When first getting your pharmacy degree, you may think you are limited to one career path. However, there are many directions you can explore in the world of pharmacy. If you’re new in pharmacy and looking for a place to start your career, or an established pharmacist looking for a fresh career opportunity, continue reading to learn about the career options as a pharmacist and how to find your perfect career match.

Retail Pharmacy 

The most commonly known pharmacy job, retail pharmacy is a popular starting point for pharmacists in their career. 42% of all pharmacists work in retail settings such as drugstores and big-box stores, and typically focus their knowledge on oral medications. If you enjoy interacting with patients, want flexible hours and to grow your experience, a retail pharmacy position would be a great fit for you.

Hospital Pharmacy

Though similar to retail pharmacy positions, a career in hospital pharmacy focuses more on communication with clinicians and requires a wider scope of medication knowledge. You can work either as a centralized pharmacist, who is involved with checking interactions, or a decentralized pharmacist, who is more involved with dosing and works on the hospital floor itself. In a hospital pharmacy, many medications are IV-focused and your hours are typically less flexible and more demanding than in retail pharmacies.

Medication Distribution Center

A job at a medication distribution center is a more behind-the-scenes position. It requires little to no patient or healthcare team interaction and focuses on processing orders, providing medical information and organizing stock. If you enjoy working with medicine but aren’t a fan of the patient or clinician interaction, then working at a medical distribution center would be perfect for you.

Homecare and Hospice Pharmacy

A hybrid between retail and hospital pharmacy, homecare and hospice pharmacy jobs focus on over-the-phone interactions with patients as well as working with IV antibiotics. You would be responsible for reviewing patients’ labs to ensure their safety. The job also requires specialization in certain medications. 

Pharmacy Informatics

In the world of pharmacy informatics, your goal is to streamline an organization’s electronic medical record system to ensure proper dosage. You also would look at cases for safety from a technical point of view. If you are passionate about patient safety and enjoy working with technology, a pharmacy informatics position might be for you.

Ambulatory Care Pharmacy 

As an ambulatory care pharmacist, you are responsible for reviewing and fine-tuning patients’ profiles. You will work directly with patients and healthcare teams to customize their plans. It is required to have a vast knowledge of specific medications for specific types of patients,

Where To Begin Your Job Search

With all the options of career paths as a pharmacist, it can be overwhelming to find the best career match for you. HealthCare Support can help you with this process. We’re a premiere, national staffing resource for the healthcare industry helping talented, passionate healthcare professionals like you find your perfect pharmacy job. Our dedicated team of experts provides customized staffing solutions, dedicated advocacy, compassionate guidance, and highly responsive support to help you find your dream career.

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

Pursuing a career as a pharmacist is a rewarding path that lets you help others in their health journeys. As a pharmacist, you can work in many different environments, but you’ll likely work for private or chain pharmacies. The profession involves a lot of social interaction and organization; each day is different, but here are some responsibilities that typically remain consistent.

Managing Prescriptions

Pharmacists ensure that each prescription is accurate in its packaging, location, and recipient. To do this, a pharmacist usually needs to speak with other healthcare professionals and discuss any changes in a patient’s care route or information. Sometimes, a technician or intern fills a prescription, which you, as a pharmacist, must oversee and approve. Having an eye for even the smallest details is important in maintaining the safety of each patient. 

Organizing Inventory & Patient Information

To update patients on their prescription status, pharmacists keep track of medicine inventory. This helps the customer know how long before they can pick up their prescription, which could be vital to those with strict medication routines. 

In addition to being informed on patient profiles, you’d need to stay current on changes in the scientific and medical world. This includes drug approvals, product recalls, changes to medication information and warnings, and changes to federal and state pharmacy practice laws. 

Interacting With Other Medical Professionals & Patients

Pharmacists work with various people day-to-day. You’d interact with patients to answer any questions, recommend over-the-counter options, or provide information on health and lifestyle choices. As a pharmacist, you’d also interact with other medical professionals to verify dosage and type of medication, compare information, or assign medications to accounts. 

Pharmacists also talk with insurance companies to submit claims, confirm payments, or resolve coverage problems. You’ll act as the primary point of contact when it comes to prescription management. Consulting the right organizations, professionals, and information plays an enormous role in getting the medication from the source to the customer. 

