the point of this thread is kind of misguided - trying to assign a value to a profession is pointless. Is a college prof with a PhD and years as a postdoc superior to an EMT who lacks a bachelor's degree? It's like asking whether an apple is a better fruit than an orange. MDs and pharmacists have different educational requirements and career paths. Each path will appeal to different individuals. "Real" or "better" are in the eye of the beholder.</p>
<p>I'd add that any holder of a doctoral level degee is a "real" doctor - however, few of these doctors are addressed as such outside their professional field. I.e., a PhD in English may be "Dr. Jones" in the classroom, but would be considered pretentious if she introduced herself as Dr. Jones in a non-academic social setting. This distinction is commonly reserved for MDs in the United States.</p>