Table of Contents
- Pharmacy courses provide many job opportunities in the medical field
- Benefits of studying pharmacy course abroad
- Top Pharmacy courses and programs
- Admission process
- Eligibility criteria
- Top colleges for pharmacy courses
- Job opportunities for pharmacy graduates
- Work experience
- Employers
- Skills for your CV
- Further study
- Key takeaways
- FAQs
Pharmacy courses provide many job opportunities in the medical field
Pharmacy is a very competitive and diverse professional field. Pharmacists work in a variety of settings, from pharmacies to large clinics. They are an important part of the emergency services division of the health & medicine field. To study abroad and earn a pharmacy license, students must complete a two-year pre-professional (undergraduate) degree in pharmacy. Following this is a four-year (or three-year) professional program. Some foreign countries offer a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) as their main course, while others offer a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm). Some top specializations available for the aforementioned pharmacy courses include Pharmacology, Clinical Practice, Microbiology & Immunology, Drug Development, Obesity & Weight Management, Veterinary Pharmacy, and others.
In other countries, most students are drawn to the scope of pharmacy. And this should be the case given the fantastic opportunities new students have from the start of their courses. The United States and the United Kingdom are ideal locations for Pharmacy programs abroad.
Benefits of studying pharmacy course abroad
- B Pharma will assist you in becoming an important part of the healthcare system by providing medication for various illnesses.
- A bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from another country will provide you with stable employment for the rest of your life.
- Students who study B Pharmacy from abroad gain global skills and access to personal and professional opportunities.
- International pharmacy degrees can help students land high-paying jobs.
- The United States of America is the best starting point for pharmacists because it is the highest-paying country in the world.
- Most students are drawn to the scope of Pharmacy in foreign countries. The United States and the United Kingdom are the best places to study B Pharmacy.
Top Pharmacy courses and programs
- Pharmacy(MPharm)
Cardiff University
- Master in Pharmacy
Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
- Pharmacy (Pre)
North Central College
- MPharm (Pharmacy)
Swansea University
- Pharmacy – MPharm
University of Kent
- Pharmacy Program
University of Szeged
- Pharmacy (PharmD)
Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University
- Clinical Pharmacy
Cardiff University
- Bachelor’s in Pharmacy
Monash University
- Master of Clinical Pharmacy
Monash University
- Pharmacy (5 Years)
The University of Ljubljana
- Pharmacy (Pharm. D)
The University of Pécs
- BS in Pharmacy
New Vision University
- Pharmacy MPharm (Hons)
De Montfort University
- Pharmacy Assistant program
International Career Institute
- Graduate Diploma in Pharmacy Practice
Monash University
- Clinical Pharmacy
Cardiff University
- MPharm Pharmacy (Hons)
University of Portsmouth
- Pharmacy with a Foundation Year – MPharm
The University of Kent
- Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy (Ph.D.)
Cardiff University
Admission process
Bachelor of Pharmacy is for those who want to work in medicine and help people. Examine the college’s requirements and the exams you must pass as required by the college. Interested candidates should decide which country they want to study pharmacy in and then take the appropriate exams. Colleges in other countries accept TOEFL, IELTS, PT, and other exams.
Eligibility criteria
- Candidates must have passed the 12th grade or should have completed high school graduation with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as their main subjects.
- The candidate must have obtained a minimum of 50% in the 10 + 2 examinations.
- Candidates must perform well on standardized tests such as the SAT.
- Language proficiency tests, such as the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE, are also required.
Top colleges for pharmacy courses
College Name | Average Annual Fees (USD) |
University of Oxford | 41599.14 |
Monash University | 26819.21 |
Harvard University | 43483.33 |
University of Toronto | 34270.35 |
University of Cambridge | 31407.35 |
University of Nottingham | 112684.72 |
University of California, San Francisco | 39347.89 |
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | 15232.62 |
University of Manchester | 28544.35 |
Job opportunities for pharmacy graduates
Jobs directly related to your degree include
- Community pharmacist
- Hospital pharmacist
- Research scientist (medical)
Jobs where your degree would be helpful include
- Clinical research associate
- Higher education lecturer
- Medical sales representative
- Medical science liaison
- Pharmacologist
- Physician associate
- Product/process development scientist
- Regulatory affairs officer
- Research scientist (life sciences)
- Science writer
- Toxicologist
Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any pharmacy major, so don’t limit your search to the positions listed above.