Additional Administrative Tasks

To keep track of all the information, pharmacies must be organized. Most offices keep patient records in a digital database, needing daily updates from the pharmacist. The updates include any adverse drug interactions or side effects a patient experiences taking certain medications. It also helps keep track of product inventory, letting you know when to order more medications. 

Make A Difference Each And Every Day

Being a pharmacist is an active position, both mentally and physically. Each day, you have a lot of tasks to complete, but the bulk of it will be spent on patient care and helping others improve their health and wellbeing. 

If becoming a pharmacist interests you, we’re here to help. At HealthCare Support, you can find the perfect long-term career or short-term job with the help of our dedicated team and vast professional network. Contact our professionals to learn more about being a pharmacist or other professions in the medical industry, by giving us a call at 888-219-6285. 

With the need for pharmacists steadily increasing, a career in pharmacy is in high demand. However, there are many factors to consider when becoming a pharmacist, and a multitude of career paths under its umbrella. Here are some ways to get started and jump-start your career as a pharmacist.

Types of Pharmacy Careers 

• Pharmacy Assistant 

Requirements: High school diploma and on-the-job training

Duties: Keep a record of medications delivered, stock supplies and merchandise, and manage the cash register.

Median salary:  $29, 930

• Pharmacy Technician

Requirements: Certified Pharmacy Technician credential and a formal education program that leads to a certificate or associate’s degree; Background checks and drug screenings.

Duties: Collect information from customers, measure medication, package prescriptions, process insurance, manage customer service, and organize inventories.

Median salary: $36,740 

• Pharmacist

Requirements: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree 

Duties: Check prescriptions to ensure accuracy, give flu and vaccination shots, ensure prescriptions won’t negatively interact with a customer’s other medications, test blood sugar or cholesterol, operate health and wellness screenings, and oversee the duties of pharmacy technicians and assistants.

Median salary: $128,570

Steps to Become a Pharmacist 

• Select a degree path

Many pharmacy schools have dual-degree programs in which you can obtain your bachelor’s degree as well as a PharmD over six to seven years.

• Complete the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT)

The PCAT is a required test for most pharmacy programs, in which the passing score varies from school to school.

• Attend pharmacy school

You will take science-related courses as well as Healthcare Management and Pharmacological Measurements. Also, a formal internship at a pharmacy is required to complete during your schooling.

• Take two licensure exams

Once you have completed your PharmD program, the next step is to take the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and either the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) or a state-specific jurisprudence exam.

• Apply for your pharmacy license

Once education and licensure exams are complete, it’s time to apply for licensure. Depending on your state, specific requirements may vary. 

How to Find a Pharmacy Job You Love

As a licensed pharmacist, you will have the ability to work at a variety of locations to find the best fit for you. Examples include retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, government and military facilities, research labs, clinics/patient care settings, and private practices as a consultant. It can be overwhelming to find a job in the world of pharmacy when there are so many options and such a high demand for incoming pharmacists. HealthCare Support can help you get started in finding your dream career as a pharmacist.

A premiere, national staffing resource for the healthcare industry, HealthCare Support helps talented, passionate healthcare professionals like you find a job you love. We offer custom solutions, compassionate guidance, and highly responsive support so you can grow in your pharmacy career.

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

Travel nurses are medical professionals who are employed by nursing staffing agencies rather than hospitals. From local hospitals to national placements, travel nurses can choose where to work, usually in 13-week-long assignments. Some of the benefits of working as a travel nurse include: high compensation, high demand, and the opportunity to see different parts of the country. If this sounds like a career path you’d love, keep reading to find out how to pursue it.

Travel Nurse Requirements

• Education

If you are interested in learning how to become a travel nurse, education is the first step. Usually, working as a travel nurse will require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. While it is possible to find work with an Associate Degree in Nursing, keep in mind that it may limit your earning potential and job opportunities. 

• Licensure

A registered nurse license is required for whichever state you choose to practice within. If you happen to have an RN license from a state that is part of the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact, then you can practice in any other eNLC states without requiring additional licensing. If you are interested in working in a non-eNLC state, you will need to get a RN for that state prior to your contract.

• Certifications

Though the specific certifications required may vary based on the job and hospital you choose, all nurses will need a basic life support certification. You will also likely need a certification in pediatric advanced life support or advanced cardiovascular life support. Further certifications can contribute to a higher income or help secure a contract.

