TOPIC 3:
CURRENT AND
EMERGING FIELDS IN
PHARMACY
Prepared by: Mary Blessa M. Sabate, RPh
PHARMACY IS CONSIDERED A
MULTIFACETED PROFESSION.
▪It offers a lot of opportunities for B.S.
Pharmacy graduate who is legally
qualified to practice depending on her
interest and likes. The different fields in
pharmacy practice are as follows:
COMMUNITY PHARMACY
▪Pharmacists in more than 10,000 community
pharmacies across the Philippines are the primary
providers of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical-
care services to patients. Community pharmacies are
found in variety of locations, including department
stores, shopping centers, freestanding buildings,
medical office building, and markets in different
barangays, towns, cities and provinces. The broad
array of sites and pharmacy formats makes
community pharmacists the most accessible health-
care professionals in the Philippines. They provide
safe, quality, effective and affordable medicines to
the patient and the consumer.
▪Pharmacists in these sites provide several important functions such
as:
a. Procure and maintain good inventory of medicines from legitimate
drug suppliers;
b. Dispense manufactured drug product prescribe by the doctors
and/or chosen by the patient;
c. Prepare compounded pharmaceuticals;
d. Provide drug information;
e. Advise patient on proper medication usage and storage; and
f. Provide pharmaceutical care services and counselling.
▪Pharmacists in community pharmacy practice can work as a
supervising pharmacist in an existing drugstore or staff pharmacist,
supervising pharmacist or branch pharmacist of the chain drugstores
or be the owner of her own drugstore.
HOSPITAL PHARMACY
▪ Hospital pharmacists are found in the hospital pharmacy department within the hospital and
are responsible for providing medications for the inpatient and outpatient to some extend.
Specifically, they perform the following task such as:
a. Procurement of medicines from legitimate drug suppliers;
b. Prepare the medication order for each inpatient;
c. Administration and management of the hospital pharmacy department;
d. Participate in the drug selection for inclusion in the hospital formulary through the
pharmacy and therapeutics committee;
e. Provide drug information and counselling.
▪ Pharmacist in hospital pharmacy practice can work as staff pharmacist, supervising
pharmacist or chief pharmacist of the department.
PHARMACISTS IN INDUSTRY
▪ Pharmacists are required by law in different establishments such as pharmaceutical
manufacturer, trader and distributor (exporter or importer). Numerous laws and
administrative orders govern the production, distribution and marketing of drugs which
require the pharmacist expertise in the pharmaceutical industry.
▪ Pharmacists in industry hold positions in the following:
1. SALES – the sales area generally is regarded as one of the ways for the pharmacists to
get into the industry as sales representatives.
- They are also known as professional service representative, professional sales
representatives, medical service representative or detail men.
- They provide the various professional audiences with enough comprehensive
information on a product to encourage the product’s use, prescription or recommendation by
the appropriate health-care specialist.
- Company prefer the candidates for sales position with a science background, with
personal traits and attitudes such as congenial personality, effective oral and written
communication skills and a strong interest in selling.
▪ Marketing – the marketing department is responsible for developing and
implementing marketing plans to promote the company’s product to the
appropriate target consumer/audiences. A degree in pharmacy is helpful but
generally not a requirement for marketing position.
- Experience in the industry, usually gained in the sales department,
plus an understanding of the healthcare delivery system, general business
principle, and a basic knowledge of research and development, manufacturing,
quality assurance and distribution are helpful in obtaining a position in the
marketing department of a pharmaceutical company.
▪ Research and Development – this area of the industry is stimulating and
challenging and is suited especially to pharmacists with strong scientific
backgrounds. Pharmacists who work as clinical researchers are engaged in
R&D of new drugs or new dosage forms or new therapeutic classification of
existing products.
▪ Production – pharmacists working in production often serve is managerial
positions. They are responsible for anticipating the company’s needs and
planning for the plant facilities, equipment and personnel who will be needed
to meet the company’s production goals. They are also responsible for
establishing and administering manufacturing procedures and controls to
ensure the production of high-quality products that will meet rigid company
and FDA standards.
▪ Quality Control – the quality assurance (QA) department establishes sampling
and testing procedures to make certain that each lot of a product meets both
company and FDA specifications. The system also ensures the potency, purity
and dose-to-dose uniformity of the product, in addition to the chemical, physical
and biological data; stability of the finished trades package; and appropriate
expiration dates. The QA department also checks not only for the quality and
quantity of the active ingredients, but also for the uniformity and predictability of
the non-active ingredients.
▪ Administration and Management – managers and administrators help make
sure that each department of a company functions smoothly. Some pharmacists
in management positions also serve in staff functions, providing legal advice,
representing the firm among its various audiences or providing internal
consultation on pharmacy affairs to other managers who may not be pharmacists.
Qualities of discipline, hard work, and dedication go a long way in helping a
pharmacist advance into a management position.
▪ Product Registration – the different products of the company is registered
individually by the regulatory pharmacist in the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). The regulatory pharmacist prepares all the documents and submits it to
FDA who in turn will evaluate and approve the product for registration. The
pharmacist must be familiar with all the laws and administrative orders pertaining
to drugs, cosmetics, food and devices registration.
PHARMACISTS IN GOVERNMENT
▪ Government services offers opportunities to pharmacists in various capacities.
Among the various government agencies where pharmacist can work are:
a. Department of Health
b. Food and Drug Administration
c. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
d. National Bureau of Investigation
e. Veterans and Army Hospital
f. Government-funded research institutions like DOST, PCHRD
g. Central Bank
h. Government Hospitals
i. Bureau of Customs
PHARMACISTS IN ACADEME
▪Pharmaceutical education offers
excellent opportunities for pharmacists
with advanced degrees in any of the
professional specialties. Expanding
enrolment in college to meet the
manpower needs of the future offers
opportunities for careers in college
teaching.
PHARMACISTS IN JOURNALISMS
▪Offers rewarding experiences to a limited
number of pharmacists with writing and
editing talents.
CLINICAL PHARMACY
▪It is a patient-oriented pharmacy practice in patient
care unit setting in the hospital. The clinical
pharmacist is responsible not only for safe and
appropriate use of drugs on patients but also for the
rational selection, monitoring, dosing, and control of
patients’ overall drug therapy program. The clinical
pharmacist is a member of the healthcare team that
visits the patient during the rounds. The clinical
pharmacist also conducts drug utilization review,
adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting and
therapeutic planning.
END
