Apothecary Jobs

The Internet has revolutionized a consumer’s ability to research personal health issues and independently discover the available options of finding more affordable ways of obtaining his or her medications.

For the millions of Americans who have prescription drug plans as part of their health insurance, the actual cost of medications is somewhat obscured by the co-payment–usually a nominal fee compared to the actual cost of the drug.

But for the millions of Americans who don’t have access to prescription coverage, who must pay for their medications out of pocket, there is a crucial piece of knowledge that can save them a lot of money: The cost of prescription drugs varies from pharmacy to pharmacy. And in many cases, Internet-based pharmacies can offer even lower costs. For example, a recent survey showed that Walgreens was selling Plavix (75 mg, 90 tablets) for $405.09. SmartChoiceDrugstore.com sold the exact same drug and quantity for $353.49.

According to data collected by SmartChoice, Americans pay more for their prescription drugs than people in other countries. The reason is that pharmaceutical manufacturers sell at much higher prices to U.S. wholesale companies because they have no restrictions on pricing. Higher costs are also attributed to pharmaceutical companies spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year in sales and marketing people to push their medications on the U.S. public and doctors who prescribe the medications.

Just like online retailers from whom you’d buy books, appliances or even a car, Internet pharmacies are able to offer lower prices because of lower overhead. With no storefront (and accordant costs) to maintain, there’s less of a markup on the merchandise. The medication you receive from Internet pharmacies such as SmartChoice is identical to the medicines found at a neighborhood or chain drugstore. The only difference is what you pay. And if you take several different medications, the savings can be substantial.

At SmartChoiceDrugstore.com, each and every order is filled by a registered and licensed pharmacist. Like any U.S. pharmacy, SmartChoiceDrugstore.com undergoes rigorous governmental inspections regularly. The site is a full-service pharmacy that has access to all medications that any other pharmacy would have. And like traditional pharmacies, there are policies and procedures in place to validate prescriptions.

So you want to look around for your next career step but you are concerned that your current employer will find out and give you an early exit? Confidentiality in your job search is a reasonable concern and makes the way you approach finding your next position all the more important. Confidentiality and privacy issues in todays hyper-informative world are issues that should be taken seriously.

Keeping your intentions of changing jobs a secret is a challenge but secrecy is in your best interest. Case in point: Hilda was a highly paid pharmacist working for an independent pharmacy in Atlanta. She was approached by a new independent pharmacy who was a direct competitor of her current employer. The word leaked out that she was considering taking a directly competing position and her employer terminated her employment out of concern for operational security. As pharmacist-in-charge, she had full access to retail/wholesale pricing, future plans, insurance reimbursement rates and customer information all data that would be highly desirable by the competitor. Hildas employer just could not take the chance that she would leave and take all that information with her so they terminated her. Unfortunately, the competitor did not make an offer of employment to Hilda and she was left out in the cold not hired, and fired. If she had taken greater pains to keep her options confidential, she may not have ended up in the predicament of suddenly being unemployed.

On the flip side, it may be tempting to let slip to your current employer that you are looking around for new opportunities to provide some leverage for a raise or a promotion. Fishing for a counter-offer is a no-win situation. In a survey by the Wall Street Journal, 93 percent of employees who accept counter-offers to remain with an employer leave anyway after 18 months. If you are unhappy enough to spend months hunting for a new position, dealing with recruiters, and going on interviews, the true value of a counter offer should be questioned. Employers make counter-offers for their best interest not the employees. Employers need to make sure projects are completed, that deadlines are met, and that production does not lag. An employee who accepts a counter-offer has branded himself as disloyal and possibly a gold-digger and will forever more be viewed as such by superiors.

Common sense rules when going about a confidential job search. Do not use your work phone, email, or company cell phone to conduct any job search activities. Do not surf the job sites during your lunch hour or at anytime on your work PC. Be careful of the conversations you have within earshot of other co-workers. Do not leave your resume lying on your desk at work. Keep your plans and intentions quiet, even from close office friends whom you feel you can trust. Request confidentiality from all potential employers until an offer is made.

