EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 4

CO U R S E S & C A REERS Qualifications and Training All pre-pharmacy students have to complete a preuniversity programme to be eligible for pharmacy school. It would take between three to four years to complete a Bachelor’s degree programme. Students who have completed their A-levels must possess at least 2As and a B for Chemistry and Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Pre-university students are not required to pursue any kind of speciﬁc majors as long as they have undertaken the core subjects mentioned above. Students who chose the International Baccalaureate route must pass the IB diploma with good grades in Chemistry, and at least one subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics. A Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy is usually the only requirement for any entry-level position. However, some countries such as the US and Pakistan require all pharmacists to hold a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) professional degree before they can practise. Pharm. D. programmes take four years to complete and they prepare students for all aspects of the profession, including the technical, scientiﬁc and patient-care. On top of a qualiﬁcation, graduated pharmacists often have to undergo a pre-registration programme with their respective countries’ pharmacy board before completing their housemanship at public hospitals. For instance, pharmacists in Malaysia will have to undergo a one-year programme under the supervision of the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia before they will be granted a pharmacist’s license. Some of the courses taught include Pathophysiology, Toxicology, disease treatments, Biopharmaceuticals, Pharmacy ethics and law, drug absorption rates, patient care and medicinal chemistry. Though it is not a requirement, many choose to take postgraduate training, which lasts from one to two years and enable training pharmacists to gain direct, patient-care experience in hospitals and healthcare facilities. The pharmacists may choose training specialising in drug information, emergency medicine, internal medicine, informatics, medicationuse safety, managed care pharmacy systems or pharmacotherapy, among others. Having undergone such training, these pharmacists are now more sought-after. 10 easyuni Guide 2014 Issue 4 Skills and Traits Pharmacists Need All pharmacists need strong skills in math to accurately prepare medicines and explain dosing to patients. Attention to detail is another crucial trait. Pharmacists need to accurately measure dosages and correctly label medicines, and a minor error could lead to incorrect use of medication that can endanger the lives of patients. They also need to keep detailed records to track what’s been given out and what needs to be restocked and make recommendations to doctors. Pharmacists usually multitask. They take prescriptions from patients, ﬁll them and consult with them on pick-up dates and times, and spend plenty of time on the phone with doctors and insurance providers. They also have to deal with upset or frustrated customers, so they need to be patient and tolerant, as well as possess good communication skills. When they’re with patients, they have to listen and answer all kinds of questions. With doctors, they also have to listen well and make sure they get accurate prescription information. Therefore, pharmacists have to be good at listening and talking. Fun Facts About Pharmacology And Pharmacists • Coca-Cola started off as a cough syrup made by a pharmacist in the 1800s. Back then, there were no licensing requirements to become a pharmacist. • The 3,500-year-old Ebers Papyrus, said to be the earliest recordings of pharmaceutical recommendations, were found in Egypt and had information on 800 prescriptions that mentioned 700 medications. • Of all health professionals, pharmacists have the most intensive training in chemical interactions and drugs for the prevention and treatment of disease. • Community pharmacists dispense almost two million prescriptions each year, resolving 43,800 incidents that could potentially result in serious harm. • 84 percent of all adults visit a pharmacy every year.

EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 4 | Page 12