Help Wanted at Your Drugstore; Maybe an Opportunity for You

I've stated several times that one key to growing your net worth is maximizing your income. (I know, this isn't rocket science, but many people assume that their income is fixed and they just have to deal with it. The truth is, they need to and can take steps to improve their income.) Here's an article from USA Today that details another financial opportunity for some of you reading this post. Here's a summary:

Steve Sivak, 49, is living a job hunter's dream. The man who spent 25 years as a chimney sweep is still 10 months shy of finishing pharmacy school. Yet, he's already got one job offer, seven interviews lined up and the confidence to set priorities: no more than a 20-minute commute, even though he lives in rural Pennsylvania.

Sivak chose his new career well. The nation's 37,000 chain stores had almost 6,000 open pharmacist jobs in January, the latest data available, says the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). While the pharmacist shortage isn't as severe as it was several years ago, jobs are expected to be plentiful for years. The nation's chain drugstores, supermarkets and mass retailers will add 2,200 pharmacies nationwide in the next two years, estimates John Heinbockel, retail analyst at Goldman Sachs. Walgreen, the leading chain in terms of revenue, adds a store every 19 hours. Also needing pharmacists: almost 18,000 independent pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care homes and health insurers. What's more, 42 million senior citizens will become eligible for a new Medicare drug benefit in January. CVS, No. 2 in revenue, estimates 10 million to 15 million will sign up the first year, helping to fuel prescription growth.

Ok, so there's a shortage of pharmacists. How is this an opportunity for you? Check out the stats:

Nationwide, independent drugstores raised pharmacist salaries nearly 10% since 2002 to increase their recruitment success, says a 2004 survey of 6,400 pharmacists by online magazine Drug Topics.

Employers' ads tout everything from signing bonuses "up to $10,000" for a job at a medical center in Greeley, Colo., to a job in the "land of 10,000 lakes (Minnesota) and the time to enjoy them."

CVS plans to hire 2,500 pharmacists this year, and several hundred will receive signing bonuses of $5,000 to $10,000. New-graduate salaries run $85,000 to $95,000, says pharmacy recruiting chief Papatya Tankut.

One chain offered Sivak $5,000 for his last year of school, a signing bonus of $10,000 six months before graduation, a job in his area of preference and relocation expenses up to $2,000.

Now you're talkin'! These are some pretty good financial incentives to consider this field (if you are suited for it). Just an option for you to consider as you work toward maximizing your income.

Comments

[Keith Casey]

When I was in high school, I worked as a Pharmacy Technician. While only a *tiny* fraction of the responsibilities were involved, I was making about 2x minimum wage... and in Illinois, the license was $40 and involved a basic criminal background screening.

It was well worth it.

[Lily]

I found a way to save on prescriptions for people without insurance. At www.rxdrugcard.com they sell a discount card for only $4.50 a month and then you can save up to 80% on prescriptions. The savings vary by drug, so they have posted prices on their website. Check it out!

[Online Pharmacy no Prescription]

The online pharmacy no prescription phrase works on two distinct planes; the internet and non prescription medication. But, we are fusing the phrase so that it means something and we can use the constituent parts of the phrase to create an idea. The concept of “online pharmacy no prescription” is designed for the purpose of providing medication over the internet (online) for all those people all over the world who are in dire need of suitable medication at reasonable prices, which is exactly the reason behind generic meds.