Each of us from time to time has to visit pharmacies. However, few of us understand what profession people work in them. You might say that they are pharmacists. But it is not so. Along with the pharmacist, a pharmacist also works in the pharmacy. Who it is, what is included in its duties, and how it differs from other related specialties, we will try to find out today. We will also learn about how to become a professional in this field and for what wages can be counted on.

Supervisor - who is it?

In short, we can say that a person of this profession is a specialist with a higher pharmaceutical education and working in the field of storage, production and sale of medicines. What is the meaning of the word "provider"? From Latin, this word is translated as "preparing" or "foreseeing."

In many countries of the world, any pharmacy worker has long been called a pharmacist. However, today given profession It is represented by several specializations: pharmacists-technologists (engaged in the manufacture of medicines), pharmacists-analysts (control the quality of medicines) and others. In addition, the duties of these employees may include checking the work of pharmacies, controlling the dispensing of medicines. Today, pharmacists are also called employees involved in organizing and coordinating wholesale trade pharmaceutical preparations. In general, the range of positions that can be counted on is quite wide: a marketer of the drug market, a pharmacist of a pharmacy or medical warehouse, a certification and licensing specialist, a medical representative, a pharmaceutical sales manager, and others.

Education

If you are interested in the profession of a pharmacist, you can study in many domestic medical universities. You can work in this specialty only with a higher pharmaceutical education. It should also be borne in mind that if the diploma was obtained more than five years ago, then you will need to take refresher courses. At the same time, the certificate of a pharmacist will cost employees of private and commercial companies a round sum, since such training in our country is free only for employees of the municipal and state spheres. As a rule, many pharmacy chains and other organizations, when hiring, offer candidates to take advanced training courses at the expense of the company. However, in this case, the specialist will have to conclude a contract with the company for several years at once without the possibility of early termination.

Varieties of the profession pharmacist

As already mentioned, today for specialists in this field there are a large number of areas of activity, depending on which the range of duties of employees also differs. We suggest focusing on the main specializations.

Clinical pharmacist - who is it?

Today we are witnessing a constant increase in the share of finished drugs, as well as the range of over-the-counter drugs. In addition, there is a trend towards an increase in the number of cases of self-medication. In this regard, an increasing place in the activities of specialists is occupied by advising people on the correct use of drugs: time, dosage, combination with other drugs and food, storage conditions, etc. Such pharmaceutical care is carried out by a clinical pharmacist. This is a specialist familiar with the main types of clinical and general syndromology of common diseases. Such an employee must be proficient in the basic laboratory, clinical and patient methods, as well as the principles for interpreting their results.

Hospital pharmacist

These specialists work in multidisciplinary hospitals and purchase medicines. In close cooperation with the doctor, the hospital pharmacist is engaged in optimizing the drug therapy of patients, as well as carrying out drug monitoring and informing the medical staff about the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of new drugs entering the hospital's pharmacy network.

Clinical Research Specialist

Such an employee is also a pharmacist, whose duties include the following: participation in preclinical research and clinical testing of drugs, as well as other areas of research activities. He is an indispensable assistant to the doctor in planning and implementing trials of various drugs.

Pharmacist-laboratory assistant

Due to the fact that while studying at the pharmaceutical department at the university, the student acquires fundamental knowledge of chemistry, biochemistry, toxicology, as well as skills in working with modern laboratory equipment, after graduation he can work in laboratories engaged in clinical and biological research.

pharmaceutical company

Perhaps many of us, having asked the question “pharmacist - who is this”, are unlikely to think about specialists involved in the marketing and trade promotion of certain drugs. Meanwhile, this is true. A medical representative of pharmaceutical companies is one of the specializations of the profession of a pharmacist, and these people are engaged in the promotion of medicines in pharmacy chains and hospitals, as well as organize conferences and round tables on the effects of drugs manufactured by the company in which they work.

Product manager, marketer for a pharmaceutical company

Specialists of this profile are engaged in the collection and analysis of information on the expansion of the range of products of a pharmaceutical company, the activity of competitors, marketing strategies etc.

Advantages of the profession of a pharmacist

Among specialists in this field, it is very difficult to meet people who are disappointed in their choice of profession. Rather, on the contrary - most of them consider their work prestigious, promising and interesting. After all, first of all, this profession is socially oriented. In addition, new drugs of both domestic and foreign production are constantly appearing on the pharmaceutical market today, as well as new approaches to the treatment of various diseases. This encourages pharmacists to constantly improve their skills and expand their field of knowledge. In addition, this specialty provides an opportunity for a wide choice of exciting and well-paid work with prospects for further career growth.

Salary

Today, when choosing a specialty, applicants to medical universities are primarily interested in whether their work will be well paid. The pharmacist, of course, can count on a decent salary. Thus, university graduates may initially qualify for a salary of 400-500 dollars. After a young specialist gains some experience, he may well expect a salary of 700-1000 dollars. Pharmacists in leadership positions, as well as those who have gone into the marketing field, earn from 1,500 to 3,000 dollars a month.

Three pharmacists who left Russia to work abroad: in Germany, the USA and Israel, told how they managed to get a job in their specialty and what it cost them

In Russia, the profession of a pharmacist and pharmacist is one of the most needed, but, unfortunately, far from the most highly paid, in contrast to the countries of the West and America, where ordinary pharmacy employees feel confident and protected. The idea to earn money no longer leaves many of our compatriots. Poll "Katren-Style" among regular readers showed that 35% do not want to leave the country, 11% are already going to move to work abroad, and 54% are not against moving, but do not believe in the success of this enterprise. We decided to find out what opportunities there are to settle abroad with those who received pharmaceutical education in Russia, and talked with three pharmacists who overcame geographical, linguistic and educational barriers and found work in their specialty in Germany, the USA and Israel.

German experience - work as a pharmacist in Germany

Our first interlocutor, Olga, happily agreed to give a short interview and tell us how difficult it is to become a pharmacist in a large Munich pharmacy.

KS: Olga, tell us about your Russian history: where did you study, where did you live and why did you decide to try your luck in Germany?

Olga: I was born and raised in Moscow. In 2002 she graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Sechenov First Moscow Medical University. She worked as a pharmacist for several years. And then my husband was invited to work in Germany, and I had no choice but to start packing my bags. We have not had time to acquire a lot of good, so the collection did not take much time. It was much more difficult to deal with the document, language and other complexities.

KS: Tell us about the requirements for knowledge of the language. What difficulties did you have to face?

Olga: It cannot be said that it was very difficult, but the path was not lined with roses and lilies either. Both my husband and I had to learn the language at a very intensive pace, but, to be honest, I had the initial skills - I studied German at school. As a healthcare worker, I had to pass the TELC (The European Language Certificates) exam for doctors and pharmacists. These are European standards of ownership foreign language opening doors to work in a foreign country. TELC has five levels, and my goal was the second most difficult level B2 in the household German and the most difficult level C1 in specialized medical and pharmaceutical vocabulary. In just half a year, spent in the arms of a German textbook, I was able to achieve my goal and proceed to the next stage of the conquest of Germany.

Olga: Yes, exactly. Fortunately, my university diploma is recognized in Germany (you can get such information on the Anabin website. However, the specialty of a pharmacist and doctor belongs to the list of “regulated”, that is, requiring additional confirmation of qualifications. This procedure is called the beautiful term “nostrification.” It means additional training and practice in one of the German pharmacies.

When we arrived in Munich - and it was here that employers were already waiting for my husband - I had to study at the University of Munich for four semesters and only then, after passing the exams, I received the honorary title of "pharmacist's assistant". Then followed a whole year of practice, though paid, and another important exam.

Only then did I become a full-fledged pharmacist who received a work permit in Germany.

KS: And what are your impressions of German pharmacies?

Olga: They are strikingly different from ours. It is even difficult to call it a business - rather, a healthcare institution. The vast majority of medicines are dispensed by prescription, and the task of the pharmacist is to check the compliance of documents with a whole list of requirements. We have to work closely with both doctors and visitors.

KS: Last question, Olga. May I ask how much did your training cost and what is your current salary?

Olga: I had to pay a little more than 500 euros per semester, which is quite inexpensive by local standards. But my salary today is about 30,000 euros a year, and, by the way, this is far from the limit.

American dream

Tatiana in search a better life went overseas. We talked with her and found out what it was like for her on a foreign continent with a domestic diploma.

KS: Tanya, start with where you studied and what inspired you to make a difficult decision.

Tatyana: In 2008 I graduated from the Pyatigorsk Pharmaceutical Academy and in 2009 I was a qualified young specialist who completed an internship. I worked as a pharmacist-technologist in a pharmacy, when in 2010 my husband and I had unprecedented luck - we won the Greencard lottery. Already in 2011, I had to face the most difficult American system evaluation of the diploma, that is, confirmation of compliance with the Russian (or any other foreign) vocational education standards in the US.

KS: What is the difficulty in licensing foreign pharmacists in the US?

