Career opportunities

A fairly common misconception is that all pharmacists work in chemists shops. Whilst many pharmacists do choose this route, there are many other careers open to a registered pharmacist. Some of the most common areas of practice are outlined below, but there are many other specialist choices available in addition to these.

Community
Hospitals
Industry
Government and regulatory bodies
Education and research
Other opportunities

Community

Community pharmacists work in a variety of locations including high-street pharmacies, pharmacies in medical group practices, and in large supermarket or department stores. Because they are so accessible to members of the public, these pharmacists are often a patient's first point of contact in the health care system and as such, are critical to ensuring that the patient receives optimal drug therapy or advice. Community practice thus provides many opportunities to interact with and help patients. As such, they often become well-known and respected members of their local community.

Working in these commercial practices also involves a detailed understanding of business management which many pharmacists find challenging and rewarding.

Hospitals

Many pharmacists are employed in NHS and private hospitals and clinics where their role is central in ensuring that patients receive safe and effective therapy. As many of the patients are prescribed complex and potentially highly toxic medication regimens, hospital pharmacists need to be ready to advise other health professionals on the most appropriate use and dosage of medicines. Thus, hospital pharmacists interact frequently with other health professionals and their ability to offer clear and expert advice is essential for effective patient management. Many hospital pharmacists specialise in fields such as oncology, infectious diseases, psychiatry, etc. and have a number of opportunities to become involved in research and education. Many also progress to senior management positions within the NHS.

Industry

Another career option is within the pharmaceutical industry that produces chemical agents, "over-the-counter" products and prescription-only medicines and drugs, and other healthcare products. Pharmacists may be involved in: manufacturing, marketing, research and product development, quality control, sales, and administration. The specialist scientific and technical demands of some positions in research and manufacturing sometimes require further, postgraduate study and qualifications. Careers in sales and administration may exploit their expertise in pharmacy by serving as medical service representatives and drug information specialists. These representatives explain the uses and merits of the products to a variety of health care professionals on behalf of the company. Experienced and successful medical service representatives with administrative abilities often rise to supervisory or executive posts in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacists are also employed as sales representatives, supervisors, and administrators within wholesale suppliers.

Government and regulatory bodies

A complex regulatory system operates to control the sale and provision of medicinal products in Britain and the EU. Pharmacists are employed by governments and by commercial organisations to advise on and to oversee the implementation of the regulations applying to new and existing drugs. All pharmacists need to be familiar with, and to remain informed about, these regulations that exist to protect the public.

Education and research

Academic pharmacists are involved with teaching, research, public service, and patient care and usually have a postgraduate degree (e.g., Ph.D. degree) or specialisation. They include pharmacy-practitioners who are Registered Pharmacists who have a significant responsibility for patient care in addition to their work in teaching and research. These educator/practitioners bring to their teaching their skills and experience gained in a variety of practice environments to serve as role models for pharmacy students. Other staff are usually involved in research into pharmacy-related topics, often using sophisticated instrumentation and analytical methods to study aspects of drug discovery, target validation, formulation, manufacture and delivery of new drug products. Other staff specialise in social, economic, and behavioral sciences, often using survey methods and statistical analyses to examine appropriate medicines management, health care delivery, and other practice issues.

Other opportunities

Pharmacists may also apply their skills in many other areas, including clinical specialisations such as infectious diseases, pediatric or geriatric pharmacy, psychiatry, intensive care, and cardiology. Other careers include advertising, technical writing, becoming expert in pharmaceutical and patent law, journalism or the cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants.