Pharmacy Courses: Become A Pharmacist

Considering a Pharmacy Course?

Do you enjoy chemistry, math, and working with people? Then being a pharmacist might be the right career path for you! For individuals who are interested in practicing medicine but who are not interested in being a doctor, Pharmacy can be an excellent option.

This career choice also has the benefit of more regular hours than many alternative healthcare professions, which may be a point of interest for those who want to contribute to helping people medically but without the unpredictable hours of doctors or nurses.

Pharmacy seems like a relatively unexciting degree choice, but pharmacists play a vital role in the world of healthcare. They act as one of the most important checks on physician error, act as a backup or alternative to GP’s and hospital visits, and generally provide an essential service in keeping people well.

If this does not seem persuasive, there are other factors to bear in mind.Pharmacists are highly employable globally – they frequently appear on government lists of occupations to be granted special care in immigration processes – and a relatively small number of pharmacist graduates are unemployed. A pharmacist’s starting salary is often higher than that of a junior doctor and it rises rapidly with experience. Finally, pharmacists have excellent work security – making this a very enticing direction for those with proficiency.

What is A Pharmacist?

Pharmacists play an important role in the safe delivery and use of medications, in providing healthcare services, professional advice, support, and resources to patients. It is therefore necessary for pharmacists to receive comprehensive education and training to provide safe and successful patient care.

What Will I Learn?

These courses provide the confidence, skills, and knowledge to make a difference in the pharmaceutical arena. Courses generally incorporate both basic sciences learning and the practice of pharmacy. Pharmacy courses are aimed at providing students with a strong base in the fundamentals of pharmaceutical sciences, including medicine, chemistry, biology, ethics and vocational training. 

Later on, the focus of the course changes from its theoretical basis to realistic, patient-oriented research, including the study of specific diseases and medicines. You will look closely at best practice in realistic situations to develop your professional skills. You will also learn the law and ethics of Pharmacy, and you will look at it from a business viewpoint. You will spend a lot of time on placements of different kinds.

The world of pharmacy is continually evolving, and learning never really stops, so much of the work is keeping up with these developments and new medications, facilities or procedures, and making sure your all-round knowledge is as up-to-date as possible.

Career Opportunities

This field encompasses diverse career paths. The most common careers are in hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy (for example high street chemists), and primary care pharmacy. Pharmacists may also work in doctor’s offices, pharmaceutical firms, or in academia in university departments.

If it is not possible to receive a recognized degree in pharmacy, but you would still like to work in the industry, there are many alternative courses available that will allow you to work as a pharmacy technician or as part of the support staff of the pharmacy.

Some career options upon completing this course:

• community pharmacist
• hospital pharmacist
• industrial pharmacist
• university lecturer
• wholesaling
• regulatory work.

There are also opportunities for research in fields such as drug delivery, drug design, and pharmacy practice. Pharmacists can manage businesses for other people or set up their own businesses.

If you’re serious about doing a pharmacy course, check out courses near you in the Nightcourses.co.uk national course finder.