Nuclear pharmacist patient interaction, job security, and job flexibility (to also do research)?

[dc2c8836]

To those who work in the field of nuclear pharmacy,

I have been searching nuclear pharmacy forums like crazy since I found out about some months ago. I am finding somewhat older and broad forums. I'm hoping for an updated and more specific answer to my lingering questions. I'm aware of the technical responsibilities of a nuclear pharmacist but I'm more so confused about the formalities of it all.

1. I am hoping for minimal patient interaction. I don't mind it, but I don't prefer it. Do nuclear pharmacists deal with patients minimally or often? If so, what is the nature of the interaction... consults, marketing, patient care?

2. A lot of sources say how nuclear pharmacy is a "shrinking" field. I've also read that the demand for radioactive drugs is declining. Is this true? Why? Should this be enough to make me reconsider my path? I fear that I will work very hard to earn such a super specialized PharmD just to find that such institutions will cease to exist.

3. Lately, the idea of a PhD/PharmD dual degree has been appealing to me. I've had this idea brewing in my mind to get a PhD in chem and PharmD with a specialty in nuclear. Is it an unrealistic goal for me to want to do nuclear pharmacist as my main job and do research part time on the side? I realize that I could just do research for a pharma company or something but I don't feel like that would be enough for me. I love the idea of each (research and pharmacy) as separate entities, not combined. Also, I don't want to teach... not sure if I could get into research without becoming a professor of some sort.

I have chemistry research experience (at a research heavy university) and both inpatient/outpatient pharmacy experience. The thought of nuclear pharm appeals to me because of my passion for chem. I don't mind the overnight hours of the field, either. I actually quite prefer it due to my idea of question 3^

Thanks so much!

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[lord999]

1. I rarely if ever talked to Rad/Nuc physicians, I never talked to a patient once and they have no idea where my facility in the city was. Think of it like LabCorp or Sonora Quest where the results just magically get delivered. What market? It's a specific monopoly that NRC administers.

2. The demand has been stable for quite a while, it's not really going down, it's just that the people who are in the business tend to stay in the business. Every single one of the BCNP's in my class either work in the industry or were promoted to higher positions from it. (This is also odd because even the women after having children still work full-time after maternity. Contrary to popular belief, pregnant women can work in the laboratory just fine.) Breaking into the industry has never been easy, but it much harder now with the saturation. There are reactor shutdowns (mine did, so that's why I work my current job), but that's more due to the way NRC does its medical isotope acquisition. It's kind of like the albumin market during a military situation.

3. Why? The MS (and that's arguably optional) and the hours (not optional) requirements are the only thing required for the BCNP sitting. You don't have to be BCNP to work in the industry. If you intend to do research, it's more usual to go to chemical engineering post PharmD. Purdue is probably the only place in the country that still trains PhD's in this topic specifically (New Mexico does not to my knowledge and does more general training). For a bit more general knowledge, most schools have a Health Physics PhD which usually qualifies them to work for some Radiologist unit.

Not to put a fine point into it, but nuclear pharmacy is extremely process controlled and regimented. You should consider interning in it before committing down this road. From what you write, you do not understand what the PhD is for, and it certainly is not for practice in this field. The reason I broke in was I already was working for that sort of place (Cardinal Health in those days) before I entered school.

 

[dc2c8836]

1. I rarely if ever talked to Rad/Nuc physicians, I never talked to a patient once and they have no idea where my facility in the city was. Think of it like LabCorp or Sonora Quest where the results just magically get delivered. What market? It's a specific monopoly that NRC administers.

2. The demand has been stable for quite a while, it's not really going down, it's just that the people who are in the business tend to stay in the business. Every single one of the BCNP's in my class either work in the industry or were promoted to higher positions from it. (This is also odd because even the women after having children still work full-time after maternity. Contrary to popular belief, pregnant women can work in the laboratory just fine.) Breaking into the industry has never been easy, but it much harder now with the saturation. There are reactor shutdowns (mine did, so that's why I work my current job), but that's more due to the way NRC does its medical isotope acquisition. It's kind of like the albumin market during a military situation.

3. Why? The MS (and that's arguably optional) and the hours (not optional) requirements are the only thing required for the BCNP sitting. You don't have to be BCNP to work in the industry. If you intend to do research, it's more usual to go to chemical engineering post PharmD. Purdue is probably the only place in the country that still trains PhD's in this topic specifically (New Mexico does not to my knowledge and does more general training). For a bit more general knowledge, most schools have a Health Physics PhD which usually qualifies them to work for some Radiologist unit.

Not to put a fine point into it, but nuclear pharmacy is extremely process controlled and regimented. You should consider interning in it before committing down this road. From what you write, you do not understand what the PhD is for, and it certainly is not for practice in this field. The reason I broke in was I already was working for that sort of place (Cardinal Health in those days) before I entered school.

Thank you for breaking things down very thoroughly, it is appreciated. When writing my original post, I had just started a new research program and was enjoying myself so much that I wanted to find a way to do both. However, now that I've been in my program for some weeks and after reading your answer to my first question... I am over the idea of trying to do both. I am also now over the idea of getting a dual degree. It was a short lived idea due to my initial reaction to being exposed to the research world. Nuclear pharmacy really appeals to me, though. To your knowledge, do companies such as Cardinal Health or GE accept volunteers? I tried to look for nuclear pharm technician positions but had no luck. Those are two of the companies I hope to work for in the future. Also, if you have any other guidance for me as an aspiring nuclear pharmacist, please do share!

 

[lord999]

Thank you for breaking things down very thoroughly, it is appreciated. When writing my original post, I had just started a new research program and was enjoying myself so much that I wanted to find a way to do both. However, now that I've been in my program for some weeks and after reading your answer to my first question... I am over the idea of trying to do both. I am also now over the idea of getting a dual degree. It was a short lived idea due to my initial reaction to being exposed to the research world. Nuclear pharmacy really appeals to me, though. To your knowledge, do companies such as Cardinal Health or GE accept volunteers? I tried to look for nuclear pharm technician positions but had no luck. Those are two of the companies I hope to work for in the future. Also, if you have any other guidance for me as an aspiring nuclear pharmacist, please do share!

If you are a citizen, then yes they do hire techs (that's a NRC issue apparently). You get a full background investigation (the security clearance type) as a pharmacist, but I don't remember it when I was a tech. You do normally get the MS if you sit for the BCNP just because of the hours, but I don't think it's mandated. I only was an intern because I was a tech prior. My pay didn't change as an intern (it was $2/hour above the community norm anyway). But if you want to talk about no demand, the Cardinal that I worked at (which started in 2000 for me) has only had six pharmacist changes out of 22ish-FTEs up to now. There has only been one PIC change in 17 years and that was due to the old PIC retiring. Many people in that industry, stay there. I would have been quite happy doing that for a career.