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Pharmacy Director - Career Profile |
Career OverviewMost pharmacies have pharmacy directors, whether they are store-based pharmacies or whether they are hospital-based. The pharmacy director is typically an experienced pharmacist with advanced training and an aptitude for management.
The pharmacy director oversees the daily running of the pharmacy and ensures that the goals of the institution are met. They monitor the performance of staff and have a supervisory role in the maintenance of stock and other essential tasks.
The director also establishes long-term goals for the pharmacy. They develop and implement strategies and establishes policies and procedures in collaboration with managers and senior pharmacists within the institution. They oversee the operations of the pharmacy and generally service provided to customers, in some cases, with the help of pharmacy managers, who have designated responsibilities to manage a particular aspect or key operational area of the pharmacy service.
Most pharmacies provide clinical services that amount to a level of patient care. The director of the pharmacy oversees policies and protocols to ensure that the patient enjoys the best possible level of care by the pharmacy staff. Important procedures include the review and adherence to dosing protocols. Pharmacists must collaborate to some degree with other medical personnel to determine the best level of dosage for a patient given their particular condition.
Depending on the type of pharmacy, there may also be a range of other aspects to the patient care provided by the pharmacists. It may include, if the pharmacy is within a hospital, direct interaction with patients who are staying at the hospital as in-patients and receiving medication such as IV-drips and forms of dialysis treatment with which the pharmacist may assist, preparing the appropriate medications.
Depending on the nature of the pharmacy, the pharmacy director may review specialist policies for treatment of patients. If the pharmacy is within a hospital, clinical pharmacists may assist in the departments, in critical care, surgery, oncology, and cardiology. If the pharmacy is commercial, a local store or based in a department store, the director may coordinate free clinic ventures or discounts for general over-the-counter medications.
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Career RequirementsAll pharmacy directors must begin their career as pharmacists. Pharmacists must graduate fro an accredited training program and be licensed to practice. The most basic prerequisite to enter into an accredited training program is a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Pharmacy programs award the qualification, Doctor of Pharmacy, abbreviated as Pharm.D. To receive this qualification, individuals must train for at least six years after high school.
At least two years of college study is required for admittance into many pharmacy programs and candidates are required to have some advanced knowledge of physiology, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, anatomy, physics, and mathematics. An additional phase of study takes place at a college of pharmacy, where students are taught to work with natural drugs and synthetic drugs, and to understand the effects of drug dosage.
At colleges of pharmacy, students are also introduced to aspects of the practice of pharmacy, including social, psychological, administrative, and professional aspects.
To become a pharmacy director, advanced training is sometimes considered necessary in business and business management aspects. This training is typically undertaken on-the-job, but a background in pharmacy and business education would also qualify an individual for the position.
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Job OutlookThe demand for pharmacy directors may increase as the demand for pharmacists increases over the next ten years. The job outlook is positive because the elderly population of the United States, one of the fastest-growing population segments, is also one of the largest consumers of pharmaceuticals.
As the need for pharmacists increases, more pharmacy directors may be needed to oversee activities and deliver the managerial leadership required for efficiency.
Pharmacists with advanced training, including Master's of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are eligible for advancement as administrators, so many director pharmacy jobs by go to pharmacists who are already employed by the institution in which there is a vacancy, although there are also opportunities for those applying directly, who have relevant qualifications and experience.
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Career TrackMost pharmacy directors begin their careers as general pharmacists. They train as pharmacists and enter the work place, typically in an entry-level pharmacist job. They may have advanced education, including master or doctorate degrees in subjects related to pharmacology, which tends to fast-track career advancement for pharmacy directors.
Promotion as a pharmacy director is rare, as the position is amongst the most superior in the industry, but it may consist of transfer to a large pharmacy facility from a small one.
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CompensationPharmacy directors generally receive pay above that received by pharmacists. Although compensation for pharmacy directors varies across the field, most earn between $80,000 and $120,000 per year.
Earning are high in most cases, because pharmacists are sometimes required to work long hours during the week, and be flexible to work nights, weekends, and holidays as required.
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