• Experience

Learning how to become a travel nurse requires experience. In general, you will need a minimum of two years of bedside experience to qualify for travel nursing. Keep in mind, the more experience you have the more competitive you will be as a candidate.

Healthcare Recruiters Can Help You Land Your First Assignment

After you’ve learned how to become a travel nurse, your next step is to look for work. Once you are qualified to work as a travel nurse, it is important to find a healthcare recruiter to help find you a job. There are a lot of considerations to be made when finding and negotiating a contract. A recruiter will help guide you through this process by finding specific job opportunities and negotiating your contract to make sure all your needs are met on factors like vacation, sick leave, and shift scheduling. 

Start Your Career With HealthCare Support 

If you want to land your first assignment as a travel nurse, HealthCare Support can help. Our professional network is vast, and our dedicated team provides customized staffing solutions, dedicated advocacy, compassionate guidance, and highly responsive support to help place you in an ideal situation for your career.

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

It isn’t ideal for anyone to catch a serious illness, and it can be especially inconvenient if you’re sick while on assignment as a travel nurse. Being bedridden from illness means missing shifts and trying to recover on your own in an unfamiliar city. If you find yourself feeling under the weather while on assignment, here are tips on what you should do. 

Have an Emergency Plan In Place

You’re likely on your own when you head off to your next assignment. That means, if you get sick, you need to know how to take care of yourself. You can start by creating a plan in case of emergencies. At the start of your assignment, take time to outline the following:

• Emergency contacts

  You need to know who to call when you aren’t feeling well and can’t work. In addition to having your loved ones’ numbers, keep the numbers of your on-site supervisor, doctor, and recruiter handy. 

• Nearest care centers

  Know the locations of your local pharmacy, urgent care, and hospitals so you know exactly where to go if you need professional help. 

• Medications

  If you need to book an appointment to see a doctor, come prepared with a list of medications you’re currently taking and their dosages. 

Take Paid Sick Leave

If you aren’t feeling your best, you can’t bring your best to your unit and your patients, so take time to rest. Depending on your contract and where you’re located, you could take paid sick leave. For example, some states let you accumulate sick pay based on how many hours you’ve worked, whereas other employers may require you to use sick pay 30 or 90 days after you start working.

Ask Your Recruiter for Tips

Missing a shift could impact your paycheck, if, for example, you’re paid for the hours you work. Additionally, if you call out too many times throughout your assignment, you could even get your contract terminated. Regardless, getting sick happens, so be sure you know and follow your call-off process. If you’re unsure about your options or what steps to take to ensure you’re responsibly taking time off, ask your recruiter for help. 

Lean on HealthCare Support for Help

The recruiters at HealthCare Support want the best for you — personally and professionally. Get the care you deserve from an expert team dedicated to providing you with custom solutions and responsive support. With a national professional network, we’re ready to help healthcare professionals like you all across the country. 

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

When you’re traveling from city to city, taking care of all types of patients, and working alongside different units, you’re bound to learn so much as a travel nurse. Along the way, you’ll also learn the language all travel nurses speak. Below are important terms all travel nurses should know. 

General Vocabulary

Regardless of where your next assignment takes you, everyone will know these foundational terms:

• Travel Nurse

  – When healthcare facilities need short-term staffing needs, they hire a nurse who will take on the assignment. While the average assignment lasts 13 weeks, travel nurses can work anywhere between four to 26 weeks.

• Tax Home

  – Think of your tax home as your home base. Once you finish your assignment, your tax home is where you’ll return to. Your tax home is also connected to legal documents, including your driver’s license, mail delivery, and voter registration.

• EMR Project

  – It’s common for facilities to put out Electronic Medical Record (EMR) conversion projects when they need extra support updating their medical records. Travel nurses with EMR experience are often contracted to help make those conversions.

Contract Vocabulary

The more contract vocabulary you know, the better. Get to know the following so you understand what you’re getting into at the start of each assignment: 

• Guaranteed Hours

  These are the hours you know you’ll be working and getting paid for. 

• Required Hours

  At minimum, you need to work these hours each week. Required hours can range anywhere from 24 hours to 48 hours every week. Sometimes, required hours can even go beyond 48 hours.  

