Careers in Pharmacy

Imagine caring about your fellow human being and getting a real buzz from solving patients’ problems. Imagine yourself in a career that enables you to interact with patients and physicians and use your knowledge in a professional healthcare setting. If this is what you have always dreamt of, consider yourself in one of the careers in pharmacy. The role of members of this profession has expanded extensively in recent years, making it a profession with a high number of diverse employment opportunities. This diversity is one of its chief strengths. Pharmacy career options includes preventive medicine, wellness programmes, patient education, technical writing or editing, retail or chain community pharmacy ownership or management, pharmacy practice within hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, neighborhood health centres, health maintenance organisations, managed care pharmacies, government service, research, sales, administration or marketing. A pharmacist serves patients and the community by providing information and advice on health, providing medications and associated services, and by referring patients to other sources of help and care, when necessary. They are also engaged in the preparation, dispensing and appropriate use of medication, resulting in the desired therapeutic outcomes. Pharmacists have to learn about the chemistry, evolution and procedures involved in the development, preparation and administration of drugs. This knowledge allows them to be experts in understanding the effects and the use of drugs in preventing and treating diseases. Community Pharmacy is an area of pharmacy that every member of the public is likely to have exposure to. Everyone knows what it is like to be able to drop in to consult your local pharmacy and receive counselling on how to use medicines in safe and appropriate ways. Pharmacists also work alongside specialists, doctors, nurses and patients in clinical areas. One of the roles that they can take on is in the supervision of the dispensing of the heroin substitute methadone and helping a patient’s recovery from drug addiction. Pharmacists can choose to take their skills on into management or a clinical specialism, eventually becoming a consultant. There are also various posts within the civil service for pharmacists including many scientific and administration posts.  They can also work for Government bodies set up to help protect public health. In this job their role is to ensure that medicines submitted by drug companies are safe, effective and of a high quality before they can be marketed and sold to the public.

Academic pharmacists enjoy exciting careers in universities and research institutes and are involved in a huge variety of exciting roles, often working on their own initiative. As a research pharmacist, you will enjoy a rewarding and satisfying career, knowing that your work is helping improve countless lives.

In order to become a pharmacist, you must undergo studies which will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective client care upon graduation. This is one of the programmes offered at the International Medical University (IMU), Malaysia’s first and most established private medical and healthcare university founded 21 years ago.