Being a pharmacist just like any other career has its pros and cons. If you have been considering this profession, we are here to help with each pro and con of trying it. Since everyone has his/her fortes, abilities, and weaknesses, you can digest these pros and cons to make up your mind.
Pros:
1. The compensation is great-This career is one of the most handsomely compensated careers you can ever try. Graduating with a PharmD Degree allows you to attract up to $100,000 every year. In the US for example, the average salary for a Pharm is $120,000 every year.
2. A wide range of job opportunities when you are in this profession, you can be assured of high demands and opportunities to grow your career and life. You will realize that the diligence serves in the retail industry and also in the hospitals. Hospitals also have a scarcity of qualified and top experienced pharmacists, which gives you a great opportunity.
3. No license is required for all pharmacy positions-Unlike other professions where you are required to have a license to operate; you don’t require a license for all positions here. You don’t need a license to be a medical writer or a participant in the medical industry.
4. There’s a chance you can work from Home-Being a pharmacist opens a wide array of opportunities. For that reason, you can work from home through Telepharmacy. This is the case in the US but it hasn’t picked the lead in other jurisdictions.
5. You can work almost everywhere-as a pharmacist; you have a chance of getting work anywhere you want. You can live and work in almost all parts of the world. This is especially because pharmacists are in demand in almost all countries of the world.
6. Self-employment opportunities– with a PharmD degree, you can employ yourself in the retail sector. If you don’t want to work for anyone, you can choose to venture into a pharmacy business, which is booming all over the world with time.
7. Work in shifts-As pharmacists, you can choose the shift that works perfectly for you. Most careers in the medical industry offer more than 12-hour shifts. However, pharmacy being one of the most paid careers in the industry offers you reasonable working shifts.
8. The occupational outlook is strong-The The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that pharmacist job demand is likely to grow by 6% by 2026. This means there’s constant growth in the Pharmacy area. The way pharmacists are perceived in society is also strong.
9. Growing authority to care for patients over the years, we have seen that pharmacists are given more freedom to care for the patients. In California for example, the California legislation SB493 was signed into law and started working in 2014 giving pharmacists more freedom in caring for patients.
10. Easily start your pharmacy-With a degree in Pharmacy; you just need authorization and a license to start your pharmacy. Statistics show that as a pharmacist with your chemist, you don’t wait for long to see positive cash flow.
Cons:
1. It takes longer to qualify-graduating with a pharmacy degree can take up to 8 years of serious studying. This is an indication that being a pharmacist is not soft-minded.
2. Extensive education requirements-besides studying for a pharmacy degree, there are many other education requirements that you will be required to fulfill.
3. it’s costly to start Starting as a pharmacist means several years of education investment. Your school fees may be very high.
4. You are responsible for the quality of medicines-as the pharmacist, people expect you to have a full understanding of the drugs and you will be responsible for any low-quality or dangerous pharm actions.
5. Long working hours– In case you want to be employed as a pharmacist, then be prepared for long working hours.
6. The growing competition-the industry has faced stiff competition over time and more people are venturing in because of the expected profits.
7. There’s no room for errors-if you are ready to be a pharmacist, then you should be ready to be perfect through experience and studying.
8. Fewer advanced opportunities-Getting promotions as a pharmacist are very minimal.
9. Busy working area-In the chemist or pharmacy, there’s a constant flow of people, which may be so overwhelming.
10. Lifetime training-You cannot expect that with a degree you will be acceptable in the industry for years, you should be ready for lifelong training and schooling.
