A Look At The Many Pharmacist Jobs Available Today
For individuals who are interested in the health care field, there are many career choices available. For some people, the idea of becoming a doctor or nurse is not something that is appealing but they may still want to help improve the health of those in need. For these people, pharmacist jobs may be perfect. There are many different options available and learning more about them can help a person decide which kind of position will suit them the best.
The right education is essential to getting a good job in this field. A degree in pharmacy is necessary for many of these positions. Some may accept an undergraduate degree and others may wish you to have a doctorate in pharmacology. Some positions may also be easier to get if a person has a degree in other areas of science as well. There are a number of colleges and universities that offer programs in pharmacology.
Community pharmacists are usually the most well known and most visible of the available positions. If you work in this kind of setting you will work with a team to fill and compound various prescriptions. A community pharmacist may also help customers to choose over the counter products and medications to treat minor ailments such as colds and manage pain. They need to know which medications can interact with others as even over the counter medications can have serious side effects if they are not taken correctly.
If someone would be more interested in working with doctors and nurses rather than customers, a hospital setting may be more appealing. An individual working in a hospital will work with doctors and nurses and advise them on which medications to prescribe either alone or in combination. They also help to compound and fill different medications. This may happen if, for example, a patient cannot handle a pill or capsule and will need to have their medication delivered in a liquid form. Again, knowledge of drugs and how they interact is essential.
Some individuals like the idea of helping individuals to maintain their independence and stay in their homes as long as possible. Home care positions involve going into homes to mix medications, deliver prescriptions and speak with people about their health. They may also work with other individuals such as home care nurses by preparing medications that nurses cannot.
Some professionals may also work in clinics and specialize in their area of expertise. They may focus on treating cancer using appropriate radioactive drugs or may work in a psychiatric clinic and focus on the treatment of various psychiatric disorders using the appropriate medications. Again, like a hospital pharmacist, they do not work directly with the patients. Instead, they work with doctors and nurses and may compound medications, mix complicated formulas and provide advice on potential drug interactions.
If the idea of drug research is intriguing it may be good to know that many pharmacists are employed by drug companies for this purpose. They work with a team that may also include doctors and scientists as well. Their work may involve modifying existing medications so that they work more effectively or to alter the potential side effects that a drug may have.
By checking out the kind of pharmacy jobs options that are available it will quickly become clear what educational background you will need and what kind of experience will be needed as well. There are many different careers to choose from that it is no wonder many people make pharmacology their field of study.
As the nation’s most respected, most well connected home for pharmacist jobs, we have more jobs in more settings that anyone else.