Pharmacy Career Options (Part I) PDF

Pharmacy Career Options (Part I) Prepared by Dr. Farah K. Alhomoud 1  The lecture outlines 1) The different types of career choices available for pharmacy students 2) The definition of each type. 3) what are the requirements that the phar...

Pharmacy Career Options (Part I) Prepared by Dr. Farah K. Alhomoud 1  The lecture outlines 1) The different types of career choices available for pharmacy students 2) The definition of each type. 3) what are the requirements that the pharmacist need to fill full this position. 4) What service they are providing. 2 Retail pharmacy (Community pharmacy) 3  Most commonly pharmacists are placed behind the counter of a pharmacy store (e.g. dispensing medicines and advising members of the public). However, pharmacy careers are in fact available in many different places. Popular pharmacy careers include: Retail pharmacy (Community pharmacy/outpatient pharmacy): It is a pharmacy acting as a retail store, selling drugs to community patients. Community pharmacists are in close contact with community patients with no need for reservation. 4 Type of retail pharmacies available for pharmacists: Independent Supermarket or Pharmacy pharmacies stores pharmacies chains 5  What does a retail pharmacist do?  Retail pharmacists provide general healthcare advice and supply prescription and non- prescription medication to the public in general.  Providing advice about health issues, symptoms and medications in response to customer enquiries.  Ordering, selling or dispensing medicines and other stock.  Meeting medical representatives. 6  Qualifications and training required: 1. Graduate degree from an accredited pharmacy college. 2. Valid state pharmacist license issued by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS). 3. Current BLS for Healthcare Provider CPR or CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer certification upon hire. 4. Preferably, relevant experience gained in any retail area involving contact with customers or the general public. 7  Key skills for retail pharmacists: 2) Excellent interpersonal 1) Attentiveness skills 3) Responsibility 4) Organizational skills 6) Verbal communication 5) Confidence skills 7) Commercial awareness 8  What community pharmacists do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq22sx60EDU 9 Pharmacy careers in hospitals 10  Hospital pharmacy It is a department within a hospital that prepares, compounds, stocks and dispenses mainly inpatient medications as well as outpatient medications. 11 Type of hospital pharmacies available for pharmacists: Out-Patient In-Patient Pharmacies Pharmacies (Internal Pharmacies) E.G. Refill Pharmacy E.G. ER Pharmacy Main Hospital Inpatient Pharmacy. Intensive Care Internal Pharmacy 12  What does a hospital pharmacist do?  Serves patients by dispensing and preparing medications by compounding, packaging, and labeling.  Counseling patients on drug therapies.  Monitoring patients’ drug therapies.  Giving information to multidisciplinary healthcare team.  Develops hospital staff’s pharmacological knowledge by participating in training pharmacy staff, students, interns, externs, residents, and health care professionals. 13  Qualifications and training required: 1. Graduate degree from an accredited pharmacy college. 2. Valid state pharmacist license issued by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS). 3. Current BLS for Healthcare Provider CPR or CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer certification upon hire. 4. Preferably, relevant experience in hospital pharmacy. 14  Key skills for hospital pharmacists: 1) Analyzing information 2) Administering medication 3) Verbal communication 4) Quality focus 5) Attention to details. 6) FDA health regulations 7) Legal compliance 15  What hospital pharmacists do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Nzmd7oZlM 16 Pharmacy careers in research 17  A research pharmacy organisation It is an establishment founded for doing research. Research-based pharmacy careers are available in a range of different organizations, including; 18 Type of research centers available for pharmacists: Pharmaceutical Research Universities Hospitals companies centers or, industries 19  What does a researcher pharmacist do? (Types of Pharmacy Research) Pharmaceutical research: It includes the development and testing of new drug dosage forms and drug preparation and administration methods and systems. Clinical research: It includes the therapeutic evaluation, comparison, and outcomes of drug therapy in healthcare settings. Health services research and development: It includes behavioral and socioeconomic research such as research on cost–benefit issues in pharmaceutical care. 20  Qualifications and training required: 1. Postgraduate degree from an accredited pharmacy college (Mainly PhD) 2. Qualifications often include prior clinical experience. 3. Additionally, relevant experience in pharmacy research (e.g. how to design clinical tests and working in lab settings) 21  Key skills for research pharmacists: 2) Passion to search for new 1) Creativity knowledge 3) Keep abreast of scientific 4) Ability to work and clinical literature independently 5) Excellent time- 6) Ability to ask questions. management skills 7) Strong written and verbal communication skills. 22  3) What does pharmaceutical Scientist do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOMZWZu_1rQ 23 Pharmacy careers in legal compliance (Saudi FDA) 24  4) What does A regulatory affairs officer pharmacist do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGQ2eQNUDvU 25  A regulatory affairs officer pharmacist  You will combine your scientific knowledge with legal and business skills.  