How much do pharmacists make?
Pharmacist
The "American Pharmacy Journal of Education" in 2014 reported the average salary around $112,160.
Pharmacy technician
The average yearly salary for pharmacy technicians in South Carolina was $27,000 in 2015.
Independent pharmacy
Independent pharmacists provide care for the nation’s 40.2 million seniors in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice, and home-based care. They also provide many specialty services for seniors such as nutrition assessment and support, intravenous therapy, durable medical equipment, ostomy, and pain management.
Palbociclib
Ibrance "can be ordered through select" specialty pharmacies and "sells for $9,850 for 30 days or $118,200 for a year's supply before discounts." According to a statement by the New York–based Pfizer the price "is not the cost that most patients or payors pay" since most prescriptions are dispensed through health plans, which negotiate discounts for medicines or get government-mandated price concessions. In the United States specialty pharmacies fill prescriptions for drugs that are usually high cost.
Healthcare in Canada
In 2009, the greatest proportion of this money went to hospitals ($51B), followed by pharmaceuticals ($30B), and physicians ($26B). The proportion spent on hospitals and physicians has declined between 1975 and 2009 while the amount spent on pharmaceuticals has increased. Of the three biggest health care expenses, the amount spent on pharmaceuticals has increased the most. In 1997 the total price of drugs surpassed that of doctors. In 1975 the three biggest health costs were hospitals ($5.5B/44.7%), physicians ($1.8B/15.1%), and medications ($1.1B/8.8%) while in 2007 the three biggest costs were hospitals ($45.4B/28.2% ), medications ($26.5B/16.5%), and physicians ($21.5B/13.4%).
Pharmacist
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics – "Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016–17 Edition", Median annual wages of wage and salary pharmacists in May 2015 were $121,500.
Comparison of the healthcare systems in Canada and the United States
Some of the extra money spent in the United States goes to physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. According to health data collected by the OECD, average income for physicians in the United States in 1996 was nearly twice that for physicians in Canada. In 2012, the gross average salary for doctors in Canada was CDN$328,000. Out of the gross amount, doctors pay for taxes, rent, staff salaries and equipment. When comparing average incomes of doctors in Canada and U.S., it should be kept in mind that malpractice insurance premiums may differ significantly between Canada and the U.S., and the proportion of doctors who are specialists differs. In Canada, less than half of doctors are specialists whereas more than 70% of doctors are specialists in the U.S.
Affluence in the United States
In addition to physicians, lawyers, physicists, and nuclear engineers were all among the nation's 20 highest paid occupations with incomes in excess of $78,410. Some of the other occupations in the high five-figure range were economists with a median of $72,780, mathematicians with $81,240, financial managers with $81,880, and software publishers with median annual earnings of $73,060. The median annual earnings of wage-and-salary pharmacists in May 2006 were $94,520. The median annual earnings of wage-and-salary engineers in November 2011 were $90,000. The middle 50 percent earned between $83,180 and $108,140 a year (as in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008–09 Edition by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Pharmacy technician
According to the MOH Statistics, there is about 8.471 of pharmacy technicians work in MOH Saudi Arabia 2015.
Pharmacy
Because of the complexity of medications including specific indications, effectiveness of treatment regimens, safety of medications (i.e., drug interactions) and patient compliance issues (in the hospital and at home) many pharmacists practicing in hospitals gain more education and training after pharmacy school through a pharmacy practice residency and sometimes followed by another residency in a specific area. Those pharmacists are often referred to as clinical pharmacists and they often specialize in various disciplines of pharmacy. For example, there are pharmacists who specialize in hematology/oncology, HIV/AIDS, infectious disease, critical care, emergency medicine, toxicology, nuclear pharmacy, pain management, psychiatry, anti-coagulation clinics, herbal medicine, neurology/epilepsy management, pediatrics, neonatal pharmacists and more.
Veterinary pharmacy
In the United States, The first mention of veterinary pharmacy may date back to around 1960, when literature was published synthesizing veterinary medicine and antibiotic usage. The role of a pharmacist in veterinary practice has expanded largely due to the workings of drug company production methods, in addition to prices of veterinary medication. For instance, veterinarians historically compounded medications for their patients themselves, due to a lack of commercially available veterinary medications. While this has changed, with multiple drug companies such as Merck Animal Health selling $3.3 billion worth of drugs for pets and livestock, due to expensive approvals necessary from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most drugs are often approved for one particular type of patient. As drugs may be approved for simply one species, compounding is extremely beneficial in veterinary medicine. Under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act, medicines may be compounded to fit the needs of more than one type of animal. Pharmacists are therefore valuable to veterinarians in their extensive knowledge of pharmacokinetics and pharmacology. An increasing number of pharmacies are stocking animal medications, which might require modification to best treat their animal patients. For instance, according to the FDA, 75,000 pharmacies compounded 6,350,000 medications for animal patients. Additionally, veterinary pharmacy has gained prominence due to pricing of veterinary medication. As pet owners advocated for more options for their pets' medications in the US, the Fairness to Pet Owners Act was introduced into Congress, and would allow pet owners to find the cheapest medication for their pet.
