Pharmacists
When you choose to be a pharmacist you choose a rewarding career. Pharmacists are in demand for a variety of jobs that provide them with the financial security of a good salary and the job satisfaction of knowing they are helping to improve the health of individuals and the community in general.
A pharmacist, sometimes also known as a chemist, is a health professional whose career involves the preparation and dispensing of various medicines prescribed for patients by other health professionals such as doctors. As well as preparing and dispensing a great range of prescribed drugs, pharmacists are also required to be knowledgeable about the medications they provide. Through their jobs, pharmacists can therefore help patients by providing information about their medication. They can also act as a source of advice about the instructions provided by the doctor for the quantity of medication the patients should take and the frequency of dosages, filling in information gaps that the patient may not have thought of at the time of the consultation.
Pharmacists can also provide valuable back-up for patients who are on long-term medication. If a patient is in some doubt about whether the medication is working effectively, a pharmacist can be a helpful point of call to check that the progress the patient is making is satisfactory. In this way pharmacists can help to ease people’s minds and assure them that their medication is having the effect it should, or advise them to see their doctor if this is considered necessary. While a doctor should always be consulted if the patient has serious doubts about the medication, the specialist knowledge of a pharmacist can be reassuring and can sometimes save the time involved in calling a doctor or waiting for a medical consultation.
There are varying requirements for qualification as a pharmacist in different countries but, in general, anyone wanting to follow pharmacy as a career would be well advised to include chemistry in high school studies. It is then usually necessary to undertake a degree in pharmacy at a university or similar institution. Student pharmacists study such subjects as the chemical, biological and physical sciences as well as other material relating to the practice of pharmacy.
Streams in the pharmaceutical course may include pharmaceutics which is the science of dosage form design, and pharmaceutical biology which includes microbiology, physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. Other areas of study can include pharmaceutical chemistry which looks at analytical, organic, physical and medicinal chemistry, and pharmacognosy or the study of natural drugs. As the career of a pharmacist is likely to relate to jobs that have a high degree of involvement with issuing prescribed drugs to patients, another study area is pharmacotherapy, or the rational use of medicines, and pharmaceutical practice in which student pharmacists learn the laws that relate to pharmacy and prescriptions. There is often a requirement for internship in pharmacies before the students graduate as pharmacists. Upon graduation they are licensed to hold pharmacists’ jobs in which they will dispense various types of medication.
While pharmacists have been a vital part of communities for many years, the locations in which they work has changed and expanded. Once you would expect to find a pharmacist working in a drugstore and that is still the case. There are, however, other places where pharmacists can now find jobs, making pharmacy a career that has diverse possibilities and good salary opportunities.
In addition to working in drugstores, pharmacists can have outlets in other retail establishments such as department stores, grocery stores and other general merchandise places. There are also various other areas of the community in which pharmacists can obtain jobs, such as hospitals and health care centers.
Pharmacists can also follow a career path as employees of various government organizations, working in such areas as the regulatory control of medical products and pharmaceuticals. In the marketing industry there are also jobs for pharmacists helping with anything from the discovery of specific drugs to the administration of clinical trials. A pharmacist may often also be involved in packaging design and product marketing. A qualified pharmacist who is interested in passing on knowledge and would like to follow an academic career can also investigate teaching jobs at universities as well as research work in such establishments.
Pharmacists can look forward to excellent career prospects. A pharmacist who works in an independent pharmacy, for example, can gain a lot of experience while receiving a good salary and may eventually have the opportunity of becoming a part-owner of the business. Alternatively, a pharmacist may elect to buy the business outright if it becomes available for sale. In this way, choosing a career as a pharmacist can result in the financial security and job satisfaction of owning a business.
If you work in a chain drugstore as a pharmacist there is also plenty of opportunity for career advancement. Jobs to which you could progress include supervisor of the pharmacy or manager of the pharmaceutical section of the store from where you could then be promoted to a variety of positions including regional or even national roles. Pharmacists who work in hospitals and other health care establishments can also find jobs within the industry that bring increased salary and status, such as positions of supervisors in their departments. If you work for a pharmaceutical manufacturer there are various steps you can take to improve your salary progressively and to advance up the career ladder. You may, for example, want to consider jobs in manufacturer’s marketing, sales, or research areas, all of which could in turn see you promoted to supervisory or managerial roles.
There are various areas of specialization for pharmacists. These areas and their salary prospect differ according to the country in which a person qualifies as a pharmacist, and sometimes also vary within countries. One country that has a number of areas in which a pharmacist can specialize is the United States.