You will be responsible to ensure the safety and efficacy of different types of drugs and medical products.  You will be responsible for product licensing and legal compliance of pharmaceuticals.  Your have to make sure that new and existing medical products meet legal and scientific requirements, contributing to public safety. 26 DONE 27 Pharmacy Career Options (Part II) Prepared by Dr. Farah K. Alhomoud 1  The lecture outlines 1) The different types of career choices available for pharmacy students 2) The definition of each type. 3) What service they are providing. 4) what are the requirements that the pharmacist need to fill full this position. 2 Pharmacy careers Industrial in industries pharmacist 3  An industrial Pharmacist will be ……..  Manufacturing medicines (e.g. starting from the initial design, quality control, to public launch and sales & marketing),  Using the latest technologies, processes and methods to develop new medicines for patients (research and development),  Conducting research to develop and improve pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related chemical products. 4 Type of industrial centers available for pharmacists: laboratories 5 What does a pharmacist in industry do?  Formulation  Manufacturing  Clinical trials  Regulation and medical affairs  Quality assurance  Sales and Marketing 6  Qualifications and training required: 1) You need a bachelor degree in pharmacy or pharmaceutical science to work as an industrial pharmacist. 2) Preferably, completion of postgraduate studies. 3) Training, practical lab experiences and being aware of the regulations and standards that apply to the industry. 7  Key skills for industrial pharmacists: 1) Strong communication skills: to interact with their colleagues and other administrators. 2) Critical thinking skills: Industrial pharmacists use their critical thinking skills throughout their drug-related research. 3) Analytical skills: To oversee various drug trials and the production process for new drugs and to analyze their results to determine the next step. 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt7OPvWJXqg 9 Pharmacy careers in academia 10  Academic Pharmacists They are mainly full-time faculty members or scholar in an educational institute (e.g. universities, colleges or other institute of higher education). 11   Fulfilling administrative duties (e.g. course directing, leading committees, managing a team of individuals What does an academic do? in academic leadership positions,  Teaching students or other fellows,  Conducting assessments,  Training of the future generations of pharmacists (students),  Supervising and peer-reviewing research,  Conducting research,  Publishing research,  Advising or mentoring students. 12  Qualifications and training required: 1. B-Pharm or PharmD (i.e. demonstrators), a master MSc (i.e. lecturer), or a PhD’s degree (i.e. assistant professor) in a relevant field. 2. Many academics build their instruction around personal experiences and examples, so those pharmacists who have experience in the field will have better odds at success in the classroom. 13  Key skills for academics: 1) Strong communication skills, to interact with student pharmacists, patients, other faculties and other healthcare professionals. 2) Good academics share best practices and willing to share knowledge and experiences with others. 3) A Lifelong learners. Key skills is a dedication to continued education and a love of learning 4) Others include: good listener, engaging, independent, self-motivated, and collaborative. 14 A medical representative 15  A medical representative  A medical representative's job is to promote and sell their company's products, whether that's pharmaceutical drugs or medical equipment.  They are the key point of contact between pharmaceutical and medical companies and healthcare professionals.  Customers can include doctors, nurses and pharmacists, etc.  The medical representative will increase product awareness, answer queries, provide advice and 16 introduce new products.  Type of companies available for pharmacists: National pharmaceutical International pharmaceutical companies companies 17  What does a medical representative do?  Organizing appointments and meetings with community- and hospital-based healthcare staff,  Demonstrating or presenting products to healthcare staff,  Meeting both the business and scientific needs of healthcare professionals,  Attending and organizing trade exhibitions, conferences and meetings, 18  Reviewing sales performance (1st).  Qualifications and training required: You need a bachelor degree in pharmacy to work as a medical rep. 19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJwPOkRk0mM 20  Key skills for medical representatives: 1) Commercial awareness 2) Presentation skills. 3) Resilience and flexibility. 4) The ability to negotiate and collaborate. 5) Strong interpersonal and communication skills. 6) Organizational skills. 