Pharmacy graduates who want a career in scientific research and development may study for a master’s or doctoral degree in areas such as pharmacy, prescription, and drug discovery and development, or in biomedical or chemical sciences. According to the BLS, the average annual salary for all U.S. workers in May 2020 was about $41,900. As employees gain more experience and take on greater responsibilities, they generally earn higher wages. Pharmacy technicians with additional training and years on the job may assume roles as lead pharmacy technician and pharmacy supervisor.
All pharmacists should be able to understand and interpret prescriptions, dispense medications, and advise on medication use. These pharmacists work in the pharmaceutical industry and develop and produce medicines and other medicines. They are also involved in research and development, quality control and patient care. You can also choose to take additional training to specialize in a particular practice area. For example, you can earn a graduate degree or a master’s degree in clinical, hospital, or community pharmacy.
In the UK, for example, you will need at least one MPharm to be admitted to the one-year degree programme that allows you to register as a professional pharmacist. One of the many interesting developments in the pharmaceutical profession is the growth of a discipline known as pharmacogenomics. In the future, specialists in this field hope to sequence the entire human gene in each individual.
Here you will study all aspects of obesity, from the individual level to the problem in its large-scale social context. You will learn about different strategies for weight management interventions, policy formulation and implementation. This specialization can lead to a career in a government agency or local government, public health agency or in the commercial sector developing new faast pharmacy products and programs. Another important area of pharmacy is drug development: the study of the processes involved in the creation of new drugs and their marketing. This may include learning to conduct preclinical research and various stages of clinical trials, as well as studying relevant business and manufacturing processes, regulatory issues, and assessing financial viability.
Whether studying cells or genes, students receive a foundation of knowledge and skills that prepare them for the topics they will encounter in a doctor of pharmacy program. Common classes include molecular cells and genetic biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and organismic biology. After a patient visits their doctor and receives a prescription for a drug or other approved remedy, pharmacists are tasked with completing those prescriptions.