Studying pharmacy: career opportunities

Studying for a degree in Pharmacy opens doors to a variety of job opportunities, as this degree qualifies you to work as a pharmacist, both as an employee and as a self-employed person. It is one of the essential professions within the area of Health Sciences. And therefore has always been and will continue to be of great importance and necessity for society.

This type of professional can be involved in activities aimed at the preservation and conservation of medicines, collaborate in analytical processes, work as teachers, researchers, clinical management, health education, functions in the areas of care, prevention and information.

Skills required

The pharmaceutical professional is a specialist in medicines with solid training in the chemical-biological sciences, and is therefore qualified to carry out activities related to medicines, drugs and other biologically active substances with respect to their design, synthesis, identification, purification, control and evaluation of their impact on living beings and the environment.

Another of the many skills required is that they are prepared for the evaluation of drugs in their pharmaceutical properties, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and beneficial, adverse and toxic effects on living organisms.

They are also trained to assume ethical and legal responsibility before society for the production and control of medicines and cosmetics, ensuring that they are quality products. Being able to develop and adapt to new technologies, formulating innovative products or improving the therapeutic properties of existing ones.

Study possibilities

Within the degree in pharmacy, graduates have various study possibilities within the same degree, as they can work in the following areas:

• Hospital pharmacy
• Specific pharmaceutical positions, either in the national health care system, as inspectors, primary care, military pharmacy, etc.
• Pharmaceutical, chemical, veterinary, cosmetics and other industries.
• Technical management of warehousing and distribution of medicines.
• Clinical analyses, such as clinical biochemistry, microbiology and parasitology.
• Food and nutrition
• Teaching and research
• Radio pharmacy
• Pharmacy – retail sector

Retail pharmacies are those that are available in grocery shops and pharmacies. Being the ones that fulfil the medical prescriptions sent from medical institutions by doctors.

Pharmacy technicians in the retail sector are professionals oriented to serve customers with friendliness and provide them with the best care in their search for a medicine. They should always be positive. Not respond rudely to patients, let them know that their order will be filled, and maintain organisation behind the scenes. So that orders can be stocked and filled in the shortest possible time.

Research

Research in pharmacy is another branch of pharmacy that pharmacists can opt for upon graduation. This involves studies in which the effect of medicines for human use is analysed.

The work is extremely useful in guiding clinical practice. And even helps to rationalise the use of drugs in the general population, as their continued and abusive use can lead to serious health problems. This branch is very significant, as they are in charge of knowing whether or not a medicine is suitable for distribution to the public.

Hospital and outpatient pharmacy

Hospital and outpatient pharmacy is the health care service whose purpose is to choose, prepare, store, dispense and combine medicines and medical devices, advising health care professionals and patients on their safe, effective and efficient use. They strive to maintain and improve medicines management and patient care to the highest standards in the hospital environment.

This is a specialised field that depends on the medical management of a hospital, as all medication received while in hospital or chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients that are not available in pharmacies come under the responsibility of the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy.