Top Reasons Why Pharmacy Is A Rewarding Career:
An Exciting Career Choice
``I entered pharmacy...to pursue a career where I could work daily to figure out ways to improve these two parameters to make sure that bacteria, viruses, and/or fungi that cause infection are killed in the fastest way possible.``
- Kyana Steward, PharmD -
Pharmacy combines science, health care, computer technology, business, math and counseling. Pharmacy offers a rare balance
of independence and interaction with patients. If you’re looking for adventure, you might be surprised to learn that pharmacy
can be very exciting: Pharmacists are educated to recognize signs and symptoms of diseases that may be used in a biological
attack. The accessibility of pharmacies could be one of the keys to a successful mass immunization or drug distribution
program in an emergency.
A Trusted Profession
``Pharmacy is a career where you become a patient advocate...There is an art in being able to communicate with your patient, listen to their needs, be empathetic, and then provide helpful solutions and advice that the patient will adhere to.``
- Nancy Rodriguez, PharmD -
According to recent Gallup Polls, pharmacists’ honesty and ethics were rated as “high” or “very high” by a large majority of
Americans. If friends and/or family members frequently turn to you for advice, pharmacy may be a great field for you to
explore.
A Wide Variety of Career Opportunities
``...pharmacists have such a wide variety of jobs they can do, from clinical, to operations, to management, to drug information, to regulatory, to consulting, and beyond. Customizing a career path is a huge positive for any profession.``
- Karen McConnell, PharmD -
There is a need for pharmacists in a wide variety of work settings: community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities,
the pharmaceutical industry, mail order pharmacy centers, managed care organizations, and government agencies. What’s
more, those with advanced pharmacy training can often move easily between these different areas.
Excellent Earning Potential and Job Security
``As pharmacists, we are key components in the foundation that defines patient care. We are the experts on pharmacotherapy and the problem solvers at times when there seems to be lack of knowledge and answers.``
- Dimitrios Savva, PharmD -
Pharmacy is also one of the most financially rewarding careers. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median
annual wage for pharmacists in 2021 was $128,570. Pharmacists are also consistently in demand, even in times of economic
downturns, war, political reform and natural disasters, so there is a relatively high level of job security that comes with a career
in pharmacy.
Helping People Get Better
``I was most attracted to a career in pharmacy because I loved the idea of being able to understand something so fascinating and complex...Pharmacy allows me...to solve complex problems while making relationships with patients and working on a team.``
- Erin Hickey, PharmD -
Patients do best when pharmacists are part of their healthcare teams because pharmacists are the medication specialists.
According to the CDC, “The evidence is strong that when pharmacists are members of the health care team, outcomes related
to preventing or managing chronic disease (e.g., blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, obesity, smoking cessation) and
medication adherence improve”.
Working Directly With Patients
``I was very much unaware of the option to practice clinical pharmacy as a career. I discovered clinical pharmacy when I started my rotations, and I quickly decided that this was the path I wanted to follow.``
- Cyrine Haidar, PharmD -
Pharmacists are accessible in all healthcare settings: inpatient, ambulatory and community settings. Pharmacists are available
to see patients at convenient times every day of the week, during morning, evening and weekend hours, and without an
appointment. They are licensed to provide immunizations in all 50 states. Pharmacists may also provide other services such as
asthma care, blood pressure monitoring services, cholesterol screening, diabetes disease management, smoking cessation
consultation and more.
Demand For Pharmacists
``I knew that medication knowledge was rapidly expanding and evolving, which caused this specialty to be in high demand. I wanted a career that was not very invasive, but that was also specialized and valuable.``
- Michael Gillette, PharmD -
There is an ongoing demand for pharmacy services throughout the U.S. in most sectors of the profession. The demand is
fueled by the following factors such as: Increased demand for patient service, number of prescriptions filled each year and
number of medicines available on the market.
Major Innovations In Medication Therapy
``The most rewarding aspect of my current role is knowing...the role of pharmacists as knowledgeable, engaging healthcare professionals that can demonstrate profound competency towards improving health outcomes...``
- Paul Thompson, PharmD -
One of the many exciting developments in the pharmacy profession is the growth of a discipline, known as
pharmacogenomics. Genetic variations in genes can affect a body’s response to a drug. In the future, specialists in this area
hope to sequence the entire human gene in each individual. Pharmacists and other healthcare providers will be able to use
that information to select the best medicines, treat diseases earlier than now possible, or prevent them entirely with
individually-tailored drug therapies.
State-Of-The-Art Technology
``...we challenge ourselves to solve new problems every day... It’s rewarding to use my critical thinking and communication skills to improve processes and systems to prevent issues from occurring.``
- Kaitlin Bova, PharmD -
Digital innovations in pharmacy include electronic prescriptions, robotics for central prescription processing and nationwide
prescription monitoring programs, as well as pharmaceutical research. These technological advances enhance efficiency and
help to promote patient safety. Pharmacists can provide innovative approaches to medication management, including recommended therapies, and
the identification and resolution of problems with the aid of state-of-the-art technology
