Pharmacy Degrees for a Big and Powerful Industry |
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June 12, 2006
By Joe Cooper
joe.cooper@healthcare-programs.com
Healthcare Programs Columnist
New challenges are facing the pharmaceutical industry. Rising drug costs are frustrating patients, who may be paying as much as $100,000 per year for their medications. Worse, it can cost a pharmaceutical company $800 million just to bring a new drug to this increasingly discontented market. The pharmaceutical companies will need educated professionals to face these problems in the coming decade.
New legislation, changing insurance reimbursement policies, and a growing elderly population are other challenges with which the pharmaceutical industry must deal. Consequently, a pharmacy degree--and a healthcare education--make smart choices for those interested in joining the pharmaceutical industry in the coming years.
Opportunity Through Risk
Prescription drugs can speed the recovery of sick patients, but they can also pose a risk. Merck took their bestselling painkiller Vioxx off of pharmacy shelves after it began causing cardiovascular problems for patients. There were over 20 million people who took Vioxx before it was removed from the market in 2004. And in Michigan, the painkiller Fentanyl is being mixed with illegal drugs, causing death in some cases. So while the pharmaceutical industry offers many opportunities for patients, employees, and others, it also poses risks.
A Pharmacist Degree Program
In a pharmacist degree program, you will learn about the chemical composition of prescription drugs and the science of pairing certain chemicals with certain symptoms and illnesses. Although they can be competitive, pharmacist degree programs are popular for their job placement rate and above-average starting salaries. After you receive your pharmacy degree, you will be eligible for jobs in pharmacies, jobs at hospitals and clinics, and scientific jobs at pharmaceutical companies.
In some pharmacist degree programs, you can even develop a business plan for your own pharmacy. Your pharmacy degree will take you a long way, if you have the ambition and the dedication to join the healthcare industry.
Sources
NPR
NPR
Bankrate
LA Times
About the Author
Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.
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