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发信人: myosotis (阿金), 信区: AdvancedEdu
标 题: 98-99 ocupational outlook/Pharmacists
发信站: BBS 水木清华站 (Mon Apr 6 22:31:08 1998)
Significant points
Pharmacists are stepping beyond the traditional delivery of
prescriptions to become more involved in drug therapy
decision-making and patient counseling.
Earnings are very high, but some pharmacists work long
hours.
* Nature of the Work
Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and
other health practitioners and provide information to
patients about medications and their use. They advise
physicians and other health practitioners on the selection,
dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Pharmacists must understand the use, composition, and
effects of drugs. Compounding ingredients to form
powders, tablets, capsules, ointments,
and solutions practice, because most medicines are
produced by
pharmaceutical companies in a standard dosage and form.
Pharmacists in community (retail) pharmacies counsel
patients, as well as answer questions about prescription
drugs, such as possible adverse reactions and interactions.
They provide information about over-the-counter drugs and
make recommendations after asking a series of health
questions, such as whether the customer is taking any other
medications. They also give advice about durable medical
equipment and home health care supplies. Those who own or
manage community pharmacies may buy and sell
nonhealth-related merchandise, hire and supervise personnel,
and oversee the general operation of the pharmacy. Some
community pharmacists offer specialized disease state
management services for conditions such as diabetes, asthma,
smoking cessation or high blood pressure.
Pharmacists in hospitals and clinics dispense medications
and advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of
drugs. They may make sterile solutions and buy medical
supplies. They also assess, plan, and monitor drug regimens.
They counsel patients on the use of drugs while in the
hospital, and on their use at home when they are discharged.
Pharmacists may also evaluate drug use patterns and outcomes
in the hospital or in a patient population.
Pharmacists who work in home health care prepare infusions
(solutions that are injected into patients) and other
medications for use in the home, and monitor drug therapy.
Most pharmacists keep computerized records of patients' drug
therapies to ensure that harmful drug interactions do not
occur. They frequently teach pharmacy students serving as
externs in preparation for graduation and licensure.
Some pharmacists specialize in specific areas, such as drugs
for psychiatric disorders, intravenous nutrition support,
oncology, nuclear pharmacy, or pharmacotherapy.
* Working Conditions
Pharmacists usually work in clean, well-lighted, and
well-ventilated areas. Many pharmacists spend most of their
time on their feet. When working with sterile or potentially
dangerous pharmaceutical products, pharmacists wear gloves
and masks and work with special protective equipment. Many
community and hospital pharmacies are open extended hours or
around the clock, so pharmacists may work evenings, nights,
weekends, and holidays. Consultant pharmacists may travel to
nursing homes or other facilities to monitor people's drug
therapy.
About 1 out of 5 pharmacists worked part time in 1996. Most
full-time salaried pharmacists worked about 40 hours a week.
Some, including most self-employed pharmacists, worked more
than 50 hours a week.
* Employment
Pharmacists held about 172,000 jobs in 1996. About 3 out of
5 worked in community pharmacies, either independently
owned, part of a drug store chain, or part of a grocery
store, department store, or mass merchandiser. Most
community pharmacists were salaried employees, but some were
self employed owners. About one-quarter worked in hospitals,
and others worked in clinics, mail-order pharmacies,
pharmaceutical wholesalers, home health care agencies, or
the Federal Government.
Some pharmacists hold more than one job. They may work a
standard week in their primary work setting, and also work
part time elsewhere.
* Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
A license to practice pharmacy is required in all States,
the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. To obtain a
license, one must graduate from an accredited college of
pharmacy, pass a State examination, and serve an internship
under a licensed pharmacist. Most States grant a license
without extensive reexamination to qualified pharmacists
already licensed by another State3/4check with State boards
of pharmacy for details. Many pharmacists are licensed to
practice in more than one State. Most States require
continuing education for license renewal.
At least 5 years of study beyond high school are required to
graduate from programs accredited by the American Council on
Pharmaceutical Education. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in
Pharmacy, the degree received by most graduates, takes 5
years. A Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) normally requires at
least 6 years, during which an intervening bachelor's degree
is usually not awarded. Those who already hold the
bachelor's degree may enter Pharm.D. programs, but the
combined period of study is usually longer than 6 years. In
1997, 79 colleges of pharmacy conferred degrees. The number
of schools offering the Pharm.D. as the only professional
degree increased to 41, and the number offering the B.S. in
Pharmacy as the only professional degree continued to
decline, reaching 4.
Requirements for admission to colleges of pharmacy vary. A
few colleges admit students directly from high school. Most
colleges of pharmacy, however, require 1 or 2 years of
college-level prepharmacy education. Entry requirements
usually include mathematics and basic sciences, such as
chemistry, biology, and physics, as well as courses in the
humanities and social sciences. Some colleges require the
applicant to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test.
All colleges of pharmacy offer courses in pharmacy practice,
designed to teach students to dispense prescriptions,
communicate with patients and other health professionals,
and to strengthen their understanding of professional ethics
and practice management responsibilities. Pharmacists'
training increasingly emphasizes direct patient care, as
well as consultative services to other health professionals.
Recently, pharmacy schools voted to move toward offering the
Pharm.D. as the only professional degree in pharmacy.
