We can never judge the lives of others...

We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. - Paulo Coelho

Obsessive Wish to Arrive

In our obsessive wish to arrive, we often forget the most important thing, which is the journey.
-Paulo Coelho (The Pilgrimage)

Life is too short

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said that it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

reposted from Nina

Pharmacist = tindera ng gamot?

"Pharmacist? ano yun? diba yun yung nagtitinda o tindera ng gamot?"

Is there still hope on how can we change this kind of thinking and stereotyping pharmacists, especially here in the Philippines?

I was so appalled when I so this ad:




I would like to ask my pharmacist friends, former professors, faculty members and pharmacy practionioners out there. Are you guys earning this little? Very little that can't hardly make a living here in the Greater Manila Area. What can you buy with 4000 pesos? Can that feed you and your family?

I studied pharmacy in college and part of my disinterest to the profession is the compensation. I will be a hippocrate if I say that I was dying to earn the degree and not to be paid well. Here's a salary report on how much Filipino Pharmacist are getting.

Pharmacy and Nursing are among other professions that are being neglected and are underpaid here in our country. Antonio Luna, one of our national hero is a licensed pharmacist. I believe this is the time to take steps to uplift the profession, the morale of the practitioners and revitalize the spirits of students and the youth that are planning to get the degree.

Pharmacist is listed in the Highest Paying Jobs - Ten Hottest Careers in the US.

Pharmacists: Pharmacists are health professionals practicing pharmacy. Pharmacists generally cater to the requests for medicines from a prescribing doctor and then supply or dispense the medicine to the patient. Pharmacists also counsel the patients as to the proper use, and any side or adverse effects of the medicines. Today, pharmacists also participate in a disease state management and therefore manage drug therapy.

Pharmacists ranked 11th Jobs That Pay the Most with $53.00/hr; $110,240/yr. Pharmacist are listed with Surgeons, Pilots, CEOs, Orthodontics, et al. To see the complete list click here

How come Filipino pharmacist are not getting what is proportional to what it's American counterparts? There's no need to glamorize the pharmacy profession, pharmacy is indeed a noble profession and an important member of the health care team.

Consider the serious effort you need to make taking up pharmacy. Pharmacy is never a no-brainer course. I've heard of a study that you need an above average IQ to take up Pharmacy. But thats not the point. After you study, you need to review and take the board exam. Look for a job to gain experience. I have pharmacist friends working abroad as Pharmacists, and it's no easy feat.

A few weeks ago, I saw on TV, a government-labor rep discouraged high school students on taking up nursing, for there's a great amount of surplus on this profession, and suggested to take Pharmacy instead. As he said, Pharmacy is well paid abroad compared to nurses. Which is true, however, not all can and wants to go abroad.

For me, the presence of the Pharmacy profession in the Philippines is not imminent and well received.

Is there anyone to blame? This issue has been lingering the corridors of universities since my college days. But it clearly shows that this issue is not yet addressed. There's Philippine Pharmaceutical Association (PPhA) and The Philippine Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, are they aware of this? I'm sure they do. But I wanna see some action, on how they fight against the stigma and obstacles that pharmacy students, graduates and practitioners face in the real world.

Bagasbas Beach

Bagasbas Beach, Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines