Career Options in Pharmacy

Pharmacy can be described as the science that handles research, manufacture and authorization of different medication drugs. It is a great combination of chemical science, health science and direct patient care. A pharmacist is said to be a person who has studied and is trained in pharmacy and is considered to be an expert health professional. Pharmacists have a wide variety of career options. They can establish their own drugstore or work in a pharmaceutical industry and many more. Let us take a look at the various career options for pharmacy technicians.

Hospitals
Pharmacists who work in a hospital guide the physicians with the composition, dosage, effects and side effects of the medications. They advise patients about the medication they are undergoing. They can guide the doctor with the appropriate medication for a specific patient. A pharmacist is the best person to recommend medication that will help a patient to recover soon. They not only guide the physicians but also all other hospital staff including nurses and other members. Since a pharmacist is well aware about the composition of the drugs, he/ she knows what medication should be prescribed for a patient. They advise nurses on the dosage pattern of medications given to a patient. They make physicians aware of the consequences or certain possible side effects of the drugs. They help the hospital staff with queries related to any medication. A pharmacist is considered to be the most important member of the hospital team that treats the patients. Working in a hospital can be a great career in pharmacy.

Pharmaceutical Industry
Pharmacists at a pharmaceutical company research, study, analyze, do marketing, product development or testing of the end product. These industries are licensed manufacturers of drugs that are prescribed or non-prescribed. Pharmacists interested in marketing of the products can opt for a career that involves launching and promotion of a product. Marketing involves sales and management skills, required to ensure timely delivery and completion of client requirements. Usually a postgraduate degree is required to work in a pharmaceutical industry.

Academic Pharmacy
Teaching being a noble profession, it can be one of the best pharmacy careers. This career involves guiding the students who are studying pharmacy and making them aware of the career options and preparing a proper foundation for good pharmacists. With this career option, one gets to learn more with simultaneous teaching and learning. Academic pharmacy can be a great way to shape the careers of young pharmacists. To be a faculty of a pharmacy school or college, post graduation is usually preferred.

Community Pharmacy
Community pharmacy can be defined as private business owned by a group of pharmacists. The business may vary with different communities, including distribution of drugs, guiding the patients with prescribed and non-prescribed drugs and overall health care of the patients. They also guide the physicians with drug information. They provide health care services at the homes of patients and work for community services. They guide patients with all the required information on the drugs and also prescribe proper medication for specific health problems. In short, community pharmacy is a group of pharmacists that provide services to physicians and patients.

Retail Pharmacy
It is the most common career option chosen by the pharmacists. Retail pharmacists are licensed distributors of various medications. This career option of pharmacy has great economic / business potential but requires a lot of efforts as most of the drugstores need to be open all the time. Retail pharmacy is nothing but selling medication to the masses and to physicians. They need to maintain a track of the medicines sold, maintain accounts and order medicines. Thus a lot of business and management skills are required to become a retail pharmacist. These days online pharmacies are popular, where you can purchase medicines through Internet.

Any career in pharmacy involves great efforts to be successful in the respective field. Getting a degree from a renowned pharmacy school or college can help a student get the best career that would like to opt for. Referring to the list of Top 10 Pharmacy Schools in America will help you find out the college of your choice. Pharmacy, with its wide variety of career options, has a great future and is said to be one of the growing employment and self employment areas. In 2004, the average salary for pharmaceutical jobs was estimated to be around $85,000.