PHARMACY CAREERS & PHARMACIST PRACTICE

SETTINGS

22 types of pharmacist jobs and careers.

Md Mahfizur Rahman

Prepared by

Introduction

Pharmacy is an evolving profession. Over the years pharmacists have found new ways to leverage their status as experts in medication therapy to create new pharmacy careers that have significantly improved patient care and advanced the pharmacy profession. Here is a brief description of 22 jobs and careers for pharmacists and links for current job openings.

1. Ambulatory Care Pharmacist

Job description: Direct patient care and management of medications for ambulatory patients; manage ambulatory clinics

Requirement: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Bachelor of Science (BS) in Pharmacy; ambulatory care pharmacy residency and board certification in ambulatory care pharmacy are preferred. Certification in the management of chronic conditions or therapies such as diabetes, asthma, anticoagulation is desirable.

Advantages: Provide direct patient care in a clinic setting

Practice site: Outpatient hospital or community clinics

2. Academic Pharmacist

Job description: Conduct research, publish articles, teach and mentor tomorrow's pharmacist. Some also practice pharmacy in the community, hospital, or ambulatory settings. Requirement: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Bachelor of Science (BS) in Pharmacy, some also have Ph.D. degrees; one-year residency, and/or fellowship.

Other Skills: Need excellent writing and speaking skills, interest in research

Advantages: Flexible schedule, work in an office, opportunity to shape the future of pharmacy, pharmacy license may not be required

Practice site: universities, schools of pharmacy and medicine, local, state, national, and international organizations

3. Community Pharmacist 

Job description: Fill prescriptions, counsel patients, resolve reimbursement issues, manage drug inventory, supervise pharmacy technicians

Practice sites: traditional chain drug stores, independent community pharmacies, and supermarkets

Requirements: BS or PharmD and active pharmacy license

Other Skills: ability to multitask, work long hours, strong communication skills, work in a stressful environment, business management skills

Advantages: Multiple work shifts, direct patient interactions, can work part time, pharmacies are ubiquitous.

Statistics: 62% of pharmacists work in community pharmacies.

4. Compounding Pharmacist

Job description: Compound drugs for individual prescriptions to meet patient needs. Counsel patients and collaborate with healthcare providers.

Requirement: PharmD or BS degree, active pharmacy license, compounding course

Practice sites: Compounding pharmacies, community pharmacies, hospitals, universities

5. Hospice Pharmacist

Job description: provide compassionate care to hospice patient, work with a health care team of nurses, doctors, social workers, and counselor.

Requirement: Pharmacy license, residency in hospice may be preferred.

Other Skills: comfortable with end of life discussions, understand pain management.

Practice sites: care medicine, hospices, patients’ homes.

6. Hospital Staff Pharmacist

Job description: Responsible for drug distribution in a hospital, provide clinical services, educate doctors and nurses, develop policies for drug storage and distribution, create protocols for drug administration, counsel patients.

Requirements: BS or PharmD and active pharmacy license; residency or fellowship may be required for clinical positions. Other Skills: Participate as part of a multidisciplinary team, must have strong communication skills.

Practice sites: Hospitals, health care systems.

7. Infectious disease pharmacist

Job description: Assist in the selection, monitoring, and administration of antimicrobials; evaluate antimicrobial drug use and create policies.

Requirements: PharmD, active pharmacy license; residency or fellowship in infectious disease; strong knowledge of antimicrobial pharmacology and guidelines.Other Skills: Participate as part of a multidisciplinary team, must have strong communication skills.Advantages: Direct patient care, teaching, clinical pharmacy practice.

8. Long-term Care or Consultant Pharmacist

Job description: Provide clinical pharmacy services to the geriatric population. Review drug regimens and provide recommendations to providers.

Requirement: PharmD, BS, active license; certification in geriatric pharmacy is preferred, one-year residency in geriatric pharmacy and clerkships in long-term care may be helpful.

Other Skills: Great communication skills and ability to interact well with people, ability to work as part of a healthcare team, must enjoy working with a geriatric community.

Advantages: Predictable schedule. Often can work independently as a consultant.

Practice sites: Nursing homes, hospitals, assisted-living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, home care, sub-acute care facilities.

9. Managed Care Pharmacist

Job description: Collaborate with physicians, case managers, and caregivers to provide pharmacy services in a managed care setting.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active license.

Other skills: Business and management skills.

Advantages: Fewer number of payers; closed formularies limit the type of drugs that are available.

Practice sites: Health maintenance organizations (HMO), care management programs, ambulatory clinics, Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO).

10. Medication Therapy Management Pharmacist (Personal Pharmacist)

Job description: Review patient medications, monitor treatment, optimize medication use, minimize cost of drug therapy.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active license; certification or courses in medication therapy management are useful.

Other skills: Board certification in areas of specialty, entrepreneurial spirit.

Advantages: Direct patient care, opportunity to be own a practice.

Practice sites: Office, community clinics, hospitals, community pharmacies, patient’s homes.

11. Nutrition Support Pharmacist

Job description: Collaborate with health care providers and patients to manage parenteral and enteral nutrition.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active license; board certification in Nutrition Support Pharmacy is preferred.