Beyond the obvious, consider the following tips for keeping your job search hush-hush:

Remove identifying information from your online resume. Replace your name with a generic title such as Senior Marketing Executive. Use only your cell phone number and a web-based email address that can be dropped after your job search. City and state is sufficient for address no need for street address or zip code. Remove your current employers name and replace it with something that is descriptive, yet unidentifiable such as Major Manhattan-based Financial Organization.

Be careful in your networking. Networking is essential to an effective job search, but indiscrete networking can breach your wish for confidentiality. Networking carefully can be even more difficult in closed industries or highly-specialized fields. Ask more questions than you answer in group settings; talk about possible employment options with decision-makers only; and provide your resume only to someone in a position to assist you confidentially.

Protect your references. References should only be provided in an interview, and preferably not at a first interview. You dont want your colleagues getting wind of your intentions before an offer is imminent.

Consider a confidential job search agent. If you have an annual salary of greater than $500,000 and/or you are well-known in your industry, hiring an agent to conduct your job search might be a good idea. The agent can extend inquiries without breaching confidentiality. An agent is not a recruiter, but rather someone who works for you individually to act as your liaison with potential employers.

In addition to confidentiality in a job search, everyone should be concerned about protection of privacy. Never, ever give out your social security number, drivers license number, or bank account numbers to anyone during the job search process. There are scam artists out there who will take advantage of your vulnerability as a job seeker to steal your identity, your money, and your reputation. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has some helpful tips for protecting your privacy during your job search at http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs25-JobSeekerPriv.htm.

The World Privacy Forum has an excellent article about an Internet job scam that is a must-read for anyone considering using the Internet for their job search. This particular job scam involved 23 Internet job boards including Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and PreferredJobs.com. The scam involved a posting that required the new hire to transfer money into their personal bank account and then transfer it back out to an account overseas via Western Union, keeping a percentage of the total amount for their work. According to victims of the scam who responded to the article, the interview and application process for the position was extremely convincing and they were totally taken in. The article can be found at http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/jobscamreportpt1.html.

The bottom line is that confidentiality starts with you. A secret shared is no longer a secret and cannot be controlled. If you are serious about keeping your career ladder climb quiet, you must take the precautions that are necessary. Employers have a great deal to lose when they lose employees human capital investment, corporate information, competitive data so keeping your intentions to leave might well be in your best interests until the time is right.

We every single one has heard of generic drugs but not sure whether one should take them or not. Generic drugs are physically equivalent to brand name drugs with almost all it’s properties in similar compositions, but is normally sold at a comparatively lower price. Generic drugs hold the same active element at the same strength as the original brand. Generic Drugs are characterized by the absence of the well known Brand Drugs, manufactured by few pharmaceutical companies who market those drugs with the name, chosen by the company, which first develops the drug.

rxhealthsuperstore.com is committed to your total health care by providing with best generic products information. You will find useful information on various health conditions and related drugs prescription information. Learn the facts on generic drugs to make an intelligent decision and opt for generic drugs for an affordable health care.
Our online pharmacy offer a wide selection of the most popular medicines online with FREE medical consultations, FAST shipping, LOW prices and Toll-free customer support! We sell brand-name and exact generic equivalents of U.S. FDA approved prescription drugs through our fully-licensed overseas pharmacy.
Tramadol is a narcotic-like pain reliever. Tramadol is used to care for moderate to severe pain. Tramadol extended-release is used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain when treatment is needed around the clock. Tramadol may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
Flomax is in a collection of drugs called alpha-adrenergic blockers. Flomax relaxes your veins and arteries so that blood can more easily pass through them. It also relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate. Soma is a muscle relaxed that works by overcrowding pain feelings between the nerves and the brain. Soma is used together with rest and physical therapy to treat injuries and other painful musculoskeletal conditions.
Aciphex decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Aciphex is used to treat symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other conditions involving excessive stomach acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
For complete fulfillment of our patients, we have employed informed, friendly pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to assist patients in receiving the highest level of health care. Canadian online pharmacy has been at the forefront of the Rxhealthsuperstore industry. It has compiled an desirable record in the areas of product knowledge, quality and safety and is number one in Canada for customer service. No other Canada pharmacy combines the wide range of canadian pharmacy , quality, customer care and discount drug prices that make canadian online pharmacy stand out among the rest.
Cialis is indicated for the action of erectile dysfunction. Buproption is an antidepressant, a medicine that helps to lift brainy depression. Bupropion acts differently from other antidepressants and may be useful for treating patients who have had unusual or limiting effects from other antidepressants. Occasionally bupropion is prescribed for other behavioral or emotional problems. Generic bupropion tablets are available.
For more information: http://www.rxhealthsuperstore.com