Pharmacy technician
CPhT is the abbreviation for Certified Pharmacy Technician. The CPhT works directly under a pharmacist, R.Ph or a PharmD. (An R.Ph is a Registered Pharmacist, who is a licensed pharmacist in that state and may have either a bachelor's degree in pharmacy or a Pharm.D.) The profession has different educational and certification requirements in different locales, set by each state's Board of Pharmacy. For example, in order to remain licensed, all Illinois pharmacy technicians hired on Jan 1, 2008 (and after) will need to be certified within 2 years of registration with the Division of Professional Regulation.
Tetracycline
According to data from EvaluatePharma and published in the "Boston Globe", the price of tetracycline rose from $0.06 per 250-mg pill in 2013 to $4.06 a pill in 2015. The "Globe" described the "big price hikes of some generic drugs" as a "relatively new phenomenon" which has left most pharmacists "grappling" with large upswings" in the "costs of generics, with 'overnight' price changes sometimes exceeding 1,000%."
Generic drug
In the United Kingdom, generic drug pricing is controlled by the government's reimbursement rate. The price paid by pharmacists and doctors is determined mainly by the number of license holders, the sales value of the original brand, and the ease of manufacture. A typical price decay graph will show a "scalloped" curve, which usually starts at the brand-name price on the day of generic launch and then falls as competition intensifies. After some years, the graph typically flattens out at approximately 20% of the original brand price. In about 20% of cases, the price "bounces": Some license holders withdraw from the market when the selling price dips below their cost of goods, and the price then rises for a while until the license holders re-enter the market with new stock. The NHS spent about £4.3 billionn on generics medicines in 2016-17.
Psychiatric pharmacy
Psychiatric pharmacists working for the Veterans Health Administration can have salaries between $112,268-145,955.
Pharmacist
In Switzerland, the federal office of public health regulates pharmacy practice. Four Swiss universities offer a major in pharmaceutical studies, the University of Basel, the University of Geneva, the University of Lausanne and the ETH Zurich. To major in pharmaceutical studies takes at least five years. Students spend their last year as interns in a pharmacy combined with courses at the university, with focus on the validation of prescriptions and the manufacturing of pharmaceutical formulations. Since all public health professions are regulated by the government it is also necessary to acquire a federal diploma in order to work in a pharmacy. It is not unusual for pharmaceutical studies majors to work in other fields such as the pharmaceutical industry or in hospitals. Pharmacists work alongside "pharma assistants", an apprenticeship that takes three years to complete. Pharmacists can further specialise in various fields, which is organized by PharmaSuisse the pharmacists association of Switzerland.
Healthcare in Finland
Outpatient pharmaceuticals, including over-the-counter drugs, can only be sold to patients by pharmacies. Providers can only deliver drugs that are actually administered within their facilities. Health centers can give outpatient drugs to patients when local pharmacies are closed, but only in the dosage needed to cover the time until the pharmacy reopens. Finland limits medicine sales to about 800 licensed pharmacies. It has the highest proportion of pharmacists per head in Europe - 127 per 100,000 in 2015.
Independent pharmacy
According to a Galllup, for more than a decade, America's pharmacists have been recognized as one of the most-trusted professions in America, Pharmacists continue to maintain a high satisfaction rate among consumers, ranking as the 2nd most-trusted profession in 2011.
Pharmacy technician
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 75% of pharmacy technicians in the U.S. work in a retail setting, such as an independently owned drugstore, a mass retailer chain, or a mail-order or online pharmacy. An additional 16% of pharmacy technician jobs were in hospitals, while others worked for nursing homes, pharmaceutical wholesalers, or the Federal Government. To work in any of these settings, certain requirements must be met. Requirements vary by state.
Pharmaceutical sales representative
Pharmaceutical sales representatives (formerly detailmen) are salespeople employed by pharmaceutical companies to persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs to patients. Drug companies in the United States spend ~$5 billion annually sending representatives to doctors, to provide product information, answer questions on product use, and deliver product samples.
