By Adriana Noton

There are many individuals who may be interested in working in the health care field but do not find the idea of working as a doctor or nurse appealing. These individuals may want to consider some of the many different pharmacist jobs that are available. They can involve working in a variety of health care settings from retail stores to hospitals and clinics. Some pharmacists will even work in drug research and development.

In order to qualify for these positions it is important to have the right education. At a bare minimum, a person should have a degree in pharmacology from a college or university. Individual positions, especially those that involve supervision or administration may require a higher level of education and research positions may be easier to get if someone has degrees in other scientific fields.

Some individuals are employed in a retail setting. They work with customers and fill the prescriptions that doctors have prescribed. They may also offer advice to customers on which over the counter products are most appropriate for a given condition. These individuals also need to know which medications will interact badly with one another and be prepared to advise customers of these issues, offering advice on how to correct the situation.

Certain individuals may also work in a hospital setting. There, they will work with doctors and nurses in order to help treat patients. They may work to develop a therapeutic drug regiment and may advise doctors on new medications and therapies that will work well to treat a particular patient. Again, they need a wide knowledge of different medications that are available and know which will work well together. They also need to know about any potential negative drug interactions.

If someone likes the idea of helping to treat patients in their home they may want to seek employment as a home care professional. There are some individuals who need to speak with a professional about their medications but be unable to get to a drug store. They may also need certain medications mixed on site and a home care professional will also perform this service for them.

Some professionals may also work in clinics and specialize in their area of expertise. They may focus on treating cancer using appropriate radioactive drugs or may work in a psychiatric clinic and focus on the treatment of various psychiatric disorders using the appropriate medications. Again, like a hospital pharmacist, they do not work directly with the patients. Instead, they work with doctors and nurses and may compound medications, mix complicated formulas and provide advice on potential drug interactions.

A final area where these individuals are employed is in drug research. They may work with major pharmaceutical companies and test new medications in order to develop more effective formulas that have fewer negative side effects. This is a lengthy process but one which can be a very rewarding one as well. These individuals will generally not work with patients or health care providers directly.

There are a number of different positions that fall under the banner of pharmacology. Their compensation levels may vary from position to position but all pharmacology positions are generally compensated very well. If you are considering one of these jobs it can pay to do your research in order to find out any special certification or additional education that may be required.

About the Author: As the nation’s most respected, most well connected home for pharmacist career, we have more jobs in more settings that anyone else.

Source: isnare.com

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