Medicare’s New Drug Benefit: Worth The Effort By Tom Paul, Chief Pharmacy Officer of Ovations, a UnitedHealth Group company

With Medicare’s new prescription drug coverage program, “Part D,” you could pay $5 or less for many of your prescription medications.

Because the program is still new, understanding how it works can seem challenging. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Step 1: Don’t go it alone

• Talk to other seniors who have gone through the process. To date, surveys show the majority of people who have signed up for a Part D plan say their efforts to understand the plans and enroll are worth it.

• Take advantage of meetings available in your community to help you understand the drug program and to get assistance signing up. Check with the local AARP office, local senior centers, the library, your health insurer or other experts for educational events.

Step 2: Learn As Much As You Can

• Go to libraries, publications and your Medicare & You handbook for toll-free phone numbers of the plans available in your area.

• If you think you may qualify for extra help with your Part D costs you should call: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY/TDD users should call 877-486-2048, (24 hours a day/7 days a week), or your State Medicaid Office, or the Social Security Administration a4 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY/TDD users should call, 1-800-325-0778.

• If you have Internet access, visit Medicare’s Web site at www.medicare.gov. It has a wealth of information, including a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder that helps compare plans in your areas. Other helpful Web sites include www.aarp.org and www.MedicareRxInfosource.com.

• Caregivers can go to www. PartDCentral.com or www.family caregiving101.org

Step 3: Make Sure You’re Signed Up

• Once you’ve enrolled in the plan, your acknowledgement letter from Medicare and/or the enrollment confirmation letter from your health plan serves as temporary proof of coverage. The letter plus your Medicare and/or Medicaid ID cards, will allow you to fill prescriptions until you receive your health plan’s ID card.

• If you are a Medicaid enrollee and have not received information about which plan you have been enrolled in you should call: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY/TDD users should call 877-486-2048, (24 hours a day/7 days a week), or your State Medicaid Office, or the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY/TDD users should call, 1-800-325-0778.

• Enroll before the 15th of the month. This helps ensure your enrollment information is in the pharmacy computer systems by the first of the following month.

• If you currently receive drug coverage through a Medicare Supplement plan, check with your Medicare Supplement plan provider: You may be able to realize additional savings under Medicare Part D.

Remember, if you are currently eligible for Medicare, enrolling before the May 15 deadline will help you avoid late enrollment fees. While the process may seem challenging, enrolling in a Part D plan may save money and help you get the drugs you need now and in the future.

Tom Paul

Your career should essentially be in your control. In an ideal world, you would progress within your chosen company for doing your job well and doing it on time. However, whether you are looking for a deserved pay rise or you want promotion you may find that you are often overlooked in preference for employees that you believe are not as accomplished as you are. Theres no use in performing well, if the right people dont hear about it.

Networking within the company you work for may not seem like the ideal way to spend your time, however, it will ensure that your face fits. Never be afraid to put your best foot forwards and sing your own praises if necessary. When you do something noteworthy let your managers and, if necessary, their managers know. If you come up with an idea that will potentially make or save money then tell the right people about it.

Your career is important and only by taking control of its progression can you be sure it will go the way you want it to. Setting goals is a major part of this aim. With short, medium and long-term goals you will be able to micro manage every aspect of your career. Your short-term goals should be geared towards achieving your medium-term goals, which in turn should help you achieve your goals.

