Pharmacist Career Research Paper

I am currently enrolled at Greenville Technical College as a full time student. My goal is to further my education so that I can apply for pharmacy school. I have already graduated from Presbyterian College with a bachelors of science in biology. While at Greenville Tech. I have taken more classes that I need as prerequisites before I am able to apply for pharmacy school. The educational preparation for this career requires four years of pharmacy school after certain prerequisite undergraduate college classes are taken. Obstacles of acquiring this degree include many years of school and a great knowledge of science and chemistry. I have always been interested in all of my science related classes and I believe I would enjoy a career as a pharmacists.

First known as apothecaries the early pharmacists would prepare remedies and offer health care advice to their customers or patients. This role and traditions of an apothecary traveled to North America with the English colonists. Later apothecaries became known as pharmacists in the United States about 150 years ago when Edward Parrish headed the American Pharmaceutical Association. The purpose of this was to organize this growing field of medicine and standardize this national professional field. Pharmacists were the leader in prescribed medications and medical council until the 1950’s. During 1951 the federal legislation changed the role of the pharmacy. The Durham-Humphrey amendment to the FDA of 1938 enforced that pharmacy’s would now have to require a physicians prescription in order to dispense many medications. During the 1980’s the career in pharmacy began to expand and pharmacists were once again taking a vital role in the health care system. In 2003 the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act opened many new opportunities for drug therapy and informational counseling upon the purchase of medication. Now pharmacists have come full circle and are assuming more clinical roles in the community with direct patient care. Pharmacist are the most accessible health care providers in many areas which will improve health, provide education, and teach patients to responsively take their medication