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If you are looking for a rewarding career in the pharmaceutical industry, you might want to think about becoming a pharmacist. Pharmacists dispense drugs that doctors prescribe for patients. Additionally, they advise patients on dosages and side effects. Pharmacists also monitor the health and progress of patients to ensure that patients use prescribed drugs safely and benefit from them. Currently, most pharmaceutical companies manufacture drugs in standard dosages, reducing the need for compounding drugs in the pharmacy.
Overview
Many pharmacists choose to work in retail and community settings, while others prefer to work in-house for health clinics or medical institutions.
who work for healthcare facilities often choose to obtain training in specialty fields like intravenous nutrition support, geriatric pharmacy, oncology, or nuclear pharmacy. Many pharmacists also prepare and administer intravenous drugs to patients, especially those suffering from cancer and other advanced diseases. Additionally, pharmacists are responsible for keeping accurate records of drugs administered to patients. Many senior pharmacists work as faculty members at academic institutions, where they teach, conduct research, and prepare students for graduation and licensure.
Many pharmacists find work with pharmaceutical companies, where they can become involved in research and development. Other pharmacists work in marketing and sales, promoting their companies' products to doctors, hospitals, and allied health professionals. Other employers include government bodies and public healthcare services.
Employment Opportunities
In the United States, a significant number of pharmacists work part time. Most full-time pharmacists work 40 hours per week with occasional overtime. However, many self-employed pharmacists put in more than 50 hours per week. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 230,000 pharmacy jobs in the U.S. in 2004. Around 24% of salaried pharmacists work in hospitals, while others work for retail and community pharmacies, clinics, healthcare agencies, or the federal government.
Salaries
Pharmacy is a relatively high-paying professional field. In May 2004, the median earnings of pharmacists were between $75,700 and around $95,000 per year. Pharmacists working for department stores earned the highest salaries, followed by those employed by grocery stores, health and personal care boutiques, hospitals, and other general outlets.
Qualifications and Licensure
In the United States, all pharmacists need to have licenses to practice. Prospective pharmacists are also required to possess degrees accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Furthermore, 43 states, including the District of Columbia, require candidates to pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE). Additionally, candidates licensed in one state may need to pass a reexamination in another state. It is always advisable to check the examination requirements of other states before applying for a licensing examination.
Summary
Pharmacists should be practical and methodical and should have scientific aptitude. They should also have a strong desire to help others. Aspiring pharmacists can conduct independent searches online to find relevant educational institutions and prospective employers in this field.
A pharmacist is a professional responsible for dispensing medications and handling prescriptions. The role of the pharmacist is as important as that of any other medical professional. The relationship that pharmacist's share with their patients is an important part of the care-giving circle. That relationship ensures that patients take their medications as prescribed so they may enjoy healthy lives.
The pharmacist of an age ago was seen as an individual who donned a white coat, dispensed root beer floats, and Coca-Cola at the same rate in which they prepared prescription orders. The days of the pharmacist and the soda jerk are gone but the pharmacist maintains their standing as the individual responsible for maintaining the well-being of a doctor's patients.
To become a pharmacist, an individual must attend a 4-year baccalaureate program and complete a set of additional requisites to in order to receive their Doctorate in Pharmacology or PharmD degree. An individual who desires to become a pharmacist must be strong in science and math as a lot of their certification is based on a study of chemistry, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology. Although pharmacists do not operate on patients, they must have an understanding about how the body works and the basic chemical make-up of the human body.
Pharmacists are board certified practitioners who must pass a rigorous licensing examination in order to be able to practice. Once these requirements have been met, a pharmacist begins practicing their profession. Pharmacists are licensed by the state in which they do business, but are subject to both state and federal laws with respect to the dispensing medication.
Pharmacists are employed by hospitals, retail chains and pharmacy stores or work as consultants on policy regarding prescription medicines. It is the role of the pharmacist to understand the make-up of the human body and the chemical interaction between certain drugs and the body. This understanding may be the difference between life and death in certain circumstances.
A pharmacist earns a little more than $100,000 a year in salary. When you consider that, the pharmacist does not complete quiet as much training as a medical doctor that number translates into a heath amount. The trade-off is the amount of scrutiny and oversight that a pharmacist faces, from state officials up to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
If you are planning a career as a pharmacist, you should spend some time at your local pharmacy and get a feel for the type of work that goes on from day to day. If you are old enough, you may consider a summer position in the pharmacy as a way to gain a first-had perspective. You should also take care to make sure that your chemistry and mathematical skills are very good.
The field of pharmacology is growing as the baby boomer population ages, requiring an urgent need for additional trained professional pharmacologists. This need promises a good paying career that comes with the added benefit of being part of the community.