Your closest pharmacist can probably be identified as the person working behind the counter wearing a white lab coat where all the prescription medicines are being held.
Before modern medicine was developed, you wouldn’t have been able to go to your local drugstore and pick out a few pills or syrup to help make your minor cold or flu go away. There also wouldn’t be any regulatory system to circulate ailments for cures safely to the general public. Nowadays, we thankfully have pharmacists who can help us at our local store when we are deciding which medicine to choose from. Pharmacists also work more broadly to determine which medicines are safe and if they follow federal laws.
Before 2006, licensed pharmacists were not required to get a Doctor of Pharmacy degree – it was considered optional, and a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree was sufficient. However, today it is a requirement for all new pharmacists. Colleges Rank has compiled a list of the most affordable online Pharm.D. programs. Although there are only four schools listed on this ranking, all of these schools have been included due to their quality teaching, low student indebtedness after graduation, and positive student outcomes.
What kind of Doctorate in Pharmacy should you get?
The two most common degrees that people often confuse are the Doctor of Pharmacy and the Doctor of Pharmacology. The Pharm.D. is for future practicing licensed pharmacists who will most likely work directly with patients. On the other hand, the Pharmacology Ph.D. is for Pharmacologists who wish to work in academia, testing, and research. Think of the Ph.D. as more of an “academic” degree, while the Pharm.D. is a “clinical” degree.
An online Pharm.D. is meant for already licensed pharmacists who just want to increase their knowledge and practice in the field. These pharmacists most likely received their licenses prior to 2006. Online students can continue their normal full-time jobs in the daytime as pharmacists and take classes at night or on the weekends. Online courses are ideal for professionals as most classes are asynchronous, meaning that students don’t have to meet at scheduled times. However, due to the clinical nature of the field, students will most likely need to participate in some live classes and come to campus or a local facility in person to learn certain skills.
How much does a Doctor of Pharmacy make?
Whether you earned your Pharmacy degree online or not, the method in which you completed your degree will not affect salary. Being a pharmacist is not only a great career that directly impacts the health of others, but it also offers great pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median 2018 pay of pharmacists is $126,120. Those who work in general merchandise stores made the most, with a median salary of $131,460. The top 10% of earners make about $161,250. Alaska, California, and Vermont are the highest-paying states for this career.
What can you do with an online Doctor of Pharmacy?
Those who get their online Pharm.D. will usually continue in their careers as pharmacists but with more knowledge and practical experience. They may be eligible for higher positions within their place of employment, such as being a manager or one who trains new employees. Of course, there are other jobs besides being a traditional “behind the counter” pharmacist that an online Pharm.D. holder can apply for. Some other positions include:
Pharmacy school program developer Pharmacoeconomics professional Hospital pharmacist Government worker (i.e. Food and Drug Administration)
What are the requirements for an online Doctor of Pharmacy?
The online Pharm.D. is a relatively quick program that can generally be completed within two years if taken full-time. Depending on the school, about half of the program consists of regular coursework on specific topics. These include areas such as pathophysiology on certain disorders, developing drug therapy plans for patients, or an in-depth history of pharmacy. A Pharm.D. does not usually have any official concentrations or specializations for students to choose from.
Because the Pharm.D. emphasizes practice over academia, you won’t have to complete a lengthy thesis or research project, unlike in Ph.D. programs. Instead, you will be required to complete “rotations” that specifically go over clinical skills such as diagnosing patient symptoms. Rotations can occur online via live sessions, but you will likely have to go to campus a few times or regularly train at a local institution such as a hospital.
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