# US to Singapore: pharmacist job opportunities?



## expatpharmd

Are there any job opportunities for an American pharmacist in Singapore? Is an American pharmacy degree even useful over there?


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## JWilliamson

*pharmacist*



expatpharmd said:


> Are there any job opportunities for an American pharmacist in Singapore? Is an American pharmacy degree even useful over there?


You are in USA? Life or work there is going bad? Whats the reason you searching for work in Asia? JW


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## pagophilus

expatpharmd said:


> Are there any job opportunities for an American pharmacist in Singapore? Is an American pharmacy degree even useful over there?


Yes. Singapore is desperate for pharmacists without publicly saying so. Many have left for better pay in other industries. They are also building more hospitals and expanding the roles for pharmacists. The most you'd get paid is around $5000 a month (maybe plus allowances). I'm Australian and have 13 years experience in hospital pharmacy but no postgraduate qualifications and $4300 has been suggested as a starting salary (after the pre-registration training period). You wouldn't do it for the money but for the love of the job, and because Singapore is improving its healthcare system and expanding roles for pharmacists.

Singapore accepts qualifications from certain universities/schools. See the Singapore Pharmacy Council website for a list of schools (I'm not allowed to post links to websites because I'm only new here). Also, search google for "mohh allied health". The Ministry of Health Holdings is recruiting hospital pharmacists and other health professionals. I intend to talk to them early next year. Plus, there's also the option to work for Guardian if you like retail pharmacy.

Send me a personal message for more info. I don't know how to do this. I'm new to the forum.


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## simonsays

pagophilus: you need to submit more posts to obtain a personal messaging function .. then you get the PMs .. 

As for salary, unless you have UK or Singapore degree, the pay you suggested seem high, as, lately, Singapore has been quitely making putting emphasis on nursing and pharmacology being preferred to be local oriented jobs .. 

Anyway, do let us know the outcome

Cheers


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## expatpharmd

So how how many posts would one need to send/receive messages?


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## simonsays

I could ask you to RTF or RTFF - but I thought it was atleast 6 or so ..


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## pagophilus

ecureilx said:


> As for salary, unless you have UK or Singapore degree, the pay you suggested seem high, as, lately, Singapore has been quitely making putting emphasis on nursing and pharmacology being preferred to be local oriented jobs ..
> 
> Cheers


These are local wage figures. They don't do special "expat" packages like in some other occupations. The only thing extra they offer to expats are once-off relocation allowance/airfare/settling-in allowance and a monthly housing allowance (suggested to be around $500-600). A friend of mine who recently moved to Singapore is earning around the same ball-park figure, with slightly less experience.

I'm still thinking about whether to move or not, and won't fully decide for a few months, so I have time up my sleeve. I'm not desperate to go to Singapore, but see it as a change and a career move.


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## simonsays

Since you asked, I just bumped into a pharmacist, who hails from an Asian country (not that is matters, but his degree is in the 'accepted' universities list .. ) and got a job at a Hospital, at 2,500S$ and no allowances .. 

Maybe he is off the mark a lot ..


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## pagophilus

ecureilx said:


> Since you asked, I just bumped into a pharmacist, who hails from an Asian country (not that is matters, but his degree is in the 'accepted' universities list .. ) and got a job at a Hospital, at 2,500S$ and no allowances ..
> 
> Maybe he is off the mark a lot ..


From what I've been told, $2500 is the starting salary for new grads, and foreign pharmacists during their pre-registration period. The job ads menion salaries from $2500-5000 depending on experience. I don't know how much experience he has or whether he is still undergoing pre-registration training, or maybe it is because it is because of the country he is from????

Anyway, MOHH is actively recruiting in Australia and England. They're coming to Australia in March. They need to offer us at least reasonable wages for us to consider moving over to Singapore.


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## simonsays

he has clocked over 10 years experience, in Middle East, and as for the country-of-origin dictating your pay - those days have been long gone in Singapore .. 

And guys/girls with about 3 years experience were offered 1,800 upwards ..

Anyway, if you are working with MOHH - you should know better than me


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## pagophilus

ecureilx said:


> he has clocked over 10 years experience, in Middle East, and as for the country-of-origin dictating your pay - those days have been long gone in Singapore ..
> 
> And guys/girls with about 3 years experience were offered 1,800 upwards ..
> 
> Anyway, if you are working with MOHH - you should know better than me


I'm not trying to argue with you, but repeating what I have been told. I can't mention exactly what salary my friend is on, nor his friend who has just begin working on hospital there. But they're within the ballpark I mentioned. The $4300 figure was given me by a recruiter.

About country of origin not dictating pay, I'm not so sure. It may be finished in theory but I believe it still goes on to some extent in practice.


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## simonsays

pagophilus said:


> I'm not trying to argue with you, but repeating what I have been told. I can't mention exactly what salary my friend is on, nor his friend who has just begin working on hospital there. But they're within the ballpark I mentioned. The $4300 figure was given me by a recruiter.
> 
> About country of origin not dictating pay, I'm not so sure. It may be finished in theory but I believe it still goes on to some extent in practice.


No worries mate - MOHH Is after all an agency to seek out the best talent .. 

Cheers.

PS: as for the country of origin not dictating pay - that took place almost 10 years ago, about the time I came here ..


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## pagophilus

ecureilx said:


> No worries mate - MOHH Is after all an agency to seek out the best talent ..


MOM's Wage Search is not working at present, however here is a quote from Ministry of Manpower: Career Compass

As at Dec 2008, the gross monthly salary of Pharmacists ranges from $3,288 to $4,804. The median monthly gross wage is $3,755.

So, the pharmacist you met who is working for $2500 either accepted a very bad offer without negotiating well, or is getting severely short-changed (or is just a technician and not a pharmacist).


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## simonsays

Cool - same site also states for RN: The monthly starting gross pay of a Registered Nurse (Diploma or Degree) in the hospitals ranges from $2,100 to $3,498. These salary ranges are gross salaries which include shift allowances and meal subsidies etc. 

Most RN's earn somewhere very much towards the 2,000 figure, and been there for more than years from what I know   

no worries mate.

Anyway, in Singapore - Salary depends upon your negotiating skills, and while not many places like to underpay, they will start from the lowest band for the job - like, say IT Engineer, for Networks, between 2,500 to 5,000 - it will be normal to see a guy at 2,500, and another at 5,000, same rank, same job .. 

Maybe somebody lowered the minimum wage for Pharmacists and forgot to tell MOM about it ..  

Cheers.. No worries


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## pagophilus

ecureilx said:


> Cool - same site also states for RN: The monthly starting gross pay of a Registered Nurse (Diploma or Degree) in the hospitals ranges from $2,100 to $3,498. These salary ranges are gross salaries which include shift allowances and meal subsidies etc.
> 
> Most RN's earn somewhere very much towards the 2,000 figure, and been there for more than years from what I know


Yes, I'm aware of the low wages of nurses. They do get into the 3000's though when they become nurse specialists or educators. I'm still surprised by the $2500 figure for that pharmacist, unless he's still in his pre-registration period (hasn't passed the SPC exams yet).


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## simonsays

The person in question completed A Bachelors Degree from a well reputed Uni, and completed his Pharmacology, and his post qualification experience was from respected hospitals, atleast for his basic degree and pharmacology courses, they rank in the top of the MOH List .. 

And completed the SPC qualification exam - as per my understanding .. 

Drop me a PM, and I can give you an insight into "SALARIES"   just for your ears only 

Anyway, no worries mate ..


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## honeylime8

Hello, thank you for posting this. I'm new to this site and have been doing research for my fiancee about moving to Singapore. Any help is much appreciated. 
I heard Singapore is looking for people with US degree, is this true?

He has a pharmD from the top school in MA USA. What kind of pay scale would he be looking at? He has 2 years experience right now.
We are looking into Singapore so we can be closer to his family in China. We looked into moving to China but the pay is very low and I'm not to fond of a few things in China. He has a friend who works in Singapore and iv been told by many people it's a clean city and expat friendly. Is this true? He is currently working in a retail pharmacy setting. I found one job from a hospital that was offering $ 205,000 a year and offered first year free rent. I contacted about it and the job has been taken. 

I have no problem moving and I know he wants to be closer to family in China. lane:

He Also really likes Europe...but that won't solve the problem of trying to be closer to his family, without moving to China. I love the whole world and can live any where with no problem. Any helpful tips on a good country in Europe or Asia? We looked into Japan and because he's Chinese, we are worried that might not work out so well. I love Japan and it's only 2-4hr flight to Beijing.

(I hope you don't mind I jumped in on this forum topic?)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and offer any help. This site is wonderful . Thank you.


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