• Approved Time Off

  When you request days off in your contract for vacation, appointments, or anything else, those days and hours count as approved time off. If you know you cannot work certain days or hours in a week, give a heads up to your recruiter to make sure those days are included in your contract. 

• Per Diem Nursing

  Meaning “per day” in Latin, this is a subset of travel nursing where contracts offer temporary work for one day or several days. 

Pay Vocabulary

Payment is much different as a travel nurse than it is in a more permanent position. Learn these terms so you can make the most out of your financial situation:

• Stipend

  An essential part of travel nurse pay, stipends are reimbursements for housing expenses, if you qualify. 

• Per Diem

  Different from Per Diem Nursing, per diem payments, also known as Meals & Incidental Expenses, or M&IE, cover the cost of food and other essentials you need when you’re away from your tax home. Though it’s likely you’ll get quoted per diem as a monthly or weekly rate, the amounts will always be based on daily costs. 

• Travel Reimbursement

  Your contract may specify what an agency needs to reimburse you with when traveling to and from your destination, if you qualify. 

• Base Hourly Rate

  Think of this as your hourly wage. Your base pay is what you earn for each hour you work. 

• On-Call Rate

  You’ll get an hourly rate when you’re called in to work. 

• Missed Hours Penalty

  Every agency and facility has a different policy on any potential missed hours. Check in with yours to learn them. 

Got questions? Ask your recruiter

If you’re unsure about any other travel nursing terms, whether they come up in your contract or in conversation, the recruiters at HealthCare Support can walk you through them all. HealthCare Support is a national staffing agency that helps passionate healthcare professionals find roles they love. Our team is dedicated to supporting and teaching you everything you need to know so you can best set yourself up for a life of success.

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

When you land a travel nurse assignment, most times, you’ll have two housing options: company housing, which is when the agency you’re working with takes care of all your housing needs, or a housing stipend, which is when you’re responsible for securing and paying for your temporary home. 

Housing stipends, also known as housing reimbursements, are sums of money that support travel nurses’ living costs while they work. If you’re a travel nurse or are interested in becoming one, take a look at what you need to know about housing stipends. 

Who Decides the Housing Stipend? 

Your travel nurse agency will refer to stipend rates decided by the General Service Administration (GSA), an independent agency of the U.S. government that manages and supports how federal agencies run. 

On top of many other government-related responsibilities, the GSA takes care of travel nurses’ per diem rates, which are rates that account for the daily cost of lodging. These rates are allotted to employees on official travel and based on the different costs of living across the country. Therefore, your housing stipend will be dependent on the location of your assignment. To better understand the varying cost of living expenses across the nation, take a look at the GSA’s per diem rates. 

Why Are Some Areas More or Less Expensive than Others? 

In addition to costs of living varying across the country, pricing will fluctuate depending on your living arrangement. For example, a furnished apartment can sometimes cost more than a non-furnished one. 

Time of year also factors into costs, such as a summer living situation sometimes being more expensive than a winter one. Stipend ranges vary, but payments will often come in lump sum intervals. For example, if you’re working in Austin, Texas in October, your stipend can be $158 per day and can get paid weekly or biweekly. 

What Should Travel Nurses Look for in Housing? 

If you’re leaning towards finding your own place to live with your housing stipend, there are a few factors you should consider: 

• Do you need a vehicle?

  Some locations, like major cities, have reliable public transportation, while others don’t. Determine the proximity and walkability of where you’re living, working and exploring. 

• What appliances and furniture will you have?

  Your living arrangement may already have everything you need, but if it doesn’t, consider the costs of having to buy what you feel are essential to your lifestyle. 

• How long is your lease?

  Find a new home that works best with your assignment length. If you need to break your lease, remember to factor those costs into your housing budget. 

These key considerations are personal to what you want out of your travel nurse experience, but if you need professional guidance, HealthCare Support can help. 

Find Your Ideal Stipend Living Situation with HealthCare Support

HealthCare Support can help you land your dream assignment, location and housing situation. HealthCare Support is a national staffing resource that supports the professional, personal and financial goals of passionate healthcare professionals. With compassionate guidance and highly responsive support, our dedicated team can help you thrive in your new role and home. We’ll help you throughout the placement process and walk you through stipend living.

