Account Disabled

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Work Sucks

Boy it’s been a sucky few days on the internet for TheAngriestPharmacist. Due to “invalid account activity,” my Google Adsense Ads have been disabled. What the hell does that mean? It means that someone has been continuously clicking my ads — over and over again — either trying to make me a few bucks or purposefully trying to get my account shut down. If the latter is the case, kudos. That’s a really good haze. But, it does suck as the Adsense revenue helped cover my hosting/website costs. I’ve sent in an appeal saying that I don’t know who did what (I have my suspicions), but I’m betting they don’t reverse too many decisions. There was one day in question where I saw my revenue jump considerably, but that was a while back. The account closure was a recent event — so they may or may not be related. Nonetheless, if they tell me what day they want logs from, I will send it. We’ll see. I may have to find another Ad-Content Provider…

I also saw my Paypal account suspended. This was expected by myself originally, but it went fine for almost two weeks. I started the account with a ficticious name. I expected that to be a no-no. Now they want my address, social security number, phone number, etc. Well, it’s unlikely that I’m going to provide this. I upgraded my account to a ‘business account’ — allowing use of a ficticious name. As for the other things, we’ll see what happens. Until then, my account functions for the purposes I want. I can receive money from my friends that decide to “Buy Me a Beer” (which is currently disabled until this shit is straight in case I lose that money!) I can send paypal funds to my bank account. I just cannot close my account or send/request money to other paypal users — meaning I can’t participate in Ebay with this account…which I never planned on anyway. So, I can do what I want — who cares about anything else?

I’m sure eventually they’ll just shut my account down. Until then, FUCK EM! I don’t see what the issue is. They have my address, phone number (hidden of course), and bank account. Why do they need a credit card, SSN, and all this other extraneous info? I just want to be able to accept donations from readers and put it in my bank account. You’d think it’d be easy. There must be some sort of game that people have played in the past that screwed over paypal or other users…Well, I’m not screwing anybody…

What will happen NEXT?

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The most popular question

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Education, Just a question, Pharmacy School

I get a lot of questions asked of me via my CONTACT ME page. They range from drug information, to theoretical questions, and even ‘online mental statust exams’ as I’ve come to call them. ["I think I'm depressed. What's good for that?"] Of all the questions I get, there’s one that I get every other day — at least.

I’m thinking about going to pharmacy school. What are the requirements? Will I get in? I heard it’s hard from my friend. Would you do it again?

Well, as everyone knows, that question is a mouthful. Let me address each question in separate sections. What are the requirements? Well, the assumption that I know the requirements of every pharmacy school in the United States is quite humbling. I realize people are just ‘thinking out loud’ when they ask this. If you really wanna know the requirements for a specific school, find their webpage. It’ll be on there. If it’s not, call them. They’ll tell you — it’s not a secret. I would GUESS that most schools want at least a 26 on the ACT. A 28 is probably a given. IF you have a 30+, you can get into any school you want. I would imagine most schools look more heavily at ACT than GPA these days, but your GPA should at least be in the top 20-25% [Top 10% would be better]. Most schools are also going to want you to have some extra curriculars: Student Council, National Honor Society, Sports, Math/Physics Clubs, Future Business Leaders, etc.

Now, I’m assuming that your applying to a 6-year program, where you are in pharmacy school right after high school. If someone is inquiring about a 8-year track, where you get a 4-year undergrade, apply to pharmacy school, then do 4-year of actual pharmacy school — that’s a completely different ballgame. That’s going to be based MOSTLY on your PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) score. I didn’t take that, so I don’t know how it’s scored or what you need to get into pharmacy school. In this route, they are also going to want you to have a much better GPA — at LEAST Top 10% I’d assume. Organizational involvement is also a plus: Student Government, fraternities, Young Democrats/Republicans, etc.

Will I get in? That question is totally based on the requirements and what each specific institution is looking for. Honestly, being a minority does not hurt in some cases. In my class, I had 4 black females and zero black males. Does that mean my school is racist? No. It means none applied, otherwise they would have been accepted if they met the minimum requirements for admission. Of course, I went to school with a lot of Indian and Chinese students — so it wasn’t all white. [Just throwing that in there]

I heard it’s hard, would you do it again? First, I want to direct your attention to the image below. It is a picture of a poll that I ran on my website from March 5, 2008 to June 10, 2008.

As you can see, a whole lot of pharmacists would go again (if 18-years old of course), but a whole lot wouldn’t. I, myself, would go to pharmacy school again if I were 18. You aren’t wrong, pharmacy school is difficult, but in the long run it is worth it. I came out of pharmacy school with $100k debt, but I make $100k+ per year before taxes. I plan on having that paid off in 15 years from my graduation date.

Pharmacy school is hard, but it was a lot of fun for me. The difficulty of the curriculum makes the atmosphere on Friday night very interesting. People drink for a reason — to forget the pain of failing that test, quiz, etc. My school was far from a party school, but there were a ton of great times and wild parties. Some people party a little too hard, and they fail out…actually, lots fail out. My class started at ~220, and I graduated with about 150-160 — I think. Why is it so hard? To weed out the fools. My school always said they didn’t weed out students, but that’s bullshit. Every school has to do it in graduate level programs to reduce class size, and for the reason I said — removal of idiocy.

