Pharmacy Career Options
* ACADEMIC PHARMACIST
Pharmacy faculty members are involved with teaching, research, public service, and
patient care in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Disciplines within academic pharmacy
include administration, biological sciences, clinical science, experiential education, drug
discovery, natural products, and pharmacology.
* COMMUNITY PHARMACIST
Community pharmacists are employed in chain drug stores and grocery stores. They
consult with patients on the proper use of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Pharmacists may also provide other services such as immunizations, asthma care, blood
pressure monitoring, cholesterol screening, diabetes management, smoking cessation
consultation, and more.
* CONSULTANT PHARMACIST
Consultant pharmacists provide drug therapy for individuals residing in nursing facilities,
assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, hospices, and community-based care.
Elderly patients need special care because they are more likely to suffer from drugrelated problems such as adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, excessive use of
medications, and inappropriate and duplicative drug therapy.
* COMPOUNDING PHARMACIST
A compounding pharmacist provides medications that either are unavailable through
commercial channels or need to be prepared in different delivery forms. For example,
these pharmacists can provide medications that are dye-free or preservative-free, in a
different dosage form that is easier for the patient to use (e.g., lozenge rather than a
capsule), and flavored for children.
* CRITICAL CARE PHARMACIST
Critical care pharmacists serve the most seriously injured or sick patients, and provide
information about the unique characteristics of drug response in these patients. They
work in specialty areas, such as general surgery-trauma, cardiac surgery, burn units,
respiratory ailment, neuroscience, pediatric intensive care, and organ transplant.
* DRUG INFORMATION SPECIALIST
A drug information specialist (DIS) is a pharmacist who provides up-to-date and
comprehensive information about medications to patients, physicians, and other health
care providers. These specialists have dedicated time to analyze the vast amount of drugtherapy literature. Their purpose is to help optimize patient care outcomes and minimize
prescription drug expenses.
* HOSPICE PHARMACIST
Hospice care uses modern pain management techniques to compassionately care for the
dying. Most of these patients are in the home or nursing homes. Responsibilities include
developing protocols for pain management, as well as for specific symptom management.
A majority of hospice patients have cancer or long-term chronic illnesses such as heart
failure or emphysema, and pain is the most common complaint.
* HOSPITAL PHARMACIST
Pharmacists in hospital-based practices attend patient rounds with physicians monitoring
drug therapy, making drug therapy recommendations, responding to adverse drug
reactions, and evaluating patient outcomes. When a patient is discharged, the pharmacist
provides verbal and written drug-related information to the patient. Hospital pharmacists
often serve in outpatient clinics (e.g., asthma clinics).
* INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY PHARMACIST
Independent community pharmacies are pharmacist-owned and privately held. These
pharmacists combine entrepreneurship and patient care. They often offer patient care
services ranging from disease management to tailor-made products through
compounding.
* INDUSTRY-BASED PHARMACIST
Pharmacists practicing in industry work in areas of product discovery, development,
manufacturing, quality control, sales and distribution. In addition, pharmacists work in
many important business capacities such as marketing, law, finance, corporate security,
training and publishing.
* INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHARMACIST
The infectious disease pharmacist is responsible for optimizing anti-infective therapy for
patients. These pharmacists work with other health care professionals to provide hospital
antimicrobial management and infection control programs. They also provide treatment
options for infections where traditional treatment has failed or is not well tolerated by the
patient.
* MANAGED CARE PHARMACIST
The managed care pharmacist coordinates patient care through data integration, outcomes
research, drug utilization review, cost analysis, and pharmacy benefit design. Managed
care pharmacists are employed by various managed care organizations (e.g., HMOs).
* MILITARY PHARMACIST
Military pharmacists provide pharmaceutical care to active and retired service men and
women in the U.S. armed forces. There are opportunities for military and civilian
professional pharmacists in the Air Force, Army, and Navy (Marines use the Navy's
pharmacies). These pharmacists may serve in military bases and hospitals in the U.S. and
overseas.
* NUCLEAR PHARMACIST
Nuclear pharmacy involves the preparation and assuring the quality control of radioactive
materials used to diagnose specific diseases. These materials are generally injected into a
patient's bloodstream or are swallowed, after which, gamma cameras scan the organs.
These scans provide physicians with a dynamic view of organ function.
* NUTRITION SUPPORT PHARMACIST
Nutrition support pharmacy addresses the care of patients who receive specialized
nutrition support and has responsibility for designing and modifying treatment according
to the needs of the patient. The nutrition support pharmacist has responsibility for direct
patient care and often functions as a member of multidisciplinary nutrition support team.
* ONCOLOGY PHARMACIST
Oncology pharmacists serve patients with cancer. These specialists recognize the balance
between improved survival and quality of life, and safeguard against harmful drug
interactions and minimize side effects when experimental or rigorous drug therapies are
used.
* OPERATING ROOM PHARMACIST
Operating room pharmacists are responsible for seeing that the appropriate medications
are available and ready for the surgery being performed and serve as a drug information
resource to the OR team. The provide drugs to make the patient unconscious; to maintain
muscle relaxation; to reduce patient anxiety; to treat nausea; to control bleeding, to
prevent infection, etc.
* PEDIATRIC PHARMACIST
Pediatric pharmacists care for patients ranging in age from newborn to teenager. They
provide information to physicians on the safety and efficacy of medications used in
children and adjust drug dosage and delivery methods based on the child's weight, age,
etc. They also educate parents and children on the proper use of their medications.
* POISON CONTROL PHARMACIST
Pharmacists working in poison control centers answer questions about the characteristics
of poisons or about overdoses of all types of toxic substances. They maintain
comprehensive poison information resources and poisoning management guidelines, and
have both administrative and managerial responsibilities.
* PRIMARY CARE PHARMACIST
Primary care pharmacists are involved in evaluating physician-referred ambulatory
patients and then caring for their drug needs. They may need to adjust the dosage of
drugs as the patient's condition warrants. Diabetes is one of the most common conditions
among patients cared for by primary care pharmacists which may require weekly or
monthly visits.
* PSYCHIATRIC PHARMACIST
Psychiatric pharmacists care for patients with psychiatric disorders. This specialist is
often responsible for optimizing drug treatment by conducting patient assessments,
recommending appropriate treatment plans, monitoring patient response, and recognizing
drug-induced problems.
* PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE PHARMACIST
The majority of public health pharmacists are assigned to the Indian Health Service
(IHS); Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and Bureau of Prisons (BoP). Pharmacists
in the PHS promote the health of the Nation, deliver health services to Federal
beneficiaries, and furnish medication expertise in time of war or other national or
international emergencies.
* VETERINARY PHARMACIST
Veterinary pharmacists are experts in compounding and can help determine the right drug
and dose for a particular animal. Most patients are "companion animals" (i.e., cats, dogs),
but they may also provide medicines for cattle, horses, pigs, etc.