To connect with our team, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

When you’re off on a new assignment and enjoying life in your new home, you might be thinking how awesome it would be to experience it with someone else, but there are pros and cons in doing so. Read on to find out if you should take your next travel nursing assignment solo or with a friend.

Pros to Travel Nursing with a Friend 

Not everyone knows what it’s like to be away from home weeks at a time, live in a completely different city, and be the new nurse at a facility. When you have a friend with you on assignment who’s also experiencing the same changes as you are, it can be beneficial for the both of you to lean on each other for help and support. Plus:

• It’s more affordable

  When you’re sharing a living space with a friend, you can split living costs with one another. This includes rent, furniture and appliances, and groceries. Your transportation costs can also be split by carpooling and ride sharing. 

• You have a travel buddy

  What better way to make memories in a new city than with a friend? From sightseeing to eating out, you’ll always have someone you know with you to experience this time in your life. 

Cons to Travel Nursing with a Friend 

While it’s beneficial to adventure and work in a new place alongside your friend, you might not actually have that much time to spend together. For example, you could work completely opposite shifts. With one of you working nights and the other working days, your expectations on exploring the city with your friend might fall short. Other cons to take into account include: 

• You’re less likely to stretch yourself

  You’re bound to grow when you’re on your own. Rather than leaning on someone else to be there with you, working and traveling alone pushes you to befriend coworkers, go on solo adventures, or learn how to live on your own. 

• You’re limited on where you can go

  If you’re both set on getting placed in one destination, you may have to wait longer for opportunities to open up for the both of you.

Tips for Deciding What To Do

If you’re still on the fence on whether or not to take your next travel nursing assignment with a friend, we suggest the following: 

• Assess your relationship

  Traveling with your friend opens the door to living together for 13 or more weeks. If you aren’t ready to be roommates, it might not be the best idea to go on this journey together. 

• Create a goals list

  You and your friend should, separately, make a list of what you both want to experience on assignment. When you come together to share your lists, assess the similarities and differences. If you want to have fun together, traveling together may be your perfect option. If you’re more focused on experiencing a new city at your own pace, it might be better to take an assignment on your own. 

• Ask your recruiter for guidance

  Your recruiter can work with you to find opportunities in your ideal role and location with your friend. You can also ask for your recruiter’s insight on the pros and cons of travel nursing with someone. 

HealthCare Support Can Get You Where You Want To Go 

Solo or with a friend, our highly responsive, compassionate team works with you to find your ideal travel assignment. HealthCare Support is a staffing resource for the healthcare industry that places talented, passionate healthcare professionals in careers where they’ll thrive. With our national reach and vast network, you can start working in the location and role of your dreams.

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

As people who attract talent and fill organizations with essential workers, recruiters play an integral role in moving the healthcare industry forward. It’s no wonder there’s a day dedicated to celebrating all they do. June 7, the first Tuesday in June, is National Healthcare Recruiter Recognition Day. Here’s how to celebrate. 

Leave a Review

Recruiters are there to support you in your career. To support your recruiters in theirs, take the time to write a thoughtful and positive review on your experience working with them. From Facebook ratings to Google My Business, a review is an easy and accessible way for your recruiter to get the recognition they deserve on how they helped you be successful. This can help your recruiter work with more candidates, earn praise from their team, and grow at their company. 

Say Thank You

In finding talent, juggling the demands of different facilities, and aligning each individual to the perfect role, recruitment can get challenging and overwhelming. While recruiters aren’t doing their very best for a “thank you,” it certainly makes the job more special when a “thank you” is delivered. Whether it’s a phone call, email, or even a handwritten note, expressing your gratitude goes a long way in letting your recruiter know what they’re doing matters.

Be Happy In Your Career

Of course, the best way to let recruiters know you appreciate them for what they do is finding fulfillment and joy in the job they helped you find. Recruiters want the best for you, so when they see you thriving, that success lets them know they’re making a real difference in their candidates’ lives and in the healthcare industry. 

Work with Recruiters Who Care As Much As You Do 

Recruiters love working with people who care about the healthcare industry as much as they do. Together, you have the opportunity to make a real difference in healthcare. That’s our goal at HealthCare Support. As a premiere, national staffing resource for the healthcare industry, our team is dedicated to moving the industry forward by placing compassionate talent in jobs they love. 

To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.