Tatiana: I started by submitting all documents translated into English to the pharmaceutical authorities in my state. Then I was waiting for the assessment exam FPGEC (Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee) - a special committee that tests the knowledge of pharmacists educated in other countries. This is a rather serious test, for which I have been preparing for a whole year. I had to re-learn physiology, a lot of chemistry, drug technology, and of course pharmacology. In addition, it was necessary to have a knowledge base about the US healthcare system, marketing, medical ethics and so on.

KS: Was it difficult to recover such a volume of knowledge?

Tatyana: Not easy. I studied very well at the university, and still had to sweat, as they say. But the main thing is the result: I got 80 points with a passing 75. This exam opened the door for me to pass the next stage on the way to the license - internship. I went through it at the local pharmacy for 1500 hours, which took another year.

KS: Well, is that all?

Tatyana: No. There were two more exams ahead of me: the first - MPJE, which assesses the level of my knowledge of jurisprudence in the field of medicine, and the second - DSM. It included questions on the management of patients with the most common diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. And yes, I forgot to mention the TOEFL language exam.

KS: Yeah, it's really hard. How long did this procedure take you and, if possible, how much did it cost?

Tatyana: It took 3 years for everything. I already got my license in 2014. Since I didn’t have to finish my studies, the payment was meager - I spent a little more than $ 1,000 on everything about everything.

KS: And the last question: what are your current functions as a pharmacist and are you satisfied with your salary today?

Tatyana: A pharmacist in the US is a person who supervises the work of the technical staff who fill out prescriptions and answers customer questions, including those related to drug compatibility, safety, and so on.

In addition, I draw up an application for medicines and pack the tablets in containers - they come in large packages. My current salary gives reason to believe that the agony of confirming a diploma was not in vain: I receive about $ 4,000 a month.

Promised land

And our last guest, Natalia, today works as a pharmacist in the Israeli city of Haifa. Natasha gladly agreed to tell about the path that she had to go through for the sake of a prestigious and well-paid job.

KS: Natasha, tell us first where you studied and lived in Russia.

Natalia: I am a native Petersburger. She graduated from one of the oldest pharmaceutical universities in the country, the St. Petersburg Chemical Pharmaceutical Academy in 2009. The decision to move was brewing for a long time - I have many relatives in Israel, and I had the right to repatriate. Therefore, after completing my internship, I decided to immediately get a license under the MACA-TCB Pharmacists program.

KS: And what did it include?

Natalia: As part of this program, I took a Hebrew course and preparation for state exam. For 10 months she attended lectures given by teachers from Ben-Gurion University. In addition, the program included a 5-month practice in a pharmacy.

KS: And how much did the training cost?

Natalia: $50 registration fee plus airfare from Russia. The MACA grant fully covers the cost of $10,000. The program provides students with accommodation, insurance, scholarships, textbooks, and even provides many interesting excursions around the country!

KS: It's really great! How was the exam itself?

Natalia: The exam consisted of 200 questions and several answers to each of them, among which it was necessary to choose one correct one. Time was running out - only 3 hours for everything, but I managed to cope.

KS: And the last question, Natasha. Do you like your new job?

Natalia: Of course. The work is intense and very interesting, despite the fact that most drugs are dispensed by prescription.

In addition, the specialty of a pharmacist in Israel is prestigious and well paid - even a novice specialist, like me, receives an average of 10,000 shekels (about $ 2,600) per month.

Therefore, I do not have to regret the choice that I made when I entered the pharmaceutical institute.

Top 5 countries with the highest salaries of pharmacy workers

The specialty of a pharmacist is currently one of the most demanded and well-paid. The profession of a pharmacist should not be confused with the profession of a pharmacist. In order to become a pharmacist, a secondary specialized education is enough, and a pharmacist is a specialist with a higher pharmaceutical education, equal in importance to the profession of a doctor. The pharmacist must be well versed in medicines, optimize patient drug therapy, carry out drug quality control, but also know the basics of marketing, understand the principles of economics, and even be a psychologist.

However, one should not think that after receiving the profession of a pharmacist, a specialist has only one opportunity - work in a pharmacy. Of course, a pharmacist, especially one with no experience, can go to work as a salesperson in a pharmacy. But the employment opportunities of a pharmacist are much wider. For example, one of largest services for vacancies "HeadHunter" offers a wide range of jobs for pharmacists: http://hh.ua/

In our time, the market for medicines is huge, a large network of pharmacies is constantly in need of qualified specialists with higher pharmaceutical education.

A pharmacist can get a job as a marketer for a pharmaceutical company, become a sales manager for medicines, or work in a pharmacy warehouse.

Specialty in high demand medical representative pharmaceutical company, which should popularize and promote new drugs in pharmacies and medical institutions.

Numerous clinical and biological laboratories developing new drugs, studying the effect and effectiveness of drugs need pharmacists-laboratory assistants.

