# Presentation: 932222

## PHARMACY'S  BEST KEPT  SECRET

**PHARMACY'S  BEST KEPT  SECRET**

***UNITED STATES****** PUBLIC  HEALTH  SERVICE***

## Who Are We?

- 	The U.S. Public Health Service is the major health arm of the Federal government and the world's foremost health service.  Composed of approximately 6,000 Commissioned Corps officers and 45,000 Civil Service employees, we are a principle component of the Department of Health and Human Services.

## What is our mission?

**What is our mission?**

**Promote the public health of the United States.**
**Providing pharmaceutical care to Native Americans, federal prisoners, and members of the Coast Guard.**
**Expanding knowledge through biomedical, behavioral, and health services research leading to the prevention and treatment of disease.**

## 
Controlling and preventing disease.
Improving the health care system, including development of innovations in health care.
Assuring safe and effective use of drugs and medical devices.

**Controlling and preventing disease.**
**Improving the health care system, including development of innovations in health care.**
**Assuring safe and effective use of drugs and medical devices.**

**What is our mission?**

## Expanding national health resources.
Responding to natural disasters, technological emergencies and biological & chemical terrorism.
Shaping health work force, medical knowledge, technology, and other resources toward the goal of better health.

**Responding to natural disasters, technological emergencies and biological & chemical terrorism.**
**Shaping health work force, medical knowledge, technology, and other resources toward the goal of better health.**

**What is our mission?**

## Where are we located?

- Almost anywhere and everywhere in the United States.
- Whether you prefer urban or rural, east or west, north or south; we have a location for you.

## Pharmacists are employed as Commissioned Officers in all of the following agencies:

Indian Health Service
Food and Drug Administration
Federal Bureau of Prisons
National Institutes of Health
Coast Guard
Health Resources and Services  Administration

**Indian Health Service**
**Food and Drug Administration**
**Federal Bureau of Prisons**
**National Institutes of Health**
**Coast Guard**
**Health Resources and Services  Administration**

**Where are we located?**

## Pharmacists are employed as Commissioned Officers in all of the following agencies:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Agency for Health Care Research and Quality
Immigration and Naturalization Service
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention**
**Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry**
**Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration**
**Agency for Health Care Research and Quality**
**Immigration and Naturalization Service**
**Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services**

**Where are we located?**

## When should you apply?

- The best time is ***now!***
- Whether you are still in school
-  or in the workforce - it's never too early to apply.

## When should you apply?

- Jr COSTEP programs can help pay for education if you are still in school.
- Sign on bonuses can offer incentives to those already practicing.
- A career in the Public Health Service can offer variety, travel, and continued challenges.

## How do you apply?

- Contact the Commissioned Corps Application Hotline at 1-800-279-1605
- Access our website at: **http://www.usphs.gov**

**WHY   SHOULD**_**YOU**_**BE   A   PART OF****PHS   PHARMACY??**

## Benefits

**QUALITY  OF  PRACTICE**
**OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH**
**QUALITY OF LIFE**
**PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)**
**COMPENSATION**

## QUALITY OF PRACTICE

**When asked why they became a pharmacist, over 80% of respondents answered**
**"*****To help people******”***

## QUALITY OF PRACTICE

**Did you spend **_***all***_** of those years in pharmacy school *****to *****deal with insurance companies and be put on hold?**

## QUALITY OF PRACTICE

**Would you prefer a practice wherein you are included in the *****decision process***** with other professionals, helping to manage treatment, utilizing the patient's medical record, and counseling every patient about their drug therapy?**
**How about practice settings where you and other providers sit down as a *****team***** and talk about your patient's drug therapy?**
**Would you like to really *****use***** your education**** to help people and make a difference?**

## OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

- The Public Health Service _wants_ you to grow professionally, expanding your knowledge base as a part of your duties, so that you can effectively deal with the challenges of improving the public health.

## OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

- As a member of a _***single***_ organization that has pharmacists in every state, you are involved in patient care, new drug approval and monitoring, medical research, healthcare policy, and epidemiology.

## OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

- You have opportunities to make an impact on the public health of this entire nation with only _***ONE***_ state license.

## QUALITY OF LIFE

- Is it important to you to have  _***time ***_to
- spend with your family and friends,
- doing the things you enjoy?
- As a Commissioned Officer in the USPHS,
- you receive ***30*** days of annual leave
- plus you receive ***10*** federal holidays.

## QUALITY OF LIFE

- Our organization allows you to pursue life
- in literally hundreds of locations - near the
- ocean, the mountains, the Grand Canyon,
- the Gulf Coast, or National Parks - from
- the largest cities to the smallest communities.

## QUALITY OF LIFE

- Be prepared to enjoy a camaraderie and sense of common purpose unlike anything you have yet experienced.

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_***YOUR RETIREMENT ***_
- Unlike conventional plans, the retirement annuity provided to the Commissioned Corps pharmacists is **non-contributory**.  You can retire after 20 years of service.  How old will you be in 20 years?
- A Captain (0-6) completing a 20 year career will receive $41,688 annually in retirement pay and $69,077 annually for a 30 year career based on 2003 pay charts. This pay, along with other retirement benefits, begins **immediately **upon your retirement in contrast to many plans that do not pay until age 62 or later.  Retirees also receive annual cost of living adjustments.
- You can increase your retirement income by making **tax-deductible** contributions to the **Thrift Savings Plan** where your money grows **tax-free** until needed in retirement.

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_***INSURANCE***_
**Medical** benefits are available to you and your dependents  with no payroll deduction, deductibles or co-pays for covered medical benefits if living within the catchment area of a military medical facility.

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_***INSURANCE***_
**Dental** benefits are available at no cost to the officer, and a nominal charge for family members.

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_***INSURANCE***_
- Insurance cost varies with age.  For that reason, consider, *SGLI can cost as little  as $16.25 per month for a policy worth a ****QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS****!*
- $100,000 in spousal coverage is also available

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_***INSURANCE***_
**Malpractice** insurance is not necessary when practicing in a federal facility.

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_**PRIVILEGES**_
- Commissioned officers and their dependents have access to military bases, exchanges, guest housing, commissaries.

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_**PRIVILEGES**_
- Commissioned officers and their
- dependents are eligibility to travel at
-  _***no cost***_ on military aircraft (MAC) flights.
- (Dependents can now use MAC flights for domestic travel within the continental United States under a pilot program.)

## PERQUISITES (or “PERKS”)

_**PRIVILEGES**_
- Moving expenses are paid
- by the government.
- Commissioned officers may qualify
- for the G.I. bill to supplement
- additional educational pursuits.
- Officers may also qualify for
- housing loans through the
- Veterans Administration.

## COMPENSATION

**The following tables are an estimated comparison with an annual private sector salary of $95,000**

## COMPENSATION

**Please note that the Pharmacist Special Pays are now in effect!**
**These are highlighted in red on the following pay comparison tables.**

## COMPENSATION

- Table 1: Estimated Monthly Salary Comparison for Pharmacist
-  _with_ Dependent(s)1

## COMPENSATION

- Table 2: Estimated Monthly Salary Comparison for Pharmacist
-  _without_ Dependent(s)2

## COMPENSATION

## COMPENSATION

**Good News for Recent Graduates!!**
**The USPHS gives you an entire YEAR from your date of graduation to become licensed.  In the meantime, you get FULLY PAID as a pharmacist!!**

## Ask any USPHS
Pharmacist what we
think of our career,
and we will tell you
that we made the
right choice!

You can, too!

***Pharmacist what we***
***think of our career,***
***and we will tell you***
***that we made the***
_***right***_*** choice!***
_***You can, too!***_

## Thanks for Your Interest in the USPHS!

- We hope that our paths will soon cross!

## How do I apply, again?

- Contact the Commissioned Corps Application Hotline at 1-800-279-1605
- Access our website at: **http://www.usphs.gov**

## The End.

**The End.**