But What Can I Do With That...?: Diving Into Different Options Within Pharmacy

Hey guys!

After a crazy week of midterms, I'm so excited to be sharing my second blog post with all of you.

Coming home for my first winter break after starting college, everyone seemed to be asking me the same question; the one I'm sure all of you are asked all of the time.

"What's your major?"

I always eagerly answered, "Biology, but I'm Pre-Pharmacy!" (These were my pre-LSC days)

Most people would respond positively, and then we would continue in normal conversation about classes, or what life on our respected campuses was like. However, there was a small handful of people that always followed up with a second question.

"Oh...so what do you do with that?"

This always seemed to shock me a little bit. But then I realized, maybe not everyone knows all about the pharmacy field. Being a part of my University's Pre-School of Pharmacy Club had exposed me to so many options in the field, and I guess I wasn't aware that others didn't know that there is more to pharmacy than just standing behind a counter at Walgreens.

For all of you Pre-Pharmacy students out there who aren't completely sure what exactly they want to do in the pharmacy field, here is a quick breakdown of your options.

1: Community Pharmacy

This is probably what most people think of when they think of a career in pharmacy. A community pharmacist is working most commonly in a retail setting (think Walgreens or Target). They are the ones who are checking over medications, dosing, and actual preparation and dispensing of any medications that are given outside of the hospital. Community pharmacists are also available for any questions relating to your medication.While most community pharmacists work at a chain pharmacy, others own independent pharmacies.

2: Clinical Pharmacy

Clinical pharmacy is very similar to community pharmacy, but clinical pharmacists are typically found in a hospital, or outpatient clinic setting. Clinical pharmacists work closely with doctors to monitor their patient's progress, and recommend adjustments to the doctor as they see fit. It has a little more of a diagnostic role, and you can specialize in different types of medications (i.e. cardiovascular, neurological, emergency medicine, etc.)

3: Drug Development

Did you love chemistry? Or maybe have a knack for engineering? You could also go to school for pharmacy and go into drug development. This would entail formulating new drugs, testing the ones we already have, and researching the effectiveness of drugs. An off branch of this, if you don't want a PharmD, would be pharmacology. There is still graduate school required, but you could do more research in the development of drugs as a pharmacologist. (My organic chemistry tutor was a pharmacologist, and he was by far the most fascinating man I've ever met)

4: Pharmacy Benefit Manager

A pharmacy benefits manager deals with more of the insurance side of drugs, so if you have a passion for insurance and business, this is a perfect fit! It combines not only the science and chemistry behind the medications, but also has a nice management component. These roles are very important in the industry!

5: Academia

TEACH PHARMACY HOW COOL IS THAT :)

6: Pharmaceutical Sales

Companies like Pfizer and Merck are always looking to sell the new drugs that are manufactured to doctors and clinics, in addition to getting them circulated elsewhere. Like pharmacy benefits, this career option would be a great combo between science and business. You could have the best of both worlds!

I hope this breakdown of the different career options in pharmacy is helpful to all of you future pharmacy students out there!

If you want to explore more about these pharmacy fields, I listed a great summary link below I found that explains a little more about some of the fields I touched on.

http://pharmacyforme.org/career-pathways/#1467835923421-7d6739c6-e479

As always, don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about my experience.

Keep on working to reach your goals! Opportunities are limitless :)

Allison