You can go to work in a private or public clinic, becoming a clinical pharmacist. This profession involves advising patients on the use of drugs, proper storage of drugs.

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Profession of a pharmacist

A pharmacist, unlike a pharmacist, does not require higher education to work in a pharmacy. In general, the profession of a pharmacist has only a slight difference in relation to a pharmacist. The profession of a pharmacist is medical direction work related to the sale, dispensing and receiving of medicinal products. At the same time, to work in the pharmaceutical industry, obtaining a higher medical education is not required. It will be enough to get a secondary vocational education in a college or school.

What does a pharmacist do?

Like a pharmacist, the real work of a pharmacist can be seen in the pharmacies of the city, where specialists of this profile work most often. It is a specialist with the profession of a pharmacist who will report on the presence or absence of drugs in the pharmacy, help to orient which of them are really the best, recommend the dosage and calculate it. However, this is far from all that the pharmacist does and far from all the places where he works.

Tasks of a pharmacist

The list of work of a pharmacist includes work related to:

• Goods acceptance
• Window dressing for pharmacies and clinics
• Documentation and reporting
• Sale of drugs and medicines
• Advising clients on dosage and providing recommendations for taking medications

Professional skills of a pharmacist

A specialist in the profession of a pharmacist working in a pharmacy should and even must know the PC, since without it the work will be impossible. He must know farm. groups, speak fluently to consult customers, track the expiration date of goods and, of course, understand them. It is important to understand which drugs are prescription and which are not. The ability to calculate the dosage is also important, because buyers do not always know what exactly they need to buy and how much to take. That is why the profession of pharmacist is responsible. However, many of these skills are already instilled in the process of work, so you can start and go to work as a pharmacist without most of them.

Where do pharmacists work?

The profession of a pharmacist can give the wrong impression if we talk only about the fact that specialists in this profile are just experienced sellers of medical products. In addition to pharmacies and drugstores, pharmacists work in factories for the production of medicines and pharmaceutical products. They can often be found in medical institutions, they also work in the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies and factories. It also happens when pharmacists work in the field of medical market research, dealing with marketing research. In a word, the profession of a pharmacist is only at first glance associated with a pharmacy. In fact, a specialist can work in many medical fields.

Is the profession of a pharmacist in demand?

It goes without saying that the profession of a pharmacist is in demand. Thousands of pharmacies, clinics and pharmaceutical companies annually increase the cost of wages in order to get a newly minted pharmacist on their staff. A few years ago, this specialty was not popular, today the profession of a pharmacist is in demand more than ever. Facts speak in favor of the version. They also say that the shortage of personnel often forces one to look for pharmacists among pharmacists who, having received higher education work for the same pay as pharmacists

Prospects for the profession of pharmacist

In the event that a pharmacist decides for himself that it is time to move on, he has excellent prospects for becoming a pharmacist - he will need to get a higher education, but thanks to his experience, he will be able to apply for a position in a pharmaceutical company, get a better salary and more comfortable working conditions. Maybe stay in the pharmacy, taking the position of head.

A pharmacist is not just a person dispensing medicines at a pharmacy kiosk. The specifics of his work is multifaceted and requires a specialist a large number knowledge and a number of personal qualities. However, the efforts expended in the process of mastering the profession are justified. And today you will find out why.

Rapidly developing pharmaceutical production led to an increased demand for specialists in this field. At the same time, the most popular are pharmacists, whose activities are often associated with the work of pharmacists. However, this notion is erroneous. Despite the close relationship, these are two different professions with different levels responsibility and competencies.

Choosing this direction, it is necessary to clearly understand that a pharmacist is not just a person dispensing drugs in a pharmacy kiosk. The specifics of his work is multifaceted and requires a specialist to have a large amount of knowledge and a number of personal qualities. However, the efforts expended in the process of mastering the profession are justified. And today you will find out why.

Who is a supervisor?

- a specialist engaged in the manufacture, storage and sale of medicines. A pharmacist differs from a pharmacist in having a higher pharmaceutical education (to work as a pharmacist, it is enough to have a specialized secondary education).

If we talk about etymology, then the name of the profession comes from the Latin pro - "before" visor - "I see" (that is, foreseeing, harvesting). Today, the profession of a pharmacist differs significantly from the level and scope of knowledge that pharmacists once possessed. If earlier pharmacists created medicinal drugs using folk recipes passed down from generation to generation, then modern level The knowledge of pharmacists working hand in hand with doctors is so high and voluminous that separate divisions have appeared in the profession.

