142
General Information
142 General Information
142.1 Opportunities in Pharmacy
Pharmacy has progressed from the compounding and dispensing of drugs to a “knowledge system” about drugs and drug products. Pharmacy practice has increasingly become oriented to the patient and accordingly requires the aspiring pharmacist to possess excellent communication skills and to be aware of, and sensitive to, the frequent need for compassion and understanding.
Various career options are open to the pharmacist on graduation and licensure.
Community Practice
Community practice provides the “place of practice” for the majority of pharmacists. It can take many forms, namely, independently owned, a chain, a unit within a department store, or a part of a clinic. It can be large, providing a range of products and services, or small, dealing exclusively in medicines and related supplies. In whatever form, the practice environment of community pharmacy is one where the professional activities of the pharmacist involve direct contact with the client seeking either prescription medication or self-medication products or services. In balancing the commercial and professional aspects of community pharmacy, the pharmacist is accountable for ensuring that the patient properly takes only those medicines essential for the maintenance of health, and the prevention or treatment of disease.
Hospital Practice
Hospital pharmacists provide services in complex health care organizations. Traditionally, the pharmacist is responsible for the institutional procurement, preparation, distribution, and control of pharmaceuticals. As a member of a health care team, the pharmacist is also responsible for patient-oriented services such as therapeutic consultations, drug information, and patient counselling and education. Some hospital pharmacists concentrate their practice on areas such as management, clinical services, and drug information. Others find careers as generalists in the country's many small- to medium-sized institutions.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The pharmaceutical industry has taken over the traditional compounding responsibilities on behalf of the practising pharmacist. By freeing the pharmacist from the time constraints of compounding medication, a redirection toward a patient-oriented pharmacy practice is possible.
The pharmacist who chooses the pharmaceutical industry as his or her practice environment identifies with one or more distinct parts of the compounding function: discovery or invention, formulation, ensuring safety, ensuring efficacy, or the actual manufacture of drugs. However, one may alternatively become involved with marketing the product. Opportunities in other areas are often enhanced for graduates who proceed for postgraduate training in one of the pharmaceutical sciences.
Government Regulatory and Association Pharmacy Services
Career opportunities for pharmacists exist in federal and provincial government departments. These opportunities often relate to inspection and analyst functions in the regulatory sense. Each provincial licensing body is staffed by pharmacists involved in regulatory activities, as pharmacy is a self-governing profession.
Education and Research
Graduates may choose a university as their career environment. Normally, training is to the doctoral level, although practising pharmacists in the community, hospitals, associations, and the pharmaceutical industry contribute to specific educational programs.
Opportunities in research can be found in universities, government institutions and private industry. Again, training to the doctoral level is often essential.
Finally, many pharmacists have found greatly expanded career opportunities by adding a law or business degree to their basic degree in pharmacy.
