6 Nontraditional Pharmacist Careers

One under-appreciated benefit of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) is the wide variety of jobs that are available. For example, there are 22 types of jobs or practice settings described in Pharmacy Careers & Pharmacist Practice Settings. Many of these practice areas are outside retail or hospital pharmacies. Several of them do not involve patient management or drug dispensing. Nontraditional pharmacy jobs are providing pharmacists with long-term alternative career options. Here are 6 examples of alternative careers for registered and non-registered pharmacists. Use the Healthcare Careers to find open positions in these areas.

Regulatory Jobs at Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA has several roles for pharmacists. From entry level to management positions. Examples of jobs at the FDA include Pharmacologist, Consumer Safety Officer or Regulatory Health Project Manager, and Reviewer. Pharmacologist work in non-laboratory settings and are responsible for reviewing and evaluating the pharmacological and toxicological data contained in New Drug Applications (NDAs) and Investigational New Drug Applications (INDAs). Consumer Safety Officers are regulatory experts on a review team, advising team members on regulatory requirements, and working as a liaison between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies. Reviewers work for the FDA and evaluate data submitted by sponsors to support the safety and efficacy of an Investigational New Drug Application and New Drug Application.

Pharmaceutical Industry

There are numerous roles in the pharmaceutical industry for pharmacists. From entry level to top management levels. If you are an entrepreneur you can even start your own pharmaceutical company. The more popular roles for pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry are Medical Science Liaison, Clinical Research Associate (CRA), Medical Director, Medical Information professionals, Drug Safety, Regulatory, Sales professionals, and Marketing. To find out more about these jobs and openings see Pharmaceutical Industry Jobs for Pharmacists.

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