Pharmacist on CNNMoney Best Jobs in America list

Yet another poll/list/survey has been released naming pharmacist as one of the best jobs in America. But are these polls/lists/surveys worth the web space or paper they occupy?

In recent years, pharmacists have been lauded for their ethics and honesty, the occupation has consistently been named one of the best jobs in America, and pharmacists have even been called great dates.

Drug Topics' 2015 Salary Survey: Pharmacist incomes hold steady

The CNNMoneylist doesn’t break any new ground. Citing median pay of $125,000 and a 10-year growth rate of 15%, CNNMoney named pharmacist in charge as the 19^th best job in America (software architect, video game designer, landman, patent agent, and hospital administrator were the top jobs). However, some of the rationale listed for selecting pharmacist in charge as a top job is questionable at best.

For example, CNNMoney gives the job of pharmacist in charge a grade of “B” relating to low stress. Pharmacist participating in the most recent Drug Topicssalary survey reported increased workloads and more, not less, stress. Our survey found that 71% of pharmacists had an increase in their workload in 2014, as compared to less than 4% who saw their workload decrease.

Additionally, 65.4% of pharmacists surveyed by Drug Topics said their stress levels increased in 2014 due to factors ranging from larger workloads, inadequate staffing, and more paperwork.

David Stanley, RPh, a regular columnist for Drug Topics, advises pharmacists to find ways to manage stress to prevent it from affecting their health. "You have to make an active effort to fight being dragged down by the working environment in most modern pharmacies," Stanley said. "Develop an identity unrelated to your work, where you can go to decompress - a hobby, volunteer work, even just giving yourself an hour of solitude each day. Anything that will let you get away from the problems of your work life."

RELATED CONTENT: Reducing stress in the pharmacy

Projected job growth

Perhaps even more questionable than the “low stress” classification is the projected job growth rate for pharmacist in charge on the CNNMoney list (which is a based on projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics). Many pharmacists question the government’s job projections for the industry because they say it assumes faster adoption of provider status and expanded functions that would add to the pharmacist’s role and create more jobs.

Many loathe the fact that universities and hospitals across the country use what they consider faulty government projections to justify building more pharmacy schools, which some pharmacists complain have flooded the market with pharmacy graduates and led to the layoffs of older pharmacists.

Following a recent Drug Topicsstory announcing a new pharmacy school in Miami, one pharmacist wrote on our website: “Wake up, there are no jobs for pharmacists in Florida! We already graduate close to 1000 students a year in this state, and no one is retiring, so there will be no jobs for new pharmacists. Do me a favor, and stop ruining our profession!”