Career Opportunities

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There are many different settings and roles for pharmacists.

Community Pharmacists

Community pharmacists work in independent, chain and supermarket drugstores. They fill prescriptions, advise patients about the proper use of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, monitor blood pressures and advise patients on using medical equipment.

Some community pharmacists serve as consultants for drug use in nursing homes or may prepare and dispense intravenous solutions for home use.

Community pharmacists usually are employees of independent or corporate-owned drugstores. Career paths include promotions to chief pharmacist, store manager, district manager or corporate administrator.

Hospital Pharmacists

Most hospitals have inpatient, outpatient and satellite pharmacies where pharmacists prepare and dispense medications. They also stock drugs and supplies within the various pharmacies and nursing stations. The pharmacist replenishes the code cart that contains drugs and emergency equipment and provides drug information to the other healthcare professionals and the general public.

Clinical Pharmacists

Clinical pharmacists help select medications for patients, monitor the beneficial and toxic effects of drug therapy on patients and work closely with physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide optimal care for patients. Clinical pharmacists are part of the patient care teams in such specialties as pediatrics, oncology, ambulatory care, hospice, emergency, critical care, geriatrics, psychiatrics, internal medicine, IV therapy and nutrition.

Research Pharmacists

The doctor of pharmacy degree qualifies individuals to teach at the college level. Highly skilled PharmD graduates are needed to teach student pharmacists, develop clinical programs and conduct research at pharmacy schools throughout the country.

Exciting research opportunities in product development abound in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries for pharmacists who want to discover new therapies. With the release of the complete map of the human genome in 2000, the field of pharmacogenomics--the study of how an individual's genetic inheritance affects the body's response to drugs--brings unlimited potential for discovery and application.

Government

The military services, Veterans Administration and Public Health Services employ pharmacists in hospitals, clinics and healthcare administration. Pharmacists may work in military hospitals as civilians or as commissioned officers. Other governmental positions for pharmacists include drug enforcement agents, drug manufacturing inspectors, and agents in the Food and drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control.

Other Possibilities

• Poison control pharmacist: The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy operates the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center
• Managed care pharmacist
• Veterinary pharmacist
• Nuclear pharmacist
• Compounding pharmacist
• Pharmacist attorney
• Consulting pharmacist

Pharmacy is also a good preparation for many executive positions in a variety of companies, in health care and other fields.