Appealing to anyone interested in health care, pharmacy often goes hand in hand with other health branches like medicine, public health, psychology, and business. And did you know that many people looking at pharmacy programs may also qualify to study medicine or dentistry? So, what can you do with a pharmacy degree?
Check out the list below—is there something that catches your eye? Community pharmacist Do you love to work with people? Community pharmacy might be for you! Community pharmacy is one of the most common choices for young pharmacists, and perhaps the most visible. A pharmacist needs to have an in-depth knowledge of what every single one of those products does, how it might be of benefit and how it might do potential harm. Hospital pharmacist Hospital pharmacists are medicine experts in the field of medicines.
Hospital pharmacy provides the opportunity to work in a supportive team and to be actively involved in patient care. You will advise physicians and nurses on the selection, dose, and type of administration and assist patients in all aspects of their medicines.
As well as being responsible for dispensing prescriptions, pharmacists are also involved in the purchasing and quality testing of medicines. Primary care pharmacist A relatively new career path is that of the practice pharmacist. Instead, they work within a general medical practice to deliver direct support to doctors and their patients. They can often give more time and attention to individual cases than a busy community pharmacist can, providing quality care and specialized services such as smoking cessation.
Clinical pharmacists, often called hospital pharmacists, work in a clinical setting, such as a hospital or other patient care facility. As clinical pharmacists, individuals work as an integral part of patient care teams, often working to provide medication recommendations and pharmaceutical therapy evaluations in conjunction with nurses and physicians.
In hospital settings, a clinical pharmacist is likely to become very well educated on the pharmaceutical treatment of many chronic illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, HIV, arthritis, and any other condition which might find relief with the right medication treatment plan. It is important to note that hospital pharmacists, inclusive of those working for state and local governments, can expect salaries that are slightly higher than those of their retail counterparts.
Learn how the clinical pharmacist career compares to other pharmacy careers with the links below:. Many patients cannot take medications in the form that pharmaceutical companies make them. This can be due to allergies, swallowing problems, sensory issues, and more.
Thankfully, there are compounding pharmacists who can put medications in liquid suspensions, suppositories, topical creams, transdermal gels, lozenges, or other forms that are more suitable to a patient. Compounding can seem confusing to some pharmacists and patients, as compounded drugs are technically not FDA approved.
What this means is that the final medication has not been evaluated for safety, efficacy, or potency. However, this does not mean the medications are not safe when prepared in a sterile environment by trained pharmacists. All pharmacists receive some compounding training during pharmacy school. However, pharmacists who want to specialize in this field can complete additional training from organizations such as the Professional Compounding Centers of America Institute.
Courses can range from short boot camps to advanced compounding. They even offer courses on veterinary compounding. There are no additional licensing or certification requirements to work as a compounding pharmacist. Becoming a pharmacist is a rewarding career, both financially and spiritually.
However, completing an advanced graduate degree not only takes the ability to handle its academic rigor, but it also takes time and a large investment of funds. Luckily, earning a PharmD is not the only way you might be able to work in the pharmacy environment. Pharmacy technicians work closely with pharmacists, but many jobs require only a high school diploma, vocational training, and state licensure.
Further, the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to increase 4 percent between and BLS Of course, there are tradeoffs as well, namely in terms of salary. On the other hand, pharmacy technicians can and do work in nearly every environment where pharmacists work, including hospitals, clinics, retail drugstores, and ambulatory clinics.
Retail pharmacists can expect to work long and unusual hours, particularly at the beginning of their careers, since most retail pharmacies are open on weekends, and some are even open 24 hours a day. They also need to offer clear direction to pharmacy technicians and interns.
Computer skills. Pharmacists need computer skills in order to use any electronic health record EHR systems that their organization has adopted. Detail oriented. Pharmacists are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the prescriptions they fill.
They must be able to find the information that they need to make decisions about what medications are appropriate for each patient, because improper use of medication can pose serious health risks. Managerial skills. Pharmacists—particularly those who run a retail pharmacy—must have good managerial skills, including the ability to manage inventory and oversee a staff.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Many pharmacists work in in retail pharmacies and drug stores, which are expected to lose jobs as more people fill their prescriptions via mail order and online.
In addition, fewer of these workers are expected to be needed as pharmacy technicians increasingly perform tasks previously done by pharmacists, such as collecting patient information, preparing some types of medications, and verifying the work of other technicians.
However, demand is projected to increase for pharmacists in some healthcare settings, including hospitals and clinics. These facilities will need more pharmacists to oversee the medications given to patients and to provide patient care, doing tasks such as testing blood sugar or cholesterol. Biochemists and biophysicists study the chemical and physical principles of living things and of biological processes, such as cell development, growth, heredity, and disease.
Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings. Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates. Registered nurses RNs provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. National Association of Chain Drug Stores. American Pharmacists Association. American College of Clinical Pharmacy. For information on pharmacy as a career, preprofessional and professional requirements, programs offered by colleges of pharmacy, and student financial aid, visit. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Board of Pharmacy Specialties. National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators. A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U. Department of Labor. Toggle navigation. Find Jobs. Entry Level. See all Pharmacist jobs.
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