A pharmacist is an essential member of a health care team, and once licensed, a pharmacist can pursue a variety of career paths.
Currently, a pharmacist license requires a doctorate degree from a pharmacy school, and post-graduate training may be required depending on a person’s interests and where they want to practice.
A pharmacist, in addition to having many different opportunities in health care, also plays an important role in pharmaceutics and can work in research and development. Overall, after graduating and becoming licensed, a pharmacist has a plethora of career options.
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Responsibility of a pharmacist
A pharmacist’s responsibilities revolve around ensuring the safe and effective delivery of medication. Their work day in the healthcare industry will consist of making recommendations to providers about which medication to use to treat disease states.
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They will also be involved in medication dispensing, which is more commonly associated with pharmacists. This includes ensuring that a patient’s medication is appropriate and safe, packaging the medication, and then giving the medication to either the patient or another health care member who will administer the medication. Another important aspect of a pharmacist’s job is to provide information.
This can be done through presentations to other providers or by providing individualized information to each patient.
These are typical activities for a pharmacist, but there are many who have not worked in the health care industry, and their day would be slightly different. In general, a pharmacist can expect to do the following:
- ensuring that patients’ medications are safe and effective
- Medication administration
- Giving providers drug information
- Educating patients on safe and effective drug administration
- Individualizing treatment for each patient
- Putting information from research and guidelines together and putting it into practice
Requirements of a Pharmacist
Before you apply to top pharmacy schools, you should consider why you want to be a pharmacist. For some, the answer is obvious. Others will require some serious introspection about your life and where you want to end up with your education and career. Math and science are the two most important subjects to master in pharmacy.
But that’s just the start. Pharmacists educate the general public, prescribers, and other health care, professionals. Education will almost certainly be involved in your day-to-day job duties no matter what area of pharmacy you end up in. You must be able to think critically as a pharmacist.
Applying to pharmacy school necessitates careful planning and preparation. The only image an admissions committee will have of you is the one you paint in your application materials, regardless of how brilliant you are or how badly you want to be a pharmacist.
This is not an application that can be thrown together on the spur of the moment. Years of careful planning can result in a carefully cultivated image. To complicate matters further, the application content and deadlines are not universal. Each school has its own set of requirements, and you must follow them all without missing a beat.
Fortunately, many pharmacy programs use PharmCAS, a common application platform that simplifies the administrative aspects of submitting multiple applications. The following are common elements that most schools require:
- Academic transcripts and biographical information
- Scores on the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) (80% of schools require this exam)
- Application fees for work or volunteer experience
Many schools require additional materials, such as letters of recommendation and a personal essay, in addition to these basic requirements.
If you already have a list of programs in mind, you can check their requirements on the PharmCAS website or the website of the individual program. PharmCAS will validate that your application is complete after you submit it (allow 4 weeks).
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Each pharmacy program will then review your package and notify you of the next steps. Many programs, for example, require on-site interviews as part of the student selection process.
Factors to consider when applying to a pharmacy School
When selecting a pharmacy school, there are numerous factors to consider. There is no one-size-fits-all school. You can narrow down your list of potential schools after determining which factors are most important.
The structure of the PharmD program is the most basic consideration, depending on how many years you want to study, whether you prefer full-time or part-time, when you want to start and finish school, and even the option for more rigorous accelerated programs.
- 0/6-7 programs include 2 to 3 years of pre-pharmacy coursework followed by 4 years of professional study (6-7 of years total of post secondary education).
- 2-3 years programs : Pre-pharmacy courses last two years, followed by three years of professional study (5 years total). Because these programs are year-round and intense, they can be completed more quickly.
- 2 – 4 year programs consist of 2 years of pre-pharmacy courses followed by 4 years of professional study (6 years total)
- 3 – 4 year programs: 3 years of pre-pharmacy coursework, followed by 4 years of professional study (7 years total).
- 2 to 4 years of pre-pharmacy courses followed by 4 years of professional study (6 to 8 years total).
- Programs for early assurance: These programs are typically only available by invitation to prospective students who have been offered a position at a college’s own pharmacy school based on their performance during the first 1 to 2 years of college. They can adhere to any of the program structures listed above.
Pharmacy Schools in Wyoming
There is just one pharmacy school in Wyoming, which is
1. University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy exists to advance its students’ educational and professional development, to generate and translate scientific discoveries into meaningful healthcare innovations, and to positively impact the health and well-being of the communities they serve.
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The University of Washington School of Pharmacy offers a four-year program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree as well as an Online M.S. Degree in Health Services Administration. The University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy (UWSOP) is nationally renowned for its exceptional and collaborative teaching, research, pharmacy practice, and entrepreneurial spirit. Their graduates are highly qualified health care professionals and leaders. In diverse and dynamic environments, their graduates thrive and innovate.
Also, their community is dedicated to fostering individual and collective excellence in teaching, research, service, and pharmacy practice. In all endeavors, they value accountability, compassion, respect, and integrity.
Their Doctor of Pharmacy program is nationally accredited and has a job placement rate of 100%. Their graduates consistently pass the NAPLEX on the first try, and their post-graduate residency placement rate is well above the national average.
The Master of Science in Health Services Administration program is designed for new and mid-career pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who want to work as department directors, patient safety coordinators and/or directors, regulatory compliance officers, clinical research associates, health outcomes researchers, or advanced practice pharmacists. UW-Casper offers its Medical Laboratory Sciences program.
Graduates of this program may pursue careers as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Systems Analyst, Educator, Forensic Scientist, Health Care Administrator, Laboratory Manager, and others.
Contact: +1 307-766-1121
Address: 1000 E University Ave, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, United States
A final thought about the Pharmacy Schools in Wyoming
There are numerous other reasons why someone might want to become a pharmacist. So, what motivates you to become a pharmacist? Consider this: pharmacists are the final line of defense between patients and potentially lethal medications.
Most patients believe their pharmacists more than their doctors. Pharmacy workers are not only regarded as community health care providers, but also as sources of wisdom and respect.
Because of the trust and respect that is built by serving your community, many people will seek the wisdom of their pharmacist in times of need with extremely personal problems in the United States, pharmacists are also among the top leaders in medication development.
Who better than drug experts to analyze clinical trials involving medications? While some are working to keep their community healthy, others are working for pharmaceutical companies to develop new medications that will save lives all over the world.
So, when answering the question, “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?” try to think beyond the obvious benefits of a high salary and a “Dr.” after your name. While these are certainly advantages, pharmacists succeed in the community because they are committed to patient safety and care, as well as to making their community a happier, healthier place.
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