To the duties of technologists in the field pharmaceuticals the manufacture of medicines, while analysts are engaged in checking their quality. In addition, pharmacists work in different areas, where even management and economic activity requires a high level of professional training:

• A clinical pharmacist is a specialist who is able to determine in which cases the use of the drug is indicated or contraindicated, to consult a pharmacy client if necessary.
• The hospital pharmacist informs the chief physician about all the new products that have appeared on the drug market and, together with the chief physician, provides the hospital with medical preparations. His duties are partly related to the implementation of control, inventory control of drugs, and the economic activities of a medical institution.
• Specialists in the field of clinical research are engaged in testing the effectiveness of drugs, identifying their positive / negative effects on the human body. The results of the tests carried out by these specialists determine whether a particular drug gets into pharmacy chains or hospitals.
• Pharmacists-laboratory assistants are engaged in the development of drugs, and in fact - scientific discoveries in the field pharmacology.
• A pharmacist-agent is engaged in advertising, distribution and supply to pharmacy chains of drugs of one specific pharmaceutical company in which he works.

Even leading accounting in the pharmaceutical industry requires special training. Therefore, the profession of a pharmacist is one of the most highly qualified and in demand in modern society.

What personal qualities should a pharmacist have?

In addition to the necessary set of knowledge in the field of biology and chemistry, as well as the ability to "decompose" the drug into components, the pharmacist must also have other personal qualities, which play an important role in the work.

Considering that pharmacists create medicines predominantly in a pharmacy setting, they must be very attentive, and treat their work with all responsibility, realizing the seriousness of the consequences in case of a mistake.

To master the necessary amount of information and constantly replenish the stocks of knowledge, pharmacy worker required good memory and actionable thinking. For research work:

• curiosity,
• accuracy,
• ability to overcome obstacles.

Since pharmacists, as a rule, work in a pharmacy, such character traits as help them perform their duties well:

• sociability,
• benevolence,
• patience,
• ability to listen and empathize.

Equally important when working in sales are physical endurance and activity, which is due to the need to spend a long time on your feet.

Benefits of being a pharmacist

Based on their preferences, a specialist can choose the direction he is most interested in and improve in this area. Regular completion of advanced training courses contributes to the development and increase in the level of knowledge, which as a result favorably affects career prospects and increases demand in the labor market.

The profession is quite prestigious, and since pharmaceutical companies are experiencing an acute shortage of qualified personnel, a good specialist can count on high wages. Average in Moscow pharmacist's income is 45-83 thousand rubles, and in the regions of Russia - 20-55 thousand (although in many respects the salary depends on the employment of the employee and the direction of activity).

A significant advantage in choosing this specialty is the opportunity for career growth. Pharmacists often achieve major promotions after only a few years as an assistant pharmacist. In addition, some companies employ graduate students who, by the time they graduate, can gain the necessary experience for further work and soon take on leadership positions.

In addition, the position is socially oriented, so pharmacists receive a lot of moral satisfaction from being able to help people.

Disadvantages of the profession of a pharmacist

Despite the prestige of the profession, material and career, there are "pitfalls" in the profession of a pharmacist.

The most significant drawback of the profession of a pharmacist is the need to constantly work with various biological and chemical components of drugs that can cause an allergic reaction. Pharmacist, working in a pharmacy, during epidemics, risks becoming infected from visitors who turned to him for help.

The high degree of responsibility of the pharmacist for people's lives, the need for constant and necessarily friendly communication with visitors is associated with high psychological tension. At the same time, taking into account the specifics of the work of pharmacies, the pharmacist is forced to work in accordance with established schedule, within 12 hours, which is the cause of increased fatigue.

Where can you get a profession of a pharmacist?

In addition to the fact that a pharmacist must have a higher medical education, in order to remain in the profession and meet the qualifications, he must constantly undergo retraining and advanced training courses. The need for constant professional growth and training of pharmacists is associated with the rapidly developing pharmacology, the emergence of new drugs, with which the specialist must be properly familiarized.

In addition to the diploma of higher medical education To work as a pharmacist, you need a certificate confirming his right to engage in this type of activity. To obtain such a certificate, a specialist must undergo training in postgraduate professional education programs or in an internship.

Refresher courses and obtaining a certificate, as a rule, the pharmacist must take at his own expense, but the opportunity to get higher medical education in a state or municipal university, subject to successful passing of exams, is quite real.

most prestigious educational institutions The following universities are considered to be in this profession:

• First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Academician I.P. Pavlova;
• Kazan State Medical University;
• Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov;
• First Moscow State Medical University. THEM. Sechenov;
• Saratov State Medical University named after V.I. Razumovsky.

Image sources: clinical-pharmacy.ru, helperia.ru, flogia.ru, pharmedu.ru