In pharmacy school, however, the students really form a bond. In an environment where the school is fighting against you day-in and day-out, a very overwhelming aura of US versus THEM develops. The class really sticks together — especially in the latter years. Why? Because there’s no reason for competition. The C+ student gets the same Pharm.D. as the A+ student. Now, don’t get me wrong, everyone hates transfers for busting the curve, making it harder on everyone, and asking asinine theoretical questions extending class time, but that aside, we stuck together. Because of this ‘bond,’ I really think the friends you make in pharmacy school mean a little more to you than friends you meet in college that may not even be in the same school of study as you. I met my wife, my two best men, a ton of fraternity brothers, and lifelong friends at pharmacy school. To this day, I have 40-50 numbers in my cell phone of people in my pharmacy school. I may not call them — we may not have been close friends in pharmacy school. But, I bet if I called them and asked them a question or for a small favor, they’d do it for me. We worked together to get the best of the school — and not let that motherfucker get the best of us.

So, would I do it again? Yup.
Would everyone do it again? Obviously not.

But, I bet those pharmacists didn’t make the most of their school. They spent their nights in their rooms studying…not associating with everyone else and getting the most out of their connections.

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Are you sad that you didn’t go to Med School? Sometimes, I get this as an added variation. From reading the answer to the above question, it’s quite obvious that I’m NOT sad that I didn’t go to Medical School. I got accepted into a 6-year medical school program. It would have been year-round, guaranteed mental illness, and very tough. But, I’m sure it offered the same bond-like benefits I spoke of about pharmacy school. Anyway, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it. I love my Profession. Sometimes, my job sucks — but I love pharmacy — I love drugs — I love educating people about their drugs, therapies, and general healthcare. Personally, I think I have too much common sense to be a medical doctor. I couldn’t imagine making some of the stupid ass fucking mistakes these jokers make on some prescriptions — like not signing them, writing for blatant obvious interactions (which are the big ones that even someone that only took a semester of pharmacology should know — Bactrim DS and Coumadin, anyone?), and continually failing to follow simple instructions (Testing Strips — For Medicare must have diagnosis code and EXACT directions/quantity — yet I call the same idiot-bastards 2x/wk for this wasting everyone’s time). The thought of med school after pharmacy school did cross my mine for 0.0004 seconds. But, it’s a round about way to get an MD, and would’ve added at least 8 more years, 150k more debt, and a ton more headache. Would it have been worth it for another 150k/yr (minimum, of course) and more worries in practice (like crazy malpractice)? I dunno. For some, I guess.

I have a theory though — your either a doctor or a pharmacist. You can’t really be both. You have to know. The personality is different. The profession is different. What you do on a daily basis is completely different. One is diagnosis, the other is treatment. There are a ton of differences. While pharmacy is considered a practice, it is, in my mind, an exact science. Everything in order — everything in an exact, precise way — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Sometimes, medicine has to be different. Diagnosis may sometimes be 4,2,3,5,1. That just doesn’t click with pharmacists. Recipes are a must with pharmacists. Doctors may be a little bit more abstract. Just a random, late-night analysis. Take it for what it is.

How much money do you make? This is another question that sometimes gets tacked on. While that’s a very rude question to ask someone, coming from someone looking to spend the next 6 (or 8) years of their life studying to be a pharmacist, it is acceptable in this case. As of writing this, I gross about 110k per year and bring home about 80-85k depending on my donations, income from my other business (not pharmacy related), and some other factors I know nothing about. This is about average for pharmacists, and I work VERY little overtime. It may be lower than what some of you have heard, but I live in a somewhat smaller town and the cost of living is fairly low. Now, keep in mind that when I left college, I had over 100k in student loans. I’m still paying those back, and I will be for another 15+ years. So, again, take it for what it is. We make more, but we are stretched thin until those loans are gone. However, if you live modestly, you can pay them back very quickly. Don’t run out and buy a hummer. Wait, save, and spend it later on…:-)

So, does that answer the question? I sure hope so! Any follow up questions or comments?

Further information for those that would ask this question:
Request from 2008 Graduate (2-16-08) - The 2nd most commented post I’ve ever had. My advice for successful inculcation into the trenches for 2008 Pharmacy School grads.
So you are going to Pharmacy School (3-7-08) - Similar to the post for Pharm.D. graduates, but this one is directed to high school grads or those entering pharmacy school.

