Pharmacy School

A pharmacy school is accredited to award various degrees in the study of pharmaceutical sciences to graduates who successfully complete their demanding and challenging programs. These institutions are located throughout the United States and some offer courses online in addition to their on-campus classes. While degree requirements and program emphases vary from one institution to the next, most offer either the graduate level PhD and/or the PharmD degree. Typically, earning a PhD degree from pharmacy schools will prepare a student to work directly with patients as a pharmacist in a hospital, clinic, or retail setting. These professionals are in direct contact with patients. The PharmD degree is oriented more toward the research and development end of pharmaceutics, ideal for people who want to develop and test new drugs. Master of Science (MS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences are also offered at many colleges and universities. These degrees are best for students who wish to work in research or plan to pursue further education at the PhD or PharmD level.

Admission to these institutions is highly competitive. Admission representatives for pharmacy schools expect that applicants will have a thorough knowledge of the profession, including its current and future role. Ideally, the pharmacy school applicant will have some work experience in a health care setting. As a person might expect, the coursework is quite rigorous. Students will take courses in both laboratory and classroom settings. The courses may be highly specialized depending on the focus of the program. Students should show an interest in and mastery of all math and science courses available at the high school and undergraduate level. Some institutions offer a two-year pre-pharmacy program as preparation for entrance to their graduate level programs.

There are many great benefits and opportunities associated with this field of study. The employment outlook for people who have successfully graduated from a pharmacy school is extremely bright. The field is likely to evolve a great deal as changes in our country's demographics, needs, and health care legislation becomes more pronounced. Instead of patient care and research, some students with degrees from pharmacy schools follow lucrative career paths in pharmaceutical sales.

Although typically not offered by major educational institutions, many vocational and technical schools offer one- to two-year programs designed to train pharmacy assistants and technicians. These programs provide students the skills necessary to work in this setting with licensed pharmacists, and assist in providing health care and medications to patients. Some of these degrees or certificates can be earned online through distance learning programs that may or may not be provided by pharmacy schools. Such a program could be ideal for students who are considering a career in pharmaceutics but are not yet ready to commit to years of training at a pharmacy school. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7)

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