Medical corpsman or military nurses have several career options available to them after the service. And one profession - Pharmacy Specialist - can give servicemembers a more comprehensive view of the medical industry.
Pharmacy is more that the stereotypical pill-dispensing role. A pharmacy specialist job can range from education and research to pharmaceutical production and consulting. Is your interest piqued? Here are pharmacy specialties that might be good for you:
- Academic Pharmacists: These specialists work in colleges of pharmacy as teachers, researchers and consultants for industry organizations.
- Ambulatory Pharmacists: And ambulatory pharmacist's responsibility is to manage patients at risk for drug-related problems, such as adverse reactions. They also supervise patients with chronic diseases, including diabetes and asthma, and those unlikely to take medication or take it as prescribed.
- Compounding Pharmacists: Compounding pharmacists prepare customized prescription medications to meet individual patient needs. They also prepare, mix, assemble, package and label drugs and devices.
- Consultant Pharmacists: Also known as long-term care pharmacists, these professionals make sure residents of extended-care facilities get the correct dose of medication at the right frequency. Consultant pharmacists also work in subacute care, psychiatric hospitals, hospice programs, and in-home and community based care.
- Critical-Care Pharmacists: These pharmacists play a major role in hospital intensive-care units, working with lifesaving drugs. They optimize each patient's drug therapy and go on rounds with doctors to ensure patients don't experience adverse reactions. They also help doctors choose the most beneficial, cost-effective medication.
- Drug Information Pharmacists: These pharmacists help hospitals answer queries about the best use of drug therapies. They also write and compile articles for scientific journals and continuing-education materials.
- Home-Care Pharmacists: Home-care pharmacists are similar to their hospital counterparts in that they prepare medications and educate patients on medication use and storage at home.
- Hospice Pharmacists: This specialty works with medications that include controlled substances prescribed for terminally ill patients. Hospice pharmacists work at hospice agencies or at pharmacies serving hospice patients.
- Industrial Pharmacists: Pharmacists in this specialty oversee all aspects of drug production for pharmaceutical companies. They can specialize in the production of a certain type of drug, such as aerosol or topical medications, tablets or capsules.
- Infectious Disease Pharmacists: These professionals work in hospitals to implement decisions regarding use of therapeutic antibiotics, monitor patients and enforce formulary restrictions on antibiotics. A formulary is a list of insurance-approved drugs and their proper dosages.
- Managed-Care Pharmacists: Within managed-care environments, such as HMOs or pharmacy-benefit management companies, these pharmacists review drug use and are involved in outcomes research, disease management, cost-analysis programs and pharmacy benefit design.
- Nuclear Pharmacists: This specialization involves the procurement, compounding, quality assurance, dispensing, distribution and development of radiopharmaceuticals. These pharmacists also monitor patient outcomes and provide information and consultation regarding health and safety issues.
- Nutrition Support Pharmacists: These pharmacists design and modify use of nutritional supplements to treat cancer patients, diabetics, pregnant women and others needing special nutrition support.
- Oncology Pharmacists: Oncology pharmacists analyze pharmaceutical aspects of cancer-care programs to ensure optimal results. They also help improve the quality and safety of chemotherapy mixtures by monitoring dosing and administration.
- Pediatric Pharmacists: This pharmacy subset specializes in medications used to treat or prevent conditions in children. Pediatric pharmacists often compound medications for specific ages and weights.
- Pharmaceutical Detailers: These professionals inform physicians about new drugs and promote ethical drug use for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
- Pharmacist Attorneys: These pharmacists possess law degrees and deal with issues pertaining to pharmacists' rights and duties. They work in various settings, including hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and corporations.
- Pharmacy Benefit Managers: These pharmacists administer prescription drug programs for insurance companies, develop and maintain formularies, contract with pharmacies and negotiate discounts and rebates with drug manufacturers.
- Poison-Control Pharmacists: Found at poison-control centers, hospitals, universities and consulting firms, these pharmacists answer emergency questions and suggest action plans regarding poisonous chemicals, hazardous toxins or harmful drug interactions.
- Psychiatric Pharmacists: These pharmacists help optimize drug treatment and care for patients with psychiatric disorders by dispensing medication, conducting patient assessments, recommending treatment plans, monitoring patient response and recognizing adverse drug reactions.
- Regulatory Pharmacists: These specialists work at state boards of pharmacy, state education departments and state departments of health.