Write down your goals and keep track of how you are doing. Always make sure that they are achievable but rewarding. If your goals are too easy and you can reach them with little or no effort, then there is no real point. Alternatively, if your goals are too difficult you will quickly become disheartened and give up. Life can throw the occasional obstacle or unexpected gift your way and so it will be necessary from time to time to re-evaluate your position. Try to only change your short-term goals if you are worse than expected and your medium term goals if better than you had hoped.

Pharmacy technicians are the front-end persons you see at pharmacies. It is they who actually do the routine work of dispensing medicines – receiving prescriptions, checking for their completeness, retrieving the medication, counting, weighing or otherwise measuring it, preparing the prescription labels, selecting suitable container and labeling it. The filled prescription is then priced and filed, and checked by a pharmacist before being given to the patient.

In effect, pharmacy technician jobs involve helping the pharmacists with the routine tasks of filling prescriptions. The job requires training and certification to understand prescriptions, check their accuracy and completeness, select the right medicines and fill the order attending to all the correct formalities. Technicians might receive requests from patients or directly from doctors. They must be able to decipher doctors’ handwriting and check that the prescription makes sense.

Pharmacy technician jobs are thus more than merely filling tablets and capsules into packets. Technicians might even be required to mix the medication. Where they have any doubts or questions, they must refer these to the pharmacist. That means they must know when and how to ask the right questions!

Other Technical Pharmacy Routines

In addition to filling prescriptions, drug dispensing also involves things like:

• Creating and maintaining patient profiles
• Preparing insurance claim forms
• Reading patient charts at hospitals, preparing and delivering the medicines to the patients (after verification by a pharmacist)
• Organizing the medication delivery to avoid mistakes (by assembling a 24 hour supply of medicines for each patient, packaging and labeling each dose separately in the patient’s medicine cabinet), and getting the packages checked by the pharmacist

It is typically the pharmacy technician’s job to stock the prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the pharmacy shelves, and to take inventory periodically. Pharmacy aides will help the technician in these and other routines such as keeping accounts, answering phones and handling money.

Becoming a Pharmacy Technician

As would be clear from the above, the pharmacy technician job require less drug-related knowledge than is needed for a pharmacist but much more knowledge than what a layperson has.

You have to become a certified pharmacy technician by passing an exam to be eligible for a pharmacy technician job. Technician training gives the trainees the skills and knowledge needed to perform the kind of work discussed above.

After completing training, you would typically have to get a state license to work as pharmacy technician. Pharmacy technicians have also to attend specified hours of continuing education through contact classes to be eligible for re-certification every two years.

Pharmacy Technician Job Prospects

A growing and older population, who typically use more medication, means that there will be an increasing demand for pharmacy technicians. New drug discoveries, for treating more and more conditions, also mean greater need for trained technicians able to fill prescriptions correctly.

Wherever possible, employers will prefer to employ the less expensive pharmacy technician than a highly trained (and consequently expensive) pharmacist.

Pharmacy technician jobs are estimated to grow faster than most categories of jobs.

Many people think they can get into the medical transcription industry easily, make good money and live happily ever after. Surely youve seen this type of message before with people selling correspondence courses. Can you really make a good living with medical transcription? In this article, well go into the good and the bad of the medical transcription industry and see if itzs for you or not.

Medical transcription is a challenging and rewarding career and the demand for it just keeps growing. there are more than enough jobs out there for anyone willing to make a career in medical transcription.

But many people come into this line of work and think they can make a career out of it just because the demand is high. Then they start going through the process and find that it’s a lot harder than they anticipated.

They thought it would be an easy way to make good money . It is a way to make money, but with anything worth something, its not always easy.

One of the drawbacks of medical transcription is that it takes training and continuing education. This alone scares many would-be medical transcriptionists away from the field. It takes dedication and a willingness to learn and keep learning. At some point you have to ask yourself If the demand is high and the supply of medical transcriptionists are low, why isnt everyone getting into this?.

This is the very reason. Its not easy. Its rewarding, but its not easy.

