Van-Cal 说:
Thanks very much for your detailed answer, Calgary Natives! I'm going to register as a pharmacist in AB,anybody knows anything about this career? Is it in great demand in AB?
Pharmacist
Produced MARCH 2005
Pharmacists provide services and programs that are designed to promote health and well-being, and treat disease and other disorders through drug therapy, wellness promotion and disease state management.
NOC Number(s):3131.1
Educational Requirements:5 years post-secondary education/training
Employment Outlook:Employment turnover plus above average occupational growth in Alberta[URL="http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo/IndustryDescriptions/interest_explanation.html"]Interests:M I DDuties |
Working Conditions |
Personal Characteristics |
Education |
Other Requirements |
Employment |
Salary |
Other Information |
Related Occupations |
Related School Subjects |
Related Field of Study
Duties Pharmacists may work in:
- community pharmacies
- hospitals and related health institutions
- health research
- industrial settings
- post-secondary institutions
- health regulatory, advocacy and other professional organizations
- pharmacy administration.
In general, pharmacists working in community and hospital settings:
- determine, monitor and manage drug therapy, both independently and in collaboration with other health care professionals
- promote and maintain health and wellness, and provide disease state management
- counsel patients regarding the safe and appropriate use of drugs, and the importance of complying with drug therapy instructions
- assist patients, caregivers and other health care providers by providing advice regarding the selection and use of drug and non-drug products
- compound, prepare and dispense drugs
- provide non-prescription drugs, drugs for injection (including parenteral products), health care aides and devices
- supervise and manage drug distribution systems to maintain public safety and drug system security
- conduct or collaborate in drug-related research
- conduct or administer drug and other health-related programs such as structured medication reviews
- provide advice regarding disease management through home visits, medication and disease information, natural medicine consultations, disease prevention, management clinics and consultation (regarding asthma, diabetes, screening for osteoporosis, smoking cessation, heart health, depression, pain management, etc.), weight loss and nutrition consultation, anticoagulant management clinics, travel medicine clinics
- educate clients, patients, caregivers and other health professionals about related matters.
In addition, pharmacists in community settings:
- sell prescription and non-prescription drugs, surgical supplies, home health care aides, herbal products, vitamins and nutraceuticals, and other related products
- participate in health promotion, prevention and public health activities
- may also be involved in drug distribution logistics, accounting, marketing and human resource functions.
Pharmacists in hospital settings may specialize in fields such as oncology, cardiology, psychiatry, infectious disease, critical care, pediatrics and geriatrics.
Pharmacists in industrial and educational settings may:
- conduct pharmacy practice research and develop drug products
- work in the production, marketing, quality control or sales departments of pharmaceutical firms
- teach at the post-secondary level
- publish information to educate other pharmacists, physicians and patients
- be involved in advocacy, association management and government relations.
Working Conditions Pharmacists may work alone, or with other pharmacists, physicians, nurses, pharmacy technicians or pharmacy assistants. Those working in community and hospital settings often work rotating shifts that include evenings and holidays.
In some settings, pharmacists may be required to stand for significant periods of time.
Personal Characteristics Pharmacists need the following characteristics:
- a genuine interest in providing clinical care for people from all walks of life
- good communication skills
- tact and good judgement
- precise work habits and the ability to work under pressure
- a high degree of integrity
- the desire to keep up to date with new ideas and advances in the pharmaceutical sciences
- the ability to work independently, make decisions and solve problems.
They should enjoy tasks requiring precision and organized methods, synthesizing information and solving problems, and directing and instructing pharmacy staff.
Educational Requirements The academic requirement is
a degree in pharmacy.
In Alberta, the
University of Alberta in Edmonton offers a four year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in pharmacy. The entrance requirements are:
- a letter stating the applicant's reasons for wanting to enter pharmacy
- a preprofessional year of study that includes at least six units of course weight in general chemistry, organic chemistry and English, and three units in biology, biochemistry, statistics and calculus.
The required preprofessional year is not included in the four year B.Sc degree program in pharmacy so a total of five years of university education is required.
Admissions to the pharmacy program are limited and priority is given to students who have a high academic standing. Prospective students should carefully review
University of Alberta course requirements for admission to the pharmacy program.
University transfer programs are offered by post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta. Admission requirements vary but generally include a high school diploma with a minimum average (ranging from 60 to 70 per cent depending on the program) in English Language Arts 30-1 (or English 30) and four other 30-level subjects (Pure Math 30 or equivalent, Chemistry 30 and Biology 30 may be required to gain admission to the preprofessional year courses listed above). Students are strongly advised to check the
Alberta Transfer Guide to ensure that the courses they choose to take will be accepted by the University of Alberta.
For current information about programs and mature student admission policies, please check post-secondary institution calendars or websites.
Other Requirements section revised SEPTEMBER 2005Under Alberta's
Pharmaceutical Profession Act, only registered members of the
Alberta College of Pharmacists (ACP) may call themselves or practice as Pharmacists. The preparation, distribution and control of drugs in a pharmacy, the compounding, dispensing and retail sale of drugs, and the provision of information concerning the use of a drug when it is dispensed or sold, must be performed or supervised by a pharmacist.
Employment and Advancement Pharmacists are employed by:
- pharmacies and retail stores with pharmacy departments
- health care facilities
- pharmaceutical companies
- government (regulatory departments, public heath units, food and drug inspection services, law enforcement laboratories, the Armed Forces)
- professional, advocacy and regulatory bodies
- college and universities (in teaching and research positions).
Pharmacists in community settings usually start as salaried employees but, with experience, may eventually become managers, partners or owners of pharmacies.
In Alberta, over 75 per cent of people employed as pharmacists work in the
Retail Trade industry.
The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Over 3,200 Albertans are employed in the Pharmacists occupational group which is expected to grow 2.1 to 3.1 per cent each year from 2004 to 2009 in Alberta. It is forecasted that 40 to 80
new positions will be created each year
in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next five to ten years.
There is a growing shortage of pharmacists in Alberta and across North America as a whole.
Salary section revised OCTOBER 2005According to the
2004 Pharmacists Association of Alberta Wage and Benefit Survey, pharmacists worked an average of 35 to 40 hours a week and their average wage ranged from $38 to $39 dollars an hour (
$69,100 to $81,100 a year).
According to the
2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Pharmacists occupational group working part-time or full-time earned from
$33,900 to $96,300 a year. The average salary was
$69,300 a year.
For information about current collective agreements in the public and not-for-profit sectors, see the
Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website.
Other Sources of Information section revised SEPTEMBER 2005Post-secondary institution calendars or websites (see Educational Requirements above)
EDinfo website:
www.alis.gov.ab.ca/edinfo
Alberta College of Pharmacists website:
www.pharmacists.ab.ca/college
Alberta Pharmacists' Association website:
www.albertapharmacy.ca
Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website:
www.hsaa.ca
Related Occupational Profiles
Canadian Forces Personnel - Commissioned OfficerPharmacologist
Related High School Subjects Community Health; Language Arts; Mathematics; Physical Education; and Science (Biology; and Chemistry)
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study Health Care and Medical Sciences[/URL]