Other skills: able to work with a multidisciplinary team, ability to individualize treatment specific to a patient’s needs; experience with intravenous admixtures.

Advantages: Provide specialized services; serve as a consultant to care teamsPractice sites: acute facilities, ambulatory clinics, skilled nursing facilities, patients’ homes.

12. Nuclear Practice Pharmacist

Job description: Prepare radiopharmaceuticals and maintain quality standards.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active pharmacy license; authority to handle radioactive substances; residency or board specialty in nuclear pharmacy preferred.

Advantages: High demand for nuclear pharmacists. Practice sites: Imaging and diagnostic centers, hospitals, specialized pharmacies.

13. Oncology pharmacist

Job description: Selection, compounding, administration, and monitoring of chemotherapy agents.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active license; residency or board certification in oncology preferred.

Other skills: Experience in critical care.

Advantages: Specialized field, higher pay than hospital pharmacists.

Practice sites: hospitals, universities, cancer centers.

14. Operating Suite (Surgery Unit) Pharmacist

Job description: Manage availability of medications used for surgery and post-operative care.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active license; critical care experience preferred.

Other experience: Experience with anesthesia and surgery medications; work in a multidisciplinary team and fast paced environment.

Practice sites: hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers.

15. Pediatric pharmacist

Job description: Provide clinical pharmacy services to pediatric patients.

Requirement: PharmD or BS, active license; one-year general residency and specialty residency in pediatrics.

Other experience: Able to communicate effectively with children.

Advantages: Specialized field.

Practice sites: Children’s hospitals, hospitals, universities, cancer centers.

16. Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM)

Job description: Manage prescription drug benefit programs; claims processing and related administrative services; and perform drug utilization reviews.

Requirement: PharmD or BS, active license; experience in business is preferred.

Additional Experience: Possess management and strong analytical skills.

Advantages: Work in a corporate office environment.

Practice sites: Pharmacy benefit management companies (PBMs).

17. Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmacists

Job description: Varies depending on the specific job. Usually involves educating healthcare providers, training commercial teams, developing communication tools, and research. Regulatory, sales, and marketing roles are also available.

Requirements: PharmD preferred; fellowship or residency; clinical or teaching experience. MBA, Ph.D. are helpful.

Other experience: Business management, marketing, sales experience are desirable; excellent communication skills required for many roles

Advantages: High pay, great benefits, work in an office or from home, excellent growth opportunities 

Practice sites: pharmaceutical, biotechnology companies, contract research organizations (CRO)

18. Critical Care Pharmacist

Job description: Provide clinical pharmacy services in an acute setting, may manage a decentralized pharmacy, teach and mentor students and residents.

Requirement: PharmD or BS degree, active pharmacy license, ACLS certification, general residency followed by a specialty residency in critical care.

Other skills: experience working in a multidisciplinary team, in-depth knowledge of several diseases, excellent communication skills.

Advantages: Direct patient care, teaching, clinical pharmacy practice.

Practice sites: intensive care units, emergency departments, operating rooms

19. Drug Information Specialist

Job description: Research literature and provide responses to drug information questions.

Requirement: BS or PharmD; one-year residency or other training in drug information. Active pharmacy license may not be required in non-patient care or drug dispensing settings.

Other Skills: experience and training in clinical toxicology, poison, and drug information, must possess strong communication skills, capable of working with computers and other modern technologies.

Advantages: Work in an office setting, predictable hours.

Practice sites: hospitals, pharmaceutical industry, publication (content development) industry, poison control centers.

20. Pharmacists in the Military

Job description: Provide pharmacy services in various branches of the military. Duties may range from dispensing to clinical practice, ambulatory care, and research. May travel to foreign countries with frequent moves.

Requirements: PharmD or BS, active license from any state, completion of a personal interview and satisfactory physical exam, must be a U.S. citizen.

Additional Skills: Extreme flexibility and able to assume large responsibility at an early age. Comfortable working in a military setting.

Advantages: Great benefits; early retirement; variety of practice settings.

Practice Sites: Army pharmacies, navy pharmacies, air force pharmacies, public health service pharmacies.

21. Home Care (Home Infusion) Pharmacist

Job description: Provide home infusion and nutritional services, visit patients at home and teach them about their medications.

Requirement: BS or PharmD and active pharmacy license, experience preparing Intravenous medications is desirable.

Other Skills: Participate as part of a multidisciplinary team, communicate effectively, keep accurate records, understand parenteral nutrition.

Advantages: Less stressful than retail pharmacy.

Practice sites: patients’ homes, home care agencies, hospices, specialized infusion companies, ambulatory infusion centers.

22. Poison Control Pharmacist

Job description: Provide medical information about poisoning and drug overdoses.

Requirement: PharmD or BS, active license from any state; certification by the American Association of Poison Control Centers; clinical toxicology training and one-year residency in poison-control are preferred.

Additional experience: Crisis management over the phone and know crisis intervention techniques.

Practice sites: Poison control centers, hospitals, universities.

Thank You