Usually, it takes six months to get a handle on the medical terminology and the different medical conditions, drugs, procedures, tests, and treatments that are required by the field.

Another hurdle is the fact that the medical industry is constantly advancing and constantly changing. Being able to adapt to new medical treatments, drugs and terminology is imperative to your success with medical transcription.

There are mail order medical transcription courses out there and many professionals indorse them, but its best to go the “hands on ” route while learning medical transcription. On the job training or a college teaching it in your area would be the best way to learn. You can get the much needed hands on experience that you cant get with a correspondence course.

While a mail order course may be helpful, it doesn’t take the place of a live human being helping you learn the basics and beyond.

Medical transcription clearly isnt for everybody. If youre serious about earning a good living with a high income career, you should take a close look at it.

Medicare prescription drug coverage is now available to all people with Medicare. Everyone with Medicare can join a Medicare drug plan to get this coverage, regardless of your income or what drugs you take. You owe it to yourself to look into it, even if you have coverage now.

Medicare is here to help

Since Medicare prescription drug coverage is brand new, it’s natural to have questions like: Where can I get help choosing a plan? And, where can I get help joining a plan?

You can get answers from Medicare in several ways.

Where can I get help choosing a plan?

• Look for enrollment events in the area. Over the next few months, you’ll be able to get help with your drug plan choices at dozens of places throughout your community, like schools, senior centers, clubs, faith-based organizations, and your pharmacy. Or you can talk with friends and family or call your local office on aging for help. For the telephone number, visit www.eldercare.gov on the Web. The Eldercare Locator can help you find places to go to get personalized assistance.

• Use the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder. Visit www.medicare.gov to get a personalized side-by-side comparison of up to three plans at a time based on cost, coverage and convenience. If you don’t use the Internet, call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) to get the same information. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

Where can I get help joining a plan?

• Visit Medicare’s Web site. You can join a drug plan at www.medicare.gov on the Web using Medicare’s online enrollment center.

• Call the plan. You can join over the phone by calling the plan’s toll-free number.

• Visit the plan’s Web site. Visit the drug plan company’s Web site. You may be able to join online (not all plans offer this option).

Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions youll ever makebut how do you decide what is right for you? You may take a career path that uses the skills you have or the education youve gotten. You may even choose a career based on what you think you should dobecause of what your parents or teachers have told you is right for you. But you may not know that you are naturally more suited for some careers than for others. Why? Each of us has an individual personality type that affects how much well like a job.

Think, for instance, about a carpenter versus a counselor. A carpenter works with concrete objects, according to specified procedures, and has a tangible result. A counselor works with people and their feelings; she has to judge success and the results of her work based on abstract concepts. Which of these sounds more appealing to you? Do you have a strong preference for one or the other?

Now, imagine if you had to make your less-preferred choice your career, and you will get an idea of the impact that your personality has on your job satisfaction. There is quite a bit of variation in how people think and process information, what they see as important, and how they make decisions. All of this variation can affect how happy or unhappy someone is in a work environment. Each one of us has different criteria for what a great job is, and to find your own perfect career, it is crucial to identify what is important to you.

The first step is to figure out your personality type. The most common personality test used for career counseling is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This personality test measures four facets of personality:

Extroverted/IntrovertedDo you get your energy from being with people, or being alone?
Sensing/IntuitionDo you see whats actual, or whats possible?
Thinking/FeelingDo you make decisions with your head or your heart?
Judging/PerceivingDo you like to make decisions, or keep your options open?

There are many ways to find out what your personality type is. Some people prefer to read about the types and choose what seems to fit best. There are also free quizzes on the internet based on the principles of the Myers-Briggs that can give you an idea of where you may fit.

However, if you are serious about finding out what type you are, the most reliable and accurate method is to take the official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This is a scientifically validated instrument that will identify where you fall in each of the categories. This assessment can only be administered by someone trained in its application, and must include a consultation with a trained coach or consultant according to its licensing guidelines. You can take the personality tests through a career counselor in your area, or online. If you take it online, you will typically get the results the same day, and you can usually request a special report that will go into detail about what is important to look for in a career.