Independent pharmacy
Pharmacists are approved to administer vaccinations in all 50 states. In 2009, pharmacists throughout the nation administered hundreds of thousands of doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine and demonstrated the critical role pharmacists play in public health and the value they deliver to their patients.
List of pharmacies
Germany is the biggest pharmacy market in Europe with €35 billion, or $46 billion, of revenue each year. In Germany, pharmacies are known as "apotheken". Like France, they are all independently-owned by pharmacists, and like France, there are no pharmacy chains. In hindsight to consumer protection, German law bans chains of apotheken, but generally allows self-employed pharmacists to individually operate a maximum of four outlets, all of which must be in close proximity.
Pharmacist
Training to become a registered pharmacist in Nigeria involves a five-year course after six years of secondary/high school or four years after eight years of secondary/high school (i.e. after 2 years of Advanced-level studies in accredited Universities). The degree awarded by most pharmacy schools is a Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree (B.Pharm.) However, in the near future, all schools will offer a 6-year first Degree course leading to the award of a Pharm.D (Doctor of Pharmacy Degree). The University of Benin has started the Pharm.D programme with other pharmacy schools planning to start soon. The Pharmacy Degree in Nigeria is unclassified i.e. awarded without first class, second class upper, etc., however graduates could be awarded Pass with Distinctions in specific fields such as Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, medicinal chemistry etc. Pharmacy Graduates are required to undergo 1 year of Tutelage under the supervision of an already Registered Pharmacist(a preceptor) in a recognized and designated Institution before they can become Registered Pharmacists. The Profession is Regulated by a Government Statutory body called the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria. The West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacy runs post-registration courses on advanced-level practice in various fields of pharmacy. It is a college jointly funded by a number of Countries in the West Africa sub-region. There are thousands of Nigerian-trained pharmacists registered and practicing in countries such as the US, the UK, Canada etc., due to the relatively poor public sector salaries in Nigeria.
Pharmaconomist
The Danish Association of Pharmaconomists is a trade union who represents about 5,700 pharmaconomists in Denmark (i.e. 98% of all Danish pharmaconomists).
The Danish title "farmakonom" (pharmaconomist) comes from the Greek "pharmakon" (meaning "pharmaceuticals") and "nom" (meaning "expert in").
Pharmacy
The World Health Organization estimates that there are at least 2.6 million pharmacists and other pharmaceutical personnel worldwide.
History of pharmacy in the United States
Apothecary—an ancient title that, especially in pre-modern or early modern contexts, indicates a broader set of skills and duties than the core role of dispensing medications, like prescribing remedies and even giving some treatments difficult to self-administer, e.g. enemas—have largely been within the "pharmacist" umbrella in the U.S. since the mid-19th century, when Edward Parrish of the American Pharmaceutical Association successfully proposed that the APhA "consider all the varied pharmaceutical practitioners 'pharmacists'” to better "standardize the field." Unlike in the UK, where pharmacists were separated from apothecaries by Parliament and the pharmacist had effectively eclipsed the ancient apothecary, appellations and professions have been far more fluid and overlapping in the U.S., especially prior to the regulatory schemes widely adopted in the late 19th century. "Apothecary" still crops up as synonym for pharmacist, along with "druggist," and has yet to fall entirely out of use, with some in the U.S. still calling themselves apothecaries. As the pharmacist increasingly became the distinct discipline and tightly-defined profession it is today, American pharmacists added their own discoveries and innovations, and played a prominent role in the revolution in medical knowledge in the 19th and 20th centuries and the subsequent development of modern medicine.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
When purchasing a medication under PBS the maximum price a patient pays is the patient contribution (also called a co-payment or out-of-pocket cost), which in 2016 is A$38.30 for general patients. For PBS medications costing less than $38.30, the patient pays the PBS dispensed price plus an additional $1.17 safety net recording fee plus an optional pharmacy charge of $4.33 or less, provided that the total charge does not exceed $38.30. Concessional patients - i.e., low-income earners, welfare recipients, Health Care Card holders, etc. and those covered under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) - pay a patient contribution of $6.20 in 2016. Patient contributions are compulsory and cannot be discounted by pharmacies.
Specialty (medicine)
The table below details the average range of salaries for physicians of selected specialties as of July 2010. Also given in the average number of hours worked per week for full-time physicians (numbers are from 2003).
According to a 2017 study, physician and surgeon median annual income was $208,000.
Physicians in the United States
The same survey reported that, the highest-earning physicians were located in North Central region, comprising Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Missouri, with a median salary of $225,000 per year, as per 2010. The next highest earning physicians were those in the South Central region, comprising Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, at $216,000. Those physicians reporting the lowest compensation levels were located in the Northeast and Southwest, earning an across-specialty median annual income of $190,000.
