A tumultuous love-hate relationship...love the profession, hate the corpocracy.
Pros
Flexible schedules if partner is reasonable, the ability to help people by educating them on their meds, dealing with the regular customers that make the job worthwhile. Exposure to various patient demographics and needs and expansion of clinical services in the retail setting (ie. MTM, immunizations, patient-focused counseling). Very competitive compensation package.
Cons
Stressful work environment, no official lunch breaks, skeleton crews that are unable to cover call-outs or vacations, overbearing corporate culture that diminishes the profession in many ways. Burnout period has been accelerated for retail, especially after deep budget cuts and redesigning the business model with more focus on centralization: Remote data-entry, verification, TPR resolution, and medication courier service to stores creates less tech need in the stores, but places more responsibility for mundane tasks (ie. cashiering, calling insurances) on the pharmacists.