21 In-class activity 22 DONE 23 Pharmacy Education Dr. Faten Alhomoud, BSc, MSc, PhD. Associate Professor at Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, IAU. Email: [email protected]  Outline General definitions Types of pharmacy 01 04 education Types of pharmacy Duties of departments and 02 pharmacists 05 modules Historical perspective of 03 pharmacy colleges in KSA Pharmacy as a profession Pharmacy is an occupation or career that required specialized education, ongoing training, and knowledge in the pharmacy field to be able to discover, produce, prepare, dispense medications and provide drug-related information to the healthcare providers and public. Pharmacy as a place It is the place where medicines are compounded and dispensed. It is also called "drugstore" in American English or "community pharmacy" or "chemist" in Commonwealth English. The differences between chain pharmacies and independent pharmacies Chain (retail) pharmacy Independent pharmacy Ownership & Scale Part of a larger, often Privately owned, usually by national, corporation. a local pharmacist or a small group of owners. Customer Experience These pharmacies may feel Generally offers more more impersonal due to high personalized service. You number of customers. may develop a direct However, they often offer relationship with the excellent services like apps, pharmacist, who can reward programs, and provide tailored advice and online refills. attention. The differences between chain pharmacies and independent pharmacies Chain (retail) pharmacy Independent pharmacy Pricing Chain pharmacies may offer Prices can vary, and they lower prices for some may be higher for some products. They are also items. more likely to accept various insurance and have discounts. Location & Accessibility Many operate 24 hours and Their hours and number of have multiple locations, locations are more limited. making them easily They typically serve a accessible. specific community or region. Examples Walgreens (USA), Walmart (USA), Boots (UK), Super drug (UK), Nahdi (KSA), Dawaa (KSA) Pharmacist (druggist) Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who have had advanced education and training in clinical and pharmaceutical sciences. Pharmacist is the person who is licensed to prepare and dispense drug. Licensed means being granted permission by a government agency to engage in an occupation. "Pharmacist is the drug expert "  Duties of the pharmacist Dispensing Medications: Pharmacists are responsible for accurately dispensing prescribed medications, verifying the correct dosage. Checking for Drug Interactions and Monitoring Adverse Effects: Pharmacists must check for potential drug interactions, allergies, and contraindications. Patient Counseling and Education: Pharmacists explain how to properly use medications, including how often to take them, potential side effects, and any https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4V special instructions (e.g., whether to take E7aOz6lQ with food or water).  Duties of the pharmacist OTC Guidance: Pharmacists advise customers on the appropriate use of over-the-counter medications, supplements, and other health products. Compounding Medications: For specialized treatments (such as children requiring lower doses or patients with allergies to certain ingredients). Health Advice: They provide advice on general health matters, such as managing chronic conditions (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4V diabetes, hypertension), lifestyle E7aOz6lQ changes.  Duties of the pharmacist Working with Doctors and Nurses: Pharmacists frequently communicate with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Administering Vaccines and Immunizations: Many pharmacists are trained to administer vaccines, including flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and travel-related immunizations.  Duties of the pharmacist Inventory Management: Pharmacists are responsible for managing the inventory of medications, ensuring that stock levels are appropriate and that expired drugs are removed from shelves. Supervising Pharmacy Technicians: They oversee pharmacy technicians and other staff, ensuring proper workflows, customer service, and compliance with regulations. Providing Health Screenings: Pharmacists may offer health screenings such as blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol testing, and blood glucose testing.  Historical perspective Since the establishment of the first pharmacy college in Riyadh (King Saud University) in 1959, pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia progressed gradually and slowly. A dramatic transformation had occurred by the beginning of the twenty first century started with establishing three pharmacy colleges (King Abdulaziz University, 2001), (King Khalid University, 2001), and (King Faisal University, 2002).  Historical perspective Currently, there are 21 governmental and 9 private pharmacy colleges in Saudi Arabia, offering a degree in pharmacy. Nineteen pharmacy colleges offer the Pharm.D. degree, 6 pharmacy colleges offer the B.Pharm. degree, and 5 pharmacy colleges offer both the Pharm.D. and the B.Pharm. Degrees.  Pharmacy education In Saudi Arabia, pharmacists must be licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) before they can practice pharmacy and must follow the board of pharmacy regulations as they practice. Pharmacists are required to earn a bachelor degree from a college in pharmacy to take the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Examination (SPLE) to be a licensed pharmacist. The first professional college degree that pharmacists graduating today usually earns is a bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) or a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD). Pharmacy education cont. BPharm students who wish to acquire the PharmD degree can apply to study which will take them three years on a part time basis or two years full time to earn a pharmD degree.  