Before the Industrial Revolution, pharmacists manually compounded most medicines. With the growth of pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmacists compounded fewer drugs and focused on safe and accurate dispensing procedures. In the Information Age, pharmacists have placed an emphasis on a practice orientation known as pharmaceutical care which entails a shared responsibility between the patient and pharmacist toward achieving positive therapeutic outcomes. Pharmaceutical care inherently invokes a patient-focused orientation to pharmacy practice. Students with a desire to help people in a health care environment and an interest in math and science will find the profession of pharmacy particularly well suited to them.
Drug therapy is the most common means of treating disease.
Career Opportunities in Pharmacy A graduate from the College of Pharmacy can choose from a variety of career paths tailored to individual interests and aptitudes with a choice of lucrative employment opportunities. The pharmaceutical industry offers career opportunities in sales and marketing, drug research and development, quality assurance, and professional services. Faculty positions in colleges of pharmacy offer the opportunity to teach, conduct research, and provide professional service. Pharmacists are employed by a number of federal agencies involved in drug regulation or national health care services. For example, the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Services, Veteran's Administration, and military services provide exciting career opportunities.