Investigative Essay

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A career as a Pharmacist
In general, pharmacists deal with drugs or medication. They often know a lot about medicine and can usually make prescriptions by just assessing the symptoms on an individual. I found that interesting because there are many people I know who have developed complications from being given the wrong medication in their quest to seek more affordable treatment alternatives. By becoming a pharmacist, I will be able to assist such individuals and many others to get the correct and truly less expensive drugs.
By definition, pharmacists, also referred to as chemists, are healthcare professionals who practice pharmacy – a health sciences area that focuses on the effective and safe use of medication. These health professionals distribute prescription medicine to individuals (Farrell 289). In addition, they advise physicians and patients on how to select drugs, the right dosages, and the interactions of each medication chosen (Farrell 289). Further, pharmacists mix different ingredients to form drugs. Most of them work in healthcare facilities or community settings like retail drug stores. To become a pharmacist in the US, I am aware that I will need to have completed a two-year undergraduate program (in no specific discipline) and attained a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from any pharmaceutical school (Farrell 292). Other than that, I will be needed to pass the North American Pharmaceutical Licensure Exam to become licensed to practice (Farrell 293).

Even though pharmacists still combine ingredients to make drugs, the days of the job looking like that of an olden alchemist are over. Most of the production and packaging of drugs are nowadays done by pharmaceutical companies. Nevertheless, although that part of the career’s jobs has reduced, the advances in technology have resulted in the development of more drugs. With a wider array of medication, the need for pharmacists to consult on their usage and contraindications has also increased. Therefore, the employment opportunities for people in the field are likely to expand by about 3% within the next five years. In terms of earnings, the yearly salary range for pharmacists in the US is from $84,000 – $124,000 (“2016 Pharmacist Salary Guide” para. 4). Evidently, the profession is an enticing one in today’s world.
On a typical day, a pharmacist has to do a number of things. First, it is important to note that close to 60 percent of them are employed by community pharmacists, while about 25 percent work in hospitals and clinics. For those that own community pharmacies, a normal day involves purchasing and retailing drugs and non-pharmaceutical merchandise, supervising the hired pharmacy technicians, and overseeing a majority of the everyday operations that take place at the pharmacy. For those who work in clinics and hospitals, a normal day at work would involve training interns, consulting with physicians on drug choices, making sterile solutions for surgical procedures, and carrying out research on the new medication. Based on these responsibilities, I believe that my good interpersonal, research and communication skills will help me succeed in the field. However, customer service and extensive drug knowledge are areas that I will have to work on throughout my training. Overall, the profession is of substantial benefit to both the society and the people practicing it. With its beneficial nature to the society and promising job outlook, it is a career that I would be quite glad to pursue.
Works Cited
“2016 Pharmacist Salary Guide.” Pharmacy Times, 2016,
www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/alex-barker-pharmd/2016/04/2016-pharmacist-salary-guide.
Farrell, Barbara, et al. “Working in Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams: What do
Pharmacists do?” Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy 9.3 (2013): 288-301.