Pharmacist
In Sweden, the national board of health and welfare regulates the practice of all legislated health care professionals, and is also responsible for registration of pharmacists in the country. The education to become a licensed pharmacist is regulated by the European Union, and states that minimum educational requirements are five years of university studies in a pharmacy program, of which six months must be a pharmacy internship. To be admitted to pharmacy studies, students must complete a minimum of three years of gymnasium, similar to high school (school for about 15–20-year-old students) program in natural science after elementary school (6–16-year-olds). Only three universities in the whole of Sweden offer a pharmacy education, Uppsala University, where the Faculty of Pharmacy is located, the University of Gothenburg, and Umeå University. In Sweden, pharmacists are called "Apotekare". At pharmacies in Sweden, pharmacists work together with another class of legislated health care professionals called "Receptarier", in English so-called "prescriptionists", who have completed studies equal to a bachelor of science in pharmacy, i.e., three years of university. Prescriptionists also have dispensing rights in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The majority of the staff in a pharmacy are "Apotekstekniker" or "pharmacy technicians" with a 3 semesters education at a vocational college.
Specialty drugs in the United States
There are multiple players in specialty drugs including the employer, the health plan, the pharmacy benefits manager and it is unclear who should be in charge of controlling costs and monitoring care. Pharmacies generally buy a product from a wholesaler and sell (Buy & Bill) it to the patient and provide basic drug use information and counseling. According to Maria Hardin, vice president of patient services for the National Organization for Rare Disorders, an alliance of voluntary health and patient advocacy groups working with rare diseases, "As the cost of drugs increases, management of the financial side has gotten more complex... The issues range from Medicare Part D to tiered benefits, prior authorizations, and no benefits. These patients need a pharmacy with the expertise and the clout to go to bat for them. If the patient doesn't get treated, the specialty pharmacy doesn't get paid."
Illegal drug trade
Though street-level drug sales are widely viewed as lucrative, a study by Sudhir Venkatesh suggested that many low-level employees receive low wages. In a study he made in the 1990s working closely with members of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation in Chicago, he found that one gang (essentially a franchise) consisted of a leader (a college graduate named J.T.), three senior officers, and 25 to 75 street level salesmen ('foot soldiers') depending on season. Selling crack cocaine, they took in approximately $32,000 per month over a six-year period. This was spent as follows: $5,000 to the board of twenty directors of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation, who oversaw 100 such gangs for approximately $500,000 in monthly income. Another $5,000 monthly was paid for cocaine, and $4,000 for other non-wage expenses. J.T. took $8,500 monthly for his own salary. The remaining $9,500 monthly went to pay the employees a $7 per hour wage for officers and a $3.30 per hour wage for foot soldiers. Contrary to a popular image of drug sales as a lucrative profession, many of the employees were living with their mothers by necessity. Despite this, the gang had four times as many unpaid members who dreamed of becoming foot soldiers.
Pharmacy technician
Pharmacy Technicians in hospitals are graded on the same Agenda for Change banding as nurses and other health care professionals. They start on a set percentage of a Band 4 (usually 75% - an average annual wage of £20,698) as a trainee moving on to Band 4 when newly qualified PhT and can work their way to a Band 8b in charge of a department/area. A Band 8b is the equivalent of a Nurse Lead/Senior Nurse Manager in nursing or other Head of Department in the NHS. Although Band 8b is possible, a successful pharmacy technician can reasonably expect to reach Band 7a in the latter stage of their career, earning an average of £35,898.
Healthcare in Romania
The pharmaceutical industry in Romania is prosperous, with an average revenue of 8.3 billion lei per year. Value chain in the pharmaceutical industry has increased significantly in the last decade in all segments, contributing with over 1% to GDP (2010). There are 22 plants of productions which receive subsidies from the state. The largest Romanian drugmaker is Terapia S.A., based in Cluj-Napoca. The biggest player in distribution of drugs, depending on turnover, is Mediplus. The company is part of A&D Pharma group, founded in 1994, which also controls the network of pharmacies Sensiblu. The logistics network of Mediplus consists of 10 regional warehouses and a national logistics center.