PCAT Sources:
PCAT practice test
Kaplan PCAT
Barron’s PCAT
Peterson’s PCAT Success
http://www.pcatprofessor.com/

Top 50 Pharmacy Blogs

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Blogs I like

NursingDegreeGuide.com has assimilated a list of the Top 50 Pharmacist/Pharmacy Blogs. I’m not sure if it’s a Letterman style list (since I’m not number 1), but it is pretty inclusive of all the blogs out there — even those not in the mainstream. Check it out — reference me at number 6 and the comments about TheAngriestPharmacist.com — NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/2008/top-50-pharmacist-blogs/

NOTES:

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Irrational behavior

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Drug Companies, Just a question, Me being a dick, PSE, Patient Education, Stupid People, True Story, Work Sucks

Due to the overwhelming results of the poll, I’ve reverted back to the old theme. If anyone wants to look for a new theme, I’d be willing to switch it again. I want two sidebars (left or right), one dominant color (like the orange on this one), and plenty of room at the top of the site to list pages (more than this theme has). Thanks and enjoy!

The human being, by nature, is irrational. Some people are able to overcome this with education and common sense — most others are not. We see this, as pharmacists, every single, solitary day.

Example 1:  50-year old white female presents to the pharmacy asking for a product called “Congestac.” I had never heard of it, so I looked it up on Clinical Pharmacology. I quickly found that it was merely 400mg of Guaifenesin and 60mg of Pseudoephedrine. So, rather than order 24 pills for $14 from my supplier, I grabbed a package of generic Mucinex-D (which is 600/60). I told the lady that it was the same two drugs and even had a little bit more of the drug for chest congestion. She told me, “Well, I don’t know. It’s for my son.” I asked her how old he was — he’s 25. What the fuck? Why is she scared to make an adult decision? Is she afraid she’ll bring home this alternate product, he’ll immediately judge it as inferior, and shove it up her sexin’ hole? After much explanation, rationalization, and even printing of ingredient lists, I ordered the $14 product. I hope the 9 dollar difference is worth it. We’ll call it the idiot tax.

Example 2: 75-year old male presents to the pharmacy asking for the person in charge of ordering the Bayer Aspirin. A much as I wanted to page, “Would the Angriest-Pharmacy Associate in charge of ordering the Bayer Aspirin please report to the pharmacy for customer assistance,” — I did not. I went out to the shelf and saw that we were, in fact, out of 81mg Bayer Aspirin. I asked the man if he had ever had a stroke or heart attack. He had not. I immediately grabbed a bottle of 81mg store brand Aspirin and handed it to the man. I told him it was half the price, made by a respectable generic manufacturer, and was the exact same thing. The man then proceeded to tell me that, “he had been taking Bayer-Brand Aspirin for 30 years, and he ain’t had nary a stroke, heart attack, or problem number one while takin’ it and he ain’t about to switch now.” Well, as irrational at that sounds, you can’t argue with the stupid. I tried to explain to him that they were the same drug. He then had the nerve to tell me that he *knows* that “Bayer is a better product and prevents more strokes than that cheap generic junk.” I then asked the man if he drank alcohol — he said he did — several Milwaukee’s Best per day. I then asked him if he had ever had cancer. “Nope. Never had any health problems at all.” I immediately attributed his lack of cancer to Milwaukee’s best, the cheapest beer on the market, and commented at how I needed to get me some of that. He laughed, but he did not get my point. The idiot tax will be applied to him upon his next visit when he buys Bayer Aspirin. [Fun fact: Bayer also manufactured and sold Heroin at one point]

Do you have a story of irrationality? I know you do. Please share it in a comment.

I’ll share more as they come up.

Historical Poll Results

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Polls, Results, Surveys, Update

Below are the results to all the Polls ever on TheAngriestPharmacist.com

What’s been going around

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Work Sucks

NOTE: Please vote in the poll in the right sidebar (if you care about the theme). I’ll make a ruling (and it looks like be changing the theme back or to something new) later this week. If you have a specific comment, send it to me via the CONTACT link above. Picture of the ORIGINAL THEME!

Honestly, I think this is one of the dumbest things I hear day-in and day-out. “I’ve got a runny nose and cough — ya know, the stuff that’s been going around.”

Ladies and gentlemen, I am a pharmacist. I have my hand on the pulse of the healthcare community. I know when a doctor is seeing patients, because I see 5 straight patients each getting a Zpak (which is fucking stupid) or 10 scripts for 4 ounces of Cheratussin. I can honestly tell you, that something, “just going around” is a stupid attribution that I hear all the time…and for whatever reason, just irks me.

People get sick. Even the healthiest people on the planet are susceptible to disease and illness caused by bacteria and virus — but attributing your illness to “what’s going around” just sounds retarded. Why? Because even if you’re afflicted with vomiting and diarrhea, and I’ve only treated sniffles and sneezes all day, I can bet (with a 95% CI p<0.05) you’re going to tell me, “it’s the same gunk that’s been goin’ around.”

I realize that certain bacteria/virus can run rampant occasionally. A strain of Hepatitis A got loose at an area local high school because some nasty kid took a shit, didn’t wash his hands, and decided it’d be a good idea to lay his fingers all over the drinking fountains. I guess one could say it went around, but I promise you on the days I’m treating all that diarrhea with loperamide/education, someone came in complaining of contact dermatitis and said it was going around…