However, some schools continue to offer the B.S. in
Pharmacy. All accredited pharmacy schools are expected to
graduate their last B.S. class by the year 2004. Either
degree currently fulfills the requirements to take the
licensure examination of a state board of pharmacy.
The bachelor's degree in pharmacy is generally acceptable
for most positions in community pharmacies, at least in the
forseeable future. A growing number of hospital employers
prefer that a pharmacist have a Pharm.D. degree. A master's
or Ph.D. degree in pharmacy or a related field usually is
required to do research, and a Pharm.D. with additional
residency or fellowship training, master's, or Ph.D. usually
is necessary for faculty positions.
In 1996-97, 60 colleges of pharmacy awarded the Master of
Science degree or the Ph.D. degree. Although a number of
pharmacy graduates interested in further training pursue an
advanced degree in pharmacy, there are other options. Some
enter 1- or 2-year residency programs or fellowships.
Pharmacy residencies are organized, directed, postgraduate
training programs in pharmacy practice. Pharmacy fellowships
are directed, highly individualized programs designed to
prepare participants to work in research laboratories.
Areas of graduate study include pharmaceutics and
pharmaceutical chemistry (physical and chemical properties
of drugs and dosage forms), pharmacology (effects of drugs
on the body), and pharmacy administration, including
pharmacoeconomics and social-behavioral aspects of patient
care.
Prospective pharmacists should have scientific aptitude,
good communication skills, and a desire to help others. They
must also be conscientious and pay close attention to
detail, because the decisions they make affect human lives.
In community pharmacies, pharmacists usually begin at the
staff level. After they gain experience and secure the
necessary capital, many become owners or part owners of
pharmacies. Pharmacists in chain drug stores may be promoted
to pharmacy supervisor or manager at the store level and
then at the district or regional level, and later to an
executive position within the chain's headquarters.
Hospital pharmacists may advance to supervisory or
administrative positions. Pharmacists in the pharmaceutical
industry may advance in marketing, sales, research, quality
control, production, packaging, and other areas.
* Job Outlook
Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow as fast as the
average for all occupations through the year 2006, due to
the increased pharmaceutical needs of a larger and older
population, and greater use of medication. Cost-conscious
insurers and health systems will continue to emphasize the
role of pharmacists in primary and preventive health
services. They realize that the expense of using medication
to treat diseases and conditions is often considerably less
than the potential costs for patients whose conditions go
untreated, and pharmacists can also play an important role
in reducing the expenses resulting from unexpected
complications due to allergic reactions or medication
interactions.
The increased number of middle aged and elderly people will
spur demand for pharmacists in all practice settings. The
number of prescriptions influences the demand for
pharmacists, and the middle aged and elderly population uses
more prescription drugs, on average, than younger people.
Other factors likely to increase the demand for pharmacists
through the year 2006 include the likelihood of scientific
advances that will make more drug products available, new
developments in administering medication, and increasingly
sophisticated consumers seeking more information about
drugs.
Employment in hospitals is expected to grow slowly, as
hospitals reduce inpatient stays, downsize, and consolidate
departments. Pharmacy services are shifting to long-term,
ambulatory, and home care settings, where opportunities for
pharmacists will be best. New opportunities for pharmacists
are emerging in managed care organizations, where
pharmacists analyze trends and patterns in medication use
for their populations of patients. Fast growth is also
expected for pharmacists employed in research, disease
management, and pharmacoeconomics benefits of different
drug therapies.
Because of efforts to control prescription drug costs,
retail pharmacies are taking steps to increase their
prescription volume to make up for declining dispensing
fees. Automation of drug dispensing and greater use of
pharmacy technicians will help them dispense more
prescriptions. The number of community pharmacists needed in
the future will depend on the expansion rate of chain drug
stores and the willingness of insurers to reimburse
pharmacists for providing clinical services to patients
taking prescription drugs. With its emphasis on cost
control, managed care has encouraged the growth of
lower-cost distributors of prescription drugs such as
mail-order firms. Slower employment growth is expected in
traditional chain and independent pharmacies.
* Earnings
Median weekly earnings of full-time, salaried pharmacists
were $992 in 1996. Half earned between $827 and $1,177. The
lowest 10 percent earned less than $554 and the top 10
percent more than $1,422.
According to a survey by Drug Topics magazine, published by
Medical Economics Inc., average base salaries of full-time,
salaried pharmacists were $59,276 per year in 1996.
Pharmacists working in chain drug stores had an average base
salary of $61,735 per year, while pharmacists working in
independent drug stores averaged $52,189, and hospital
pharmacists averaged $61,317. Overall, salaries for
pharmacists were highest in the West and second highest in
the East. Many pharmacists also receive compensation in the
form of bonuses, overtime, and profit-sharing.
* Related Occupations
Persons in other professions who may work with
pharmaceutical compounds are pharmaceutical chemists,
pharmacologists, medical scientists, and biological
technicians.
* Sources of Additional Information
For information on pharmacy as a career, preprofessional and
professional requirements, programs offered by all the
colleges of pharmacy, and student financial aid, contact:
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 1426 Prince
St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
Information on requirements for licensure in a particular
State is available from the State board of pharmacy.
Information on specific college entrance requirements,
curriculums, and financial aid is available from the dean of
any college of pharmacy.
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