Bobaas Beroepe
Listen to what pharmacy entails
Article on Pharmacists
Pharmacy is one of four professions in the healthcare sector and is regarded as a scarce skill. In spite of the challenges the pharmaceutical industry contended with recently, there is still an urgent and growing need for new medicine, the production and dispensing of medicine and the health services provided by pharmacists.
The pharmacy is often the first place people go to for advice about health issues and medicine, because not everyone can afford to go to a doctor. Being a pharmacist therefore requires people skills along with the ability to provide professional advice. In short, a pharmacist provides a professional, people-oriented service.
In order to become a pharmacist, candidates must complete an academic programme of four years to obtain a BPharm degree. The main subjects include Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy. Candidates must also complete a one-year internship at a community or hospital pharmacy or in the pharmaceutical industry.
The admission requirements for a BPharm degree are strict and include Grade 12 with university exemption, Mathematics and Physical Sciences on Level 4 and an admission score of at least 26. The different universities have their own additional requirements, which may include psychometric testing. The North-West University (Potchefstroom campus) and the University of the Witwatersrand are the only universities that offer a degree in pharmacy.
The demand for pharmacists in South Africa guarantees attractive remuneration packages and employment opportunities for successful candidates. There are also several career possibilities in the pharmaceutical industry. If you qualify as a pharmacist, you can specialise in one of the following fields:
· Community pharmacy
Pharmacists work in private pharmacies or pharmacies that are part of a pharmacy chain.
· Hospital pharmacy
Pharmacists work in hospitals and render services to hospital patients and outpatients.
· Consultation pharmacy
Pharmacists are involved in developing new healthcare strategies that focus on preventative healthcare.
· Industrial pharmacy
There are numerous career options in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, for example, research on and the development of new medicinal drugs or dosing methods; supervision of the manufacturing process of medicine; quality control of medicine; the marketing and distribution of medicine; clinical trials; and the registration of medicinal drugs at the Medicines Control Council.
· South African Medicines Control Council (MCC)
Pharmacists assist with evaluating applications for the registration of new medicines, or inspect medicine manufacturers to ensure that good-quality medicines are produced.
· Academia
A postgraduate degree is required for certain academic positions. A master’s degree and a doctor’s degree can be obtained in any of the main fields of Pharmacy.
Thought for the week:
“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases”. Ps. 103:2-3
Quotation for the week:
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau
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