Each of us has to visit pharmacies from time to time. However, few of us understand what profession people work in. You might say that they are pharmacists. But it is not so. Along with a pharmacist, a pharmacist works in a pharmacy. Who is this, what is part of his duties, and what is his difference from other related specialties, we will try to find out today. We also learn about how to become a professional in this field and what salary you can count on.
Pharmacist - who is it?
In short, one can say that a person in this profession is a specialist with a higher pharmaceutical education and working in the field of storage, production and sale of medicines. What is the meaning of the word "pharmacist"? From the Latin language this word is translated as “procuring” or “anticipating”.
In many countries of the world, any pharmacy worker has long been called a pharmacist. However, today this profession is represented by several specializations: pharmacists-technologists (engaged in the manufacture of medicines), pharmacists-analysts (control the quality of medicines) and others. In addition, the duties of these workers may include checking the work of pharmacies, monitoring the supply of drugs. Today, pharmacists are also called employees who organize and coordinate the wholesale trade in pharmaceuticals. In general, the range of positions that a certified specialist can count on is quite wide: a marketer for the pharmaceutical market, a pharmacist at a pharmacy or medical warehouse, a certification and licensing specialist, a medical representative, a pharmaceutical sales manager, and others.
Education
If you are interested in the profession of a pharmacist, you can study at many domestic medical universities. You can work in this specialty only with a higher pharmaceutical education. It should also be borne in mind that if a diploma was obtained more than five years ago, then you will need to take advanced training courses. At the same time, a certificate of a pharmacist will cost employees of private and commercial companies a round sum, since such training in our country is free only for employees of the municipal and state spheres. As a rule, many pharmacy chains and other organizations offer candidates for job training at the expense of the company when hiring. However, in this case, the specialist will have to conclude a contract with the company immediately for several years without the possibility of early termination.
Varieties of the profession of pharmacist
As already mentioned, today for specialists in this field there are a large number of areas of activity, depending on which the range of responsibilities of employees differs. We offer to focus on the main specializations.
Clinical pharmacist - who is it?
Today we are witnessing a constant increase in the share of finished drugs, as well as the nomenclature of OTC drugs. In addition, there is a tendency to increase the number of cases of self-medication. In this regard, counseling people on the proper intake of medicines: time, dosing, combination with other drugs and food, storage conditions, etc., is taking an increasingly important place in the activities of specialists. Such pharmaceutical care is carried out by a clinical pharmacist. This is a specialist who is familiar with the main types of medical documentation, clinical and general syndromology of common diseases. Such an employee should be familiar with the basic methods of laboratory, clinical and instrumental examinations of the patient, as well as the principles of interpreting their results.
Hospital pharmacist
These specialists work in multidisciplinary hospitals and procure medicines. In close cooperation with the doctor, the hospital pharmacist optimizes the medical treatment of patients, as well as carries out drug monitoring and informs the medical staff about the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the new drugs entering the hospital pharmacy network.
Clinical Research Specialist
Such an employee is also a pharmacist, whose duties include the following: participation in preclinical research and clinical testing of drugs, as well as other areas of research activity. He is an indispensable physician's assistant in the planning and implementation of tests of various drugs.
Pharmacist
Due to the fact that while studying at the pharmaceutical department at a university, a student acquires fundamental knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry, toxicology, as well as skills in working with modern laboratory equipment, after graduation he can work in laboratories involved in clinical and biological research.
Medical representative of a pharmaceutical company
Perhaps many of us, having asked the question “pharmacist - who is it,” are unlikely to think about specialists involved in the marketing and trade promotion of certain drugs. Meanwhile, this is indeed so. A medical representative of pharmaceutical companies is one of the specialties of the profession of pharmacist, and these people are engaged in the promotion of medicines in pharmacy chains and hospitals, as well as organize conferences and round tables on the effects of drugs produced by the company in which they work.
Product Manager, Pharmaceutical Marketer
Specialists in this profile are engaged in the collection and analysis of information on expanding the range of pharmaceutical company products, the activity of competitors, marketing strategies, etc.
Merits of the profession of pharmacist
Among specialists in this field, it is very difficult to meet people who are disappointed in their choice of profession. Rather, on the contrary, most of them consider their work to be prestigious, promising and interesting. After all, first of all, this profession is socially oriented. In addition, new drugs of both domestic and foreign production are constantly appearing on the pharmaceutical market today, as well as new approaches to the treatment of various diseases. This encourages pharmacists to constantly improve their skills and expand their field of knowledge. In addition, this specialty provides an opportunity for a wide selection of fascinating and well-paid jobs with prospects for further career growth.
Salary
Today, when choosing a specialty, applicants from medical universities are primarily interested in whether their work will be well paid. The pharmacist, of course, can count on a decent salary. So, university graduates may initially qualify for a salary of $ 400-500. After a young specialist gains some experience, he may very well expect a salary of 700-1000 dollars. Pharmacists in leadership positions, as well as those who left in the marketing sphere, earn from 1,500 to 3,000 dollars a month.