Before choosing a pharmaceutical career path in which to specialize it is first necessary to obtain the qualifications required to practice pharmacy. After that, pharmacists in the United States can complete further examinations in their selected specialty areas. These include nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support pharmacy, oncology pharmacy, pharmacotherapy and psychiatric pharmacy.
Nuclear pharmacy involves working on radioactive drugs to ensure they can be used safely and effectively in the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases. The jobs of nutrition support pharmacists include working with patients on special nutrition support, often as a member of a health support team. An oncology support pharmacist helps to provide pharmaceutical treatment and care for people with cancer. A pharmacist who chooses the career specialization of pharmacotherapy can subspecialize in one of two areas, cardiology or infectious disease. The fifth specialization available to qualified pharmacists in the United States is psychiatric pharmacy in which the pharmacist is involved in the care and treatment of patients with psychiatric problems.
As well as receiving the required education, pharmacists can help themselves along the road to career excellence by acquiring or encouraging certain characteristics within themselves. As you will be dealing a lot with patients in need of help and advice it is useful, for example, to be able to empathize with people so that you understand what they are feeling and can respond to their needs as effectively as possible. You should also be able to depend on your common sense to help with addressing and solving the problems of patients. It also helps to be self-confident when working in pharmaceutical jobs so that your patients will, in turn, have confidence in you and the advice you give them.
Being a good listener and communicator will also assist you in your career as a pharmacist as you will need to pay attention to what people tell you as well as communicating with them in a clear and sympathetic manner. Remember, too, that as a pharmacist you are also a business person and should bring an organized and professional approach to any jobs you undertake.
If, after assessing yourself as a prospective pharmacist you decide that you lack some of these qualities, don’t despair. There are various books you can read and short courses you can do that will help. It will be well worth the effort involved, as the more successful you are as a pharmacist, the better your career and salary prospects will be.
While there are various types of jobs available to pharmacists within the pharmaceutical industry, there are certain roles that apply to a career in pharmacy whatever the individual jobs or salary may be. A pharmacist, for example, is always a caregiver and needs to have the capacity to provide more than medication to patients. As caregivers, pharmacists need to be prepared to spare a few minutes when required to give patients advice and information, such as more details instructions on the taking of medication than the doctor may have provided, and information about changes or improvements in health that may be anticipated.
A pharmacist is also a clinician, meaning it is necessary to know about diseases and drugs and to be able to use this knowledge to assess the drug selection for patients and to monitor their treatment. At times pharmacists also need to be problem-solvers and advisers for their patients and staff and, as their career progresses, to accept the extra responsibility that comes with status and salary increases and to become a leader and mentor for staff. Within a pharmaceutical career a pharmacist can also be required to be a quality controller, responsible for ensuring that the drug-use process in organized health care settings is efficient and safe. No matter what types of jobs pharmacists choose within their industry, this assurance of safety and efficiency is a critical factor in helping to maintain public health.
If you opt for a career as a pharmacist you can be fairly sure that you are moving into a profession in which it will be easy to find jobs and to maintain a good salary rate. In the United States, for example, there is a shortage rather than an over-supply of pharmacists. Qualified pharmacists can also be reasonably certain that if there comes a time when they want to give up full-time work they will be able to obtain part-time jobs within the industry.
Some of the reasons for the shortage of pharmacists include an increase in the demand for pharmaceutical services, the expansion of health care coverage for prescriptions, the increase of mail-order and internet-based pharmacy services and the extension of the pharmacy degree from five to six years. Until the shortage no longer exists it is being addressed by such means as using technicians to help pharmacists. It is expected, however, because of such factors as the rising number of prescriptions, that there will be an ongoing need for pharmacists, making it an attractive career option, with the virtual certainty of obtaining good jobs and salary conditions.
In addition to securing you a good salary in a respected profession, a career as a pharmacist can also be extremely satisfying. Pharmacists generally find the personal contact with patients, and the ability to help and advise them, is a rewarding part of their jobs, in whatever sector of the industry they choose to work. Although the training takes several years this should not discourage you from seeking a career as a pharmacist. During your studies you should have the opportunity to work in internships, thus getting first-hand experience of the work and acquiring the skills and expertise you will need for a career as a full-time pharmacist. You will also have opened the door to prestigious jobs as a pharmacist with a good salary, in an industry where your knowledge will always be in demand.
As a pharmacist you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are playing a major role in maintaining the standard of public health in the community. Pharmacists also know that they will face constant, stimulating challenges in their jobs, keeping up to date with the developments of a changing industry. Your learning and career advancement can therefore last as long as you want when you choose to follow the career of a pharmacist.