Once you have figured out your personality type, you will want to look at the careers you are considering and evaluate whether they fit whats important to you. Some questions to ask yourself:

How much time will I spend interacting with people? Will it be too much/too little?
To what extent will I be expected to follow standard procedures? Will I feel restricted by too much structure? Will I feel frustrated by too little?
Will this job require me to use logic and reason things out? Will it require me to use compassion and consider how decisions will make people feel? Am I comfortable with the extent to which I will have to act based on thinking or feeling?
How much latitude will this job give me to make my own schedule? Is it too little? Too much?

Its important to be realistic about what a job entails, and to ask as many questions as possible about prospective jobs so that you can evaluate how well theyll fit you. As you learn more about yourself, you will become more able to judge which jobs will bring you satisfaction.

How To Survive A Bad Performance Review (And Move To Your Dream Career)

Q. I wasnt happy with my last performance review. Should I dispute the review? Write a letter for my file? Talk to a lawyer? Or just let it go?

A. Most professionals feel you should offer some kind of response. But whether to respond, and the way to respond, will depend on your companys culture, the unwritten message and your own career goals.

1. Assess your report in light of the companys culture.

In some cultures, anything but glowing praise will be viewed as negative. In others, tough reviews are the norm.

Often your boss will be expected to come up with at least one point of constructive criticism. After all, nobody walks on water. But if youre being attacked or unfairly criticized, you must explore further.

Sometimes youll win more points by taking the review in stride than by fighting. But in some cultures, a single negative review means you need to start job-hunting right away.

2. Calculate your bosss strategy.

Sometimes your performance report has nothing to do with you or your performance. Your boss might honestly want to see you leave the company or make sure the next promotion goes to someone else.

Your boss may be a new hire who is still learning your companys culture. She may combine good intentions with weak implementation.

Or maybe your boss wants to get your attention: hes dropped hints and youve ignored them. Or he wants to help you progress but doesnt know how to communicate tactfully.

3. Listen for unwritten messages.

Does your company have a category where a low score means youre headed for disaster? Does your boss try to tell you, Its a great review! when you know otherwise?

Suppose youve been getting terrific reviews and now you get slammed with a truckload of criticism. Maybe you really did have a bad year. Or maybe theres an agenda you need to understand.

4. Get the facts without getting defensive.

Ask your boss to explain each criticism.

For example, if your boss said your project was delivered late, get dates and times. If youre criticized for interpersonal skills, ask for specific instances.

But give your boss a chance to save face.

Anyone can make mistakes. An overworked, harried boss can skimp on her own data collection. You can say, without confrontation, My records show I managed six projects, not four. Can we go over this point?

5. Delay your response.

Ask for a second meeting, explaining calmly that you need time to think. Use the time to collect your backup file. Consider a consultation with an outsider: career coach, consultant, human resources professor even a lawyer if the situation warrants.

Do not discuss your report or your decision to seek help with your peers. Ever.

6. Back up a rebuttal with facts, not emotion.

Assemble your own evidence of performance. Collect letters of appreciation, dates and times of project completion, statistics showing how you helped the company.

Often simply placing a rebuttal letter in your own file will defuse the impact of a negative evaluation. When youve had a strong track record, your company will ignore an occasional negative, unless someone has introduced a new agenda.

Your boss may be ordered to grade on the curve, i.e., assign some employees the low category even if everyones doing great. And, being human, he may assign those ratings to those who are least likely to speak up. A strong, carefully written rebuttal will clarify your strength of purpose.

7. Avoid jumping to conclusions or to a new job.

When clients ask, Should I look for a new job? my answer will be, When you work for any organization, keep yourself marketable. Maintain your network. Identify reputable recruiters and build ties with them.

Its rarely a good idea to share your career change plans with your colleagues or boss until you have a written offer in hand. And its rarely a good idea to accept a counter-offer from your present company. (Over half of all workers who accept a counter-offer are gone within six months, one way or another.)

But if your company wants to send a Go Away! message, they may be happy to give you a good reference that reflects your real contribution.