Pharmacy education cont. PharmD BPharm 1. Pharm.D. program is rich in pharmacy 1. B.Pharm. Program focuses on practice and clinically-oriented didactic pharmaceutical sciences courses such as courses like therapeutics, pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, care, and medication therapy pharmaceutics, and pharmacognosy with management. little emphasis on pharmacy practice or clinical courses. 2. Pharm.D. curriculum consists of six 2. B. Pharm. curriculum consists of five academic years. During the sixth year academic years. (internship) of the Pharm.D. Students are exposed to real-world scenarios. Postgraduate education and training Many pharmacists have also completed two- or three-year postgraduate training programs called residences. Residencies provide the opportunity to gain clinical experience, usually in hospital, ambulatory, or community setting, after earning a bachelor degree. PGY1 provides the resident with opportunity to develop skills, competencies, and professional expertise in all aspects of pharmacy practice in different settings (e.g., inpatient pharmacy, sterile preparation, drug information, medication safety, etc.)  Postgraduate education and training cont. PGY2 provides the resident with the opportunity to develop skills, competencies, and professional expertise in hospital pharmacy practice, with emphasis on pharmaceutical care in different areas (Critical care, cardiology, infectious disease, organ transplant, paediatric, oncology, etc.). PGY3 provides the resident with the opportunity to develop skills, competencies, and professional expertise in hospital pharmacy practice, with special emphasis on pharmaceutical care in one focused specialized area of practice only such as Cardiology. Fellowships usually two to three years long, also provides postgraduate training but focus on pharmacy research rather than clinical pharmacy practice.  Postgraduate education and training cont. Other pharmacists have also completed one- or two-year postgraduate education programs called Master of science (MSc) or Master of Philosophy (Mphill). An MSc is primarily a taught Masters degree, with lecturer-led lessons, seminars and laboratory work and exams, assignments and a research project. An MPhil, on the other hand, doesn’t involve any teaching – the entire qualification is made up of an independent research project. Both MSc / MPhil programmes are excellent preparation for a PhD. However, an MPhil is much closer to a PhD than a typical MSc degree. Indeed, most PhDs involve an MPhil upgrade one year in. Postgraduate education and training cont. After the master degree, students can take a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. A PhD is the highest possible academic degree a student can obtain. Students typically pursue a PhD when they're interested in an academic or research career—or if they want to take their education as far as it can go. PhD is an academic degree that combines general knowledge of a field with specific mastery of an area of subtopic within that field.  Criteria for The personal interview. Selecting Letters of recommendation. Pharmacy-related work experience. candidates for The candidate’s personal statement. The reputation of the college of pharmacy attended. postgraduate Publications and conference attended. studies or training Pre-pharmacy or undergraduate grades.  Pharmacy departments & modules 01 03 05 02 04 Pharmacutical Clinical pharmacy Pharmaceutics chemistry Pharmacognosy practice Pharmacology What is a drug? Drug is an entity which can be natural or synthetic substance that alters the physiological state of a living organism. Pharmacutical chemistry Pharmaceutical chemistry is a scientific discipline that is concerned with design, syntheses, structure, activity and analyses of new synthetic chemical compounds to obtain useful and effective drugs with low side effects. Pharmacognosy (phytochemistry) Pharmacognosy is a scientific discipline that is concerned with identification and analyses the active substances derived from natural sources such as plants (e.g., morphine, atropine), animals (insulin, heparin), and other microorganisms (penicillin) to obtain safe and effective drugs. Pharmaceutics Pharmaceutics is the scientific discipline that is concerned with formulating, manufacturing, and packaging of pharmaceutical dosage forms. Key areas of pharmaceutics includes Drug Formulation (creating tablets, capsules, liquids, creams, injectable, etc.), Drug Delivery Systems: Designing methods to deliver drugs to the body efficiently and effectively.  Pharmacology Pharmacology is the scientific discipline that is concerned with studying the effect of the drugs (beneficial or harmful) on various living systems such as (molecule, cells, tissues, organism) to know their uses, and adverse reactions. It also studies drug’s absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of a drug.  Pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy Clinical pharmacy practice is the scientific discipline that is dealing with various aspects of patient care such as: Patient education and counselling, drug selection, dispensing, treatment monitoring, rational drug use. Dosage calculation depending on pharmacokinetic parameters. Interpretation of laboratory tests and physical assessment used to evaluate: Drug response, adverse effects. References 1. Badreldin HA, Sara Alosaimy S, Al-jedai A. Clinical pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia: Historical evolution and future perspective. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2020; 3:920–929. Acknowledgment I would like to thank Dr. Farah Alhomoud for helping in preparing some of the slides scientific content. Dr. Faten Alhomoud