Is pharmacy a good alternative to nursing ?
I’m working on college applications and I’ve noticed that getting into nursing school is harder these days—harder than getting into pharmacy from what I’ve seen. Therefore I’ve been thinking of pharmacy as a backup plan. How different is pharmacy from nursing? I feel like there is only one job you can do with pharmacy and that’s obviously a pharmacist, but can you do another job with that degree?
I’ve also heard there has been a decrease in student demand in pharmacy overall? Does the job contain a high-stress environment? What do you do exactly on the job?
6 answers
Erin’s Answer
Jason’s Answer
Despite that, I think the profession could still be rewarding depending on what your interests are. Quite the contrary to many others belief, I think the pharmacy degree could be quite versatile. Just to give you some examples: If you like dealing with patients, there are retail, ambulatory care pharmacists; if you enjoy doing population health, formulary management, industry relations, etc, you could consider managed care settings like health plans or PBM, or if you're into research and more of the pharmacological stuff there is pharmaceutical companies. There are also technology companies that hire pharmacist with IT skills to perform data analysis or even write codes and build software. Though many of the other options besides retail may require a completion of (1-2 years) residency program which is optional after you graduate.
Generally speaking, healthcare careers (and many other professions) are stressful in their own ways. So the best way to find out is to experience it yourself. I do recommend shadowing or even getting licensed as a pharmacy technician to get a taste of what it feels like. Hope this helps.
Rezia’s Answer
Nursing is a little easier.
Dilawar’s Answer
The roles of nurses and pharmacists are quite similar, but they do have some distinct differences. Nurses are primarily involved in direct patient care and treatment, working closely with doctors. They can also be found working in pharmacy stores. Pharmacists, on the other hand, are typically employed within the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacy stores. Their role doesn't involve direct patient interaction, but they do collaborate with doctors to discuss and market various medicines and drugs.
If you're drawn towards patient care and treatment, nursing would be an ideal choice for you. However, if you're more interested in the field of medicine and drugs, then pursuing a career in pharmacy would be more suitable. Both are professional degrees with similar scopes, but nursing might offer slightly more opportunities due to the prevalence of hospitals and pharmacy stores.
Martin’s Answer
Yisel’s Answer
Registered nurses, or RNs for short, have a super important job. They're not just about patient care, they also teach patients and everyone else about different health conditions. Pharmacists, on the other hand, are the go-to people for prescription medications. They make sure patients know how to use their meds properly.
When it comes to education, RNs usually have a bachelor's degree in nursing, an associate's degree in nursing, or a diploma from a nursing program that's been approved. And of course, they need to be licensed. Pharmacists, on the other hand, usually have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree and they need to be licensed in every state.
Pharmacists have traditionally worked in retail pharmacies, hospitals, or in academic/research settings. But nowadays, there are more and more opportunities for pharmacists who want to work in industry settings.
Now, let's talk about stress management. It's super important to find a balance between your work and your personal life. I've included some links below that give you a deeper look into both fields. It's a good idea to think about what you like in both fields and see how they fit with your career goals. Writing down your thoughts can really help clear things up. Here are the links for more info:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm#:~:text=to%20the%20customer.-,Pharmacists%20dispense%20prescription%20medications%20and%20provide%20information%20to%20patients%20about,medications%20to%20treat%20health%20problems.
https://medicalaffairsspecialist.org/blog/career-options-for-pharmacists-2022