Pharmacist
The role of pharmacy education, pharmacist licensing, and continuing education vary from country to country and between regions/localities within countries. In most countries, pharmacists must obtain a university degree at a pharmacy school or related institution, and/or satisfy other national/local credentialing requirements. In many contexts, students must first complete pre-professional (undergraduate) coursework, followed by about four years of professional academic studies to obtain a degree in pharmacy (such as Doctorate of Pharmacy). Pharmacists are educated in pharmacology, pharmacognosy, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, microbiology, pharmacy practice (including drug interactions, medicine monitoring, medication management), pharmaceutics, pharmacy law, physiology, anatomy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug delivery, pharmaceutical care, nephrology, hepatology, and compounding of medications. Additional curriculum may cover diagnosis with emphasis on laboratory tests, disease state management, therapeutics and prescribing (selecting the most appropriate medication for a given patient).
Marcia Angell
Angell is a critic of the pharmaceutical industry. With Arnold S. Relman, she argues, "The few drugs that are truly innovative have usually been based on taxpayer-supported research done in nonprofit academic medical centers or at the National Institutes of Health. In fact, many drugs now sold by drug companies were licensed to them by academic medical centers or small biotechnology companies." The pharmaceutical industry estimates that each new drug costs them $800 million to develop and bring to market, but Angell and Relman estimate the cost to them is actually closer to $100 million. Angell is the author of "The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It".
Pharmacy technician
Potential employees that have met all state requirements can expect to enjoy positive employment and salary growth between now and 2020. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this positive growth trend is expected to play out in the state of California as well as nationwide.
Specialty (medicine)
In this table, as in many healthcare arenas, medical specialties are organized into the following groups:
The mean annual salary of a medical specialist is $175,011in the US, and $272,000 for surgeons.
Male physicians earn more than female doctors. Male primary care doctors earned $225,000 a year compared to female primary care doctors, who earned $192,000
Pharmacies in the United States
There are approximately 67,000 pharmacies in the United States. Almost half (33,000) are located within drug stores, grocery stores, hospitals, department stores, medical clinics, surgery clinics, universities, nursing homes, prisons, and other facilities. The remaining pharmacies are considered to be independent or privately owned. The top 25 pharmacy chain stores represent about 28,000 pharmacy locations in the U.S. and employ about 46,000 on-staff pharmacists. California has 5,560 pharmacies, the most of any state. Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania round out the top five states for pharmacy locations. Nationwide, the number of community pharmacies increased by 6.3% between 2007-2015, and the number of pharmacies per 10,000 people (2.11) did not change. However, the number of pharmacies per-capita varies substantially across counties, ranging from 0 to 13.6 per- 10,000 people in 2015.
Pharmaceutical industry in China
The Chinese pharmaceutical distribution sector is very fragmented with about 10,000+ state-owned pharmaceutical wholesalers. Direct marketing to doctors (detailing), which is the basic marketing activity in developed countries, complemented by advertising, is not developed in China. Chinese hospitals generate 60 percent of their revenues from the sale of prescription drugs. Hospital pharmacies are still the main retail outlets for pharmaceuticals, accounting for 80 percent of total drug sales. This situation is changing because the government is encouraging the establishment of retail pharmacies that are not associated with hospitals.
Pharmacist
Polish pharmacists have to complete a 5-and-a-half-years Master of Pharmacy Programme at medical university and obtain the Right to Practice as a Pharmacist in Poland from District Pharmaceutical Council. The Programme includes 6-months pharmacy training. The Polish name for the Master of Pharmacy Degree (M. Pharm.) is "magister farmacji" (mgr farm). Not only pharmacists, but also pharmaceutical technicians are allowed to dispense prescription medicines, except for narcotics, psychotropics and very potent medicines. Pharmacists approve prescriptions fulfilled by pharmaceutical technicians subsequently. Pharmaceutical technicians have to complete 2-years post-secondary occupational school and 2-years pharmacy training afterwards. Pharmacists are eligible to prescribe medicines in exceptional circumstances. All Polish pharmacies are obliged to produce compound medicines. Most pharmacists in Poland are pharmacy managers and are responsible for pharmacy marketing in addition to traditional activities. To become a pharmacy manager in Poland, a pharmacist is expected to have at least 5-years professional experience. All pharmacists in Poland have to maintain an adequate knowledge level by participating in various university- and industry-based courses and arrangements or by undergoing postgraduate specialization.
Franck Sérusclat
With an innovative spirit, if somewhat lacking in humour, he contributed to the 1981 Pharmacy Green Paper under Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy for the creation of mobile pharmacies to supply rural villages, as some grocers still did at the time. This caused something of a sensation in the pharmacist world. In the same paper, he also proposed to pay pharmacists a consultation fee or prescription charge, as was done in other parts of the health profession.
Physicians in the United States
On average, physicians in the US work 55 hours each week and earn a salary of $270,000, although work hours and compensation vary by specialty. 25% of physicians work more than 60 hours per week.
Veterinary