Pharmacy
- Janice L
- Dec 28, 2022
- 3 min read
What is pharmacy?
Pharmacy is a medical field. It links medical science to chemistry.
Education Pathway:
To be a pharmacist, you will need the PharmD ( Doctor of Pharmacy) degree from an accredited program. There’s no telling how long that would take, based on whether you would want to work part-time or full-time. However, it takes two years to earn an undergraduate degree, which is followed by 4 years of professional study and research in pharmacy school. In addition to that, you’d also need to complete residency/internship and pass the licensure exam.
Steps:
You should first choose which degree you want. There’s no specific degree that’s called “pharmacy” though. Most people choose an undergraduate degree that is somewhat related to the field. Since it’s only necessary to earn an associates degree (2 years), many others also choose to earn (or already have) their bachelor’s degree. Students on that path should choose a degree in physics, chemistry, math, biology, or anatomy.
After earning an undergraduate degree, you must then take a college admissions exam (like the GRE) in order to apply to pharmacy school. Next, you must complete pharmacy school! It must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). You may be wondering what some things you do in pharmacy school. Well, you basically learn about how drugs work in the body, biopharmacals, toxicology, laws about prescription management, and much more. Once the full program is completed, you will then earn your PharmD.
During graduate school, some people may want to complete a residency program or internship to complete training. For residency placements, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists place students after applying through Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service. Then, after fulfilling all the educational requirements, you must have a state license to practice. To obtain a license, you must pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure exam (NAPLEX). And on the side, in some states, some might also need to pass the Multistate Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) about pharmacy law. Above all, you’ll need to complete a certain amount of hours of practical experience to apply for a license (and a background check).
Subspecialties:
Pharmacy Assistant: You only need a High School diploma and some “on the job” training. Because their education is a lot shorter than others’, they’ll be having less responsibilities and more administrative work such as being behind the cash register, recording medications that have been given, and stocking shelves.
Pharmacy Technician: Unlike having very few responsibilities compared to being a pharmacy assistant, pharmacy technicians have many. They undergo an intensive amount of training before helping pharmacists. In most states, you must earn a credential called CPhT (Certified Pharmacy Technician). Pharm techs provide customer service, collect information, ensure accurate measurements of medications, call doctor offices for refills, answer phone calls, package and label prescriptions, and many more of which you can see, are more responsibilities.
Academic Pharmacist: Work in colleges of pharmacy as teachers, researchers, and consultants for industry organizations
Compounding Pharmacists: Prepare customized prescription medications, making sure they meet patient needs.
Consultant Pharmacist: Make sure residents of extended-care facilities get correct dosage of medication. They also work in subacute care, psychiatric hospitals, hospice programs, and in home- and community-based care.
Salary:
The salary of pharmacists varies depending on which state you’re in. But the median is around $128,090 annually ($61.58 an hour).
What you can do as a pharmacist:
As a pharmacist, you dispense and compound medications, manage and consult on the side effects of medications, ensure measurements of medications are exact, and they also collaborate with other healthcare workers such as nurses, doctors, and physical therapists.
Things to consider:
There are many factors to consider before pursuing a career as a pharmacist.
Hours may be irregular. It’s totally normal for a pharmacist to get called in during holidays, weekends, nights. It’s especially common when you’re first starting. You’ll need good interpersonal skills. You need to be willing to interact with customers in a professional manner. Be outgoing! You’ll also need exceptional listening skills as well. One small mistake can lead to serious problems. Since pharmacists are in charge of dispensing and compounding drugs, basically dealing with everything that has to do with drugs in general, it is important that little to no mistakes are made. This depends on the matter of life or death.
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