Why be a pharmacist?
Pharmacy is a rewarding career path with the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the health and lives of people in the community.
As a pharmacist you will hold a trusted professional role as a valued member of the healthcare team.
Here are a few other reasons why Pharmacy might just be the right fit for you:
Acting as a primary health expert
Pharmacists are often the first health care professional patients see. Your expertise will allow you to apply first aid, diagnose and treat common conditions and injuries and/or refer patients to other members of the healthcare team where appropriate. Pharmacists can provide vaccinations and perform professional services such as diabetes screening and blood pressure monitoring, wound care and sleep apnoea consultations.
Helping people with their medications
As a medication expert your valued professional knowledge will help patients get the most from their medications by providing education, support and advice.
Flexible career paths with multiple professional options
Pharmacists don’t just work in the local community pharmacy. They can also be found in hospitals, nursing homes, managed care organisations and more. In addition some pharmacists are employed in the military, undertaking research in universities and working within pharmaceutical industry settings. Pharmacists can also work as independent consultants conducting medication reviews for patients in their own homes. New opportunities are opening up for pharmacists within general practice and as part of interdisciplinary care teams.
Job stability, earning capacity, mobility and flexibility
Job opportunities for pharmacists abound. Your registration as a pharmacist ensures that you will always be able to access reliable work. In addition, pharmacy is a great career for work/life balance. Depending on the setting, you can organise flexible hours with the opportunity to work shift, weekends or part-time.
High employability
A 2018 Federal Government survey of more than 120,000 university graduates found that pharmacy graduates almost universally got jobs immediately after leaving university, with 97.2 per cent in full-time employment within four months of graduating*.
Personal and professional development
You’ll find no end of ways to broaden your professional skills and experience, but there are enriching social and cultural opportunities too, as you hone your communication skills and interact with people from every walk of life imaginable. Hearing the stories of your patients and ensuring they are cared for is a rewarding and valuable aspect of life as a pharmacist.
Embrace state-of-the-art technologies
The digital revolution is taking the profession by storm with new technologies coming online regularly. These include electronic prescriptions and advanced monitoring programs designed to enhance efficiency and patient safety. The more advanced technology becomes, the more important the role of pharmacists as medication experts become as the pharmacist’s focus moves away from the mechanics of dispensing to ensuring patients are getting the most from their medications.
Learn about:
- UTS Master of Pharmacy
- Master of Pharmacy (International) – open to domestic and international students offering an extensive series of clinical placements overseas
*https://www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/graduate-employment
