The Profession of Pharmacy

Just as most health care fields are currently experiencing growth, so is the field of pharmacy. Now, more than ever, pharmacists are needed nationwide to work in a variety of health care settings. Pharmacists have been practicing almost as long as physicians and the two fields have developed alongside one another. The need for professional collaboration between doctors and pharmacists for optimal patient care will continue and evolve well into the future. Here are some basics about the field:

Pharmacy ¹ (from the Greek "pharmakon" = drug) is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences, and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of medication. The scope of pharmacy practice includes more traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing medications, and it also includes more modern services related to patient care, including clinical services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug information. Pharmacists, therefore, are the experts on drug therapy and are the primary health professionals who optimize medication use to provide patients with positive health outcomes.

Pharmacists ² are health professionals who practice the art and science of pharmacy. In their traditional role, pharmacists typically take a request for medicines from a prescribing health care provider in the form of a medical prescription and dispense the medication to the patient and counsel them on the proper use and adverse effects of that medication. In this role, pharmacists ensure the safe and effective use of medications. Pharmacists also participate in disease state management, where they optimize and monitor drug therapy or interpret medical laboratory results — in collaboration with physicians and/or other health professionals. Pharmacists have many areas of expertise and are a critical source of medical knowledge in clinics, hospitals, medical laboratories, and community pharmacies throughout the world.

Pharmaceuticals (both prescription and non-prescription) are the leading health care intervention for patients of all ages in the United States. Recent data revealed that 82 percent ³ (or 4 out of 5) of adults reported taking a medication within a given week. From 1997 to 2007, the number of prescriptions purchased increased 72 percent (from 2.2 billion to 3.8 billion).⁴ Or in other words, almost 13 retail prescriptions per person per year in the United States were dispensed by pharmacists. Also, it is estimated that as the population continues to age, the demand for pharmaceuticals and pharmacists to oversee their appropriate use is anticipated to escalate. The percent of the population with a prescription drug expense in 2005 was 91 percent for those 65 and older⁴ .

These sources offer you more information about the forecast for pharmacists, professional opportunities in pharmacy practice and the life of pharmacy students.

• Where The Jobs Are: Pharmacist (from Forbes)
• Best Jobs in America – Pharmacist (from Money Magazine)
• Best Careers 2008 – Pharmacist (from U.S. News & World Report)
• 15 Hot Jobs in a (Gulp!) Depression: Even in the worst of times, some career fields will thrive (from U.S. News & World Report)
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Pharmacy: Your Prescription for Success in the Health Care Industry (from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Inc)
• Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) of the American Pharmacists Association has assisted students explore careers in pharmacy and connect with students in the profession
• The Pharmacy Student Forum of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists informs students about careers in hospitals and health systems practice as well as post-graduate residency opportunities that exist in pharmacy.
• The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy provides an excellent resource link to the multiple pharmacy organizations and general information on academic careers in pharmacy education

¹ “pharmacy.” Wikipedia (accessed May 2009)

² Slone. 2005. Patterns of Medication Use in the United States 2004. Boston, MA: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.

³ Slone, 2005. Patterns of Medication Use in the United States 2004. Boston, MA: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.

⁴ Prescription Drug Trends Fact Sheet - September 2008 Update, Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/rxdrugs/upload/3057_07.pdf

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