Work experience
- It’s essential to gain relevant work experience to demonstrate to potential employers that you’re enthusiastic and capable of applying the skills you’ve learned in our course to the workplace.
- Most retail chains offer six to eight-week summer placement programs in community pharmacies. Some employers will use these programs to find pre-registration trainees.
- You can gain experience in a hospital pharmacy, though this may be unpaid work shadowing that lasts a few days to a few weeks.
- Depending on your areas of interest, there may also be opportunities to get a placement in a pharmaceutical company.
- Experience in a retail setting or volunteer work in a healthcare setting will allow you to develop valuable skills, such as customer or patient care, and expand your knowledge of over-the-counter medications.
Employers
Most community pharmacists in the United Kingdom work in large retail chains or small independent pharmacies. Others work for small or medium-sized chain stores, GP surgeries, or health care facilities.
A vast majority of hospital pharmacists work for NHS hospitals. Working for private hospitals is also an option.
Qualified pharmacists can work as locum (temporary replacement) pharmacists independently or through an agency.
Pharmacy graduates are also employed in the industry by private sector organizations such as pharmaceutical companies and food and beverage companies in areas such as R&D, quality assurance, marketing, sales, and management.
Other types of employers include
- The armed forces
- Veterinary pharmacy practices – You can work as a veterinary pharmacist for specialist practices, university veterinary schools, the pharmaceutical industry, and government departments and agencies such as the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
Skills for your CV
Studying pharmacy allows you to gain skills specific to the role of a pharmacist, such as
- Knowledge of facts and theories concerning the discovery, design, development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceuticals.
- Knowledge of drug properties and clinical applications.
- Ability to communicate effectively with patients and other health professionals about how patients react to their medications.
- Pharmacy-specific scientific documentation creation.
- Pharmaceutical instrumentation operation.
- Knowledge of the law and ethical concerns regarding medicine supply.
- Medicine analysis, understanding of individual patient care, and public health issues.
- You also gain various skills that appeal to employers in other industries.
These are some examples
Interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork abilities, numerical ability and computation, critical evaluation, research skills, problem-solving abilities, commercial consciousness, the ability to think clearly and methodically, and time management and organizational abilities.
Further study
Only a small percentage of pharmacy graduates continue their education immediately after graduation. It happens because a pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not required to practice as a pharmacist and is rarely beneficial when applying for jobs in the profession.
Graduates of pharmacy who want to work in scientific research and development can pursue an MSc or Ph.D. in fields like pharmacy, prescribing, and drug discovery and development, as well as biomedical or chemical sciences.
Graduates pursuing careers outside of pharmacy may enroll in a relevant vocational or postgraduate course to broaden their skills and knowledge in other areas.
Key takeaways
- Pharmacy as a work and study field is competitive and diverse. Pharmacists can work in various professional settings, from pharmacies to large clinics. They are an essential part of the emergency services division of the health & medicine field.
- Check the college’s requirements and the exams you must pass as required by the college. If you are interested in Pharmacy, you should decide which country you want to study in and then take the appropriate exams.
- Pharmacy graduates who wish to work in the scientific research and development sector can pursue an MSc or Ph.D. in pharmacy, prescribing, drug discovery and development, and biomedical or chemical sciences.
Did you find this blog informative? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Click here to contact us for more information on the scope of the pharmacy course. We would be happy to assist you with your queries.
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FAQs
Q1. Which course is best for starting a career in pharmacy?
Ans- A bachelor’s degree in pharmacy can be a great way to start working in a pharmacy or clinic. A master’s degree can help students land more lucrative and advanced positions in this field.
Q2. Is pharmacy difficult to study?
Ans- Pharmacy is not a difficult course compared to many others. A B. pharmacy license is not difficult to obtain.
Q3. Which pharmacy course is best after the 12th?
Ans- After the 12th, several pharmacy courses are available, the most popular of which is B Pharma or B Pharmacy. Students must complete their 12th grade with the Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Mathematics group to be admitted to pharmacy programs after graduation.