# pharmacist jobs



## usingalong

Hi everyone,
I am a currently employed US pharmacist . Like to move to Singapore asap if possible--Does anybody know if there is any pharmacist job vacancy posted recently over there? Hope you can help

Thanks,

Usingalong


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## Singapore Saint

usingalong said:


> Hi everyone,
> I am a currently employed US pharmacist . Like to move to Singapore asap if possible--Does anybody know if there is any pharmacist job vacancy posted recently over there? Hope you can help
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Usingalong


Hi Usingalong,

I don't work in the industry, but had two friends who were qualified pharmacists from the UK and moved out to Singapore due to their husbands' jobs... however, they both felt that their roles were no different from working in a shop and pharmacy in Singapore was not what they had trained for and became very disillusioned with it.. one has since gone back to the UK after having a baby, but the main reason they went back was for the sake of her career. The other has also left the industry.. although now also a mum, she stopped working as a pharmacist and did something different before coming pregnant.

Sorry to sound so negative, but I clearly remember how frustrated my friends were...please try and speak to as many as you can to get a clear picture of what the industry is like in Singapore before committing to anything, as it could be very different from what you have experienced and may be expecting...


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## simonsays

in Singapore, pharmacy and nursing are called ancillary services, and they dont' go through a nursing degree, for nursing, and the pharmacists dont go the same lengths as in UK .. or US

Hence the difference, and the respective salary scale accordingly

SS: I believe their disillusionment maybe more to do with the pay than to do with the work .. 

If somebody expects a doctor's salary for a pharmacist, they are gonna be mighty disappointed ..


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## Singapore Saint

ecureilx said:


> in Singapore, pharmacy and nursing are called ancillary services, and they dont' go through a nursing degree, for nursing, and the pharmacists dont go the same lengths as in UK .. or US
> 
> Hence the difference, and the respective salary scale accordingly
> 
> SS: I believe their disillusionment maybe more to do with the pay than to do with the work ..
> 
> If somebody expects a doctor's salary for a pharmacist, they are gonna be mighty disappointed ..


No, it was definitely the work unfortunately....


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## jyeo

Hi, I'm a pharmacist currently practising at a private hospital and teaching at a college in Singapore. I used to work at a public hospital, where I ran anticoagulation clinics and smoking cessation clinics. Prior to that, I worked at a community pharmacy.

To be able to practise as a pharmacist in Singapore, you'll need to go through 3-12 months (depending on no. of years of experience) of pre-registration pharmacist training. After which, you'll need to sit for a forensic exam and a competency exam before getting your licence to practise. For more details on registration, you may refer to Singapore Pharmacy Council website.

There are plenty of pre-registration pharmacist positions available at various public hospitals and community hospitals. However, I must warn that salary during training is rather low, around S$1500. Also, a licensed pharmacist's salary is not comparable to that of a US pharmacist.

However, income tax rates are very low, cost of food and public transport is relatively cheap. Housing rental rates are dependent on location and size. Some organizations do provide housing allowances of S$600.


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## simonsays

JYEO: thanks for the clarification .. 

I was trying to comprehend the angst of foreigners who hate singapore, when they come as pharmacists .. and the pay for pharmacists, pegged on S Pass is a clear sign of the pay scale

Thanks


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## Singapore Saint

ecureilx said:


> JYEO: thanks for the clarification ..
> 
> I was trying to comprehend the angst of foreigners who hate singapore, when they come as pharmacists .. and the pay for pharmacists, pegged on S Pass is a clear sign of the pay scale
> 
> Thanks


As I said in my posts, not all of the angst is about pay.... it's also about the job requiring a skill set way below that acquired through training elsewhere, making them wonder why they should stay being a pharmacist in Singapore when they can work in another country and actually use the skills they spent years in training for..


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## jyeo

Singapore Saint said:


> As I said in my posts, not all of the angst is about pay.... it's also about the job requiring a skill set way below that acquired through training elsewhere, making them wonder why they should stay being a pharmacist in Singapore when they can work in another country and actually use the skills they spent years in training for..


Well, the pay isn't that bad once you obtain your licence. The starting monthly pay for a fresh university graduate, after completing pre-registration training, is around S$3200 now. The public hospitals pay accordingly to class of honours, so the pay may be slightly higher or lower. If you have a MPharm or PharmD, the pay will be higher. Yearly bonuses range from 2-4 months.

There are many areas of specialization in the public hospitals where you will get to use the skills you are trained for. For instance, oncology, infectious diseases, hematology, anticoagulation, heart failure, psychiatry, etc. 

Perhaps, those foreign pharmacists whom you spoke about did not work in the hospitals? Instead, they were working at the community pharmacies which handle an average of <10 prescriptions per day, leading them to think that their skills are not put to use? As Singapore pharmacists do not have dispensing rights, community pharmacy practice is much different from that in e.g. US, UK, Australia. My suggestion for these group of pharmacists is to work at the public hospitals which handle both outpatients and inpatients.


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## Singapore Saint

jyeo said:


> Well, the pay isn't that bad once you obtain your licence. The starting monthly pay for a fresh university graduate, after completing pre-registration training, is around S$3200 now. The public hospitals pay accordingly to class of honours, so the pay may be slightly higher or lower. If you have a MPharm or PharmD, the pay will be higher. Yearly bonuses range from 2-4 months.
> 
> There are many areas of specialization in the public hospitals where you will get to use the skills you are trained for. For instance, oncology, infectious diseases, hematology, anticoagulation, heart failure, psychiatry, etc.
> 
> Perhaps, those foreign pharmacists whom you spoke about did not work in the hospitals? Instead, they were working at the community pharmacies which handle an average of <10 prescriptions per day, leading them to think that their skills are not put to use? As Singapore pharmacists do not have dispensing rights, community pharmacy practice is much different from that in e.g. US, UK, Australia. My suggestion for these group of pharmacists is to work at the public hospitals which handle both outpatients and inpatients.



They were both in Hospitals!


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## jyeo

Singapore Saint said:


> They were both in Hospitals!


Really?!! That's strange...At the hospital where I used to work, clinical pharmacists get to be quite involved in the management of patients, e.g. adjust doses of drugs, go on rounds with doctors, review medication orders, etc.


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