Possible to work part time as a community pharmacist?

The other thing that kind of turns me off about the idea of pharmacy is what one of the other recent posters alluded to;

You're in your pharmacy, you tend to dispense mostly the same drugs, lots of paper work to get through and, realistically time allocation to staying up to date with new drugs is probably gonna come by way of reading SPC's.

In other words, if you're ran off your feet dealing with the public and everything that goes along with being a community pharmacist, the opportunity to stay up to date with latest research, neurological modalities and whatever the latest drug target is etc, is probably gonna be limited.

Way I envisage things is, my own little research space (.... exotic plants..... good wine.....) that I can concurrently use to administer treatment (of whatever kind), as a means to pay the bills.
But essentially a direct intertwinement of personal interests with a means to pay the bills basically.

What pharmacy sounds like is, a little kind of a grind that may particularly limit your time to sit down a computer or with a book and revise the latest treatment mechanics - basically you're trained that way, but ultimately go into a commercial based role that doesn't really facilitate further forward progression in that sense.


Certainly that's what I was getting from "AngelDelights" post and again, watching community pharmacists, they're running about, that description resonates with me as almost certainly being the reality..... but I mean ultimately I don't know - does the above synopsis sound about right??

GalwayGrrrrrl wrote: »

Why don’t you work as a researcher if that’s what you really enjoy.

Well, to be perfectly, I consider myself working in research currently, just my area is not industrialized really so there's no money.

But I get what you're saying and, industrial research (I have looked into it) is say, focused on one small part of one small project, super dialled into that exclusively.

Additionally, the core of medicinal chemical research is obviously molecular modelling and whilst sure I've looking at molecular nature of say, receptor-protein binding as regards neural function, that very specific organic/medicinal chemistry area isn't something I'm particularly well up on (nor does it benefit my ends to spend the time required to become well informed about).

I'm more concerned with general neural function primarily as to manipulation of gene expression and this lovely term I use called, "quantum neural function" basically concerning wave propagation via nerve and neural depolarization.

So by example looking at drugs and drug targets that implicate ion channels and resultant nerve function in that capacity is something that can lend insight; but without being in a position to effectively know about or synthesize novel compounds, I'd really only be working on the periphery of industrial research work as regards its current primary application and aims (drug synthesis), or maybe at best writing pharmacological reports in drug trials or something.

It compromises my intentions and area I want focus on, primarily cause it's so time consuming.

Thus, looking for a part time gig that's related to nerve function etc, but still gives me the scope to spend time on these somewhat novel endeavours - thus part time pharmacy - with high pay for the hours worked, sounded nice.

And physiotherapy, own clinic and maybe 1 or 2 days in a hospital setting etc, I think I could make it work.

Outside of that though, having browsed every under and post grad program available, I can't find much else appealing.


To be honest the part time pharmacy sounds perfect but, 5 "all in", around the clock consuming years to qualify is the piece I fall down on, plus first few years as a graduate you'd imagine is another learning curve.

Tree wrote: »

I don't think research is going to live up to whatever you imagine research is either.

By all means fren, enlighten me.

Pharmacology research in the typical sense be it HPLC/assay's etc which is a large part of affairs, despite its relevance in one sense, ultimately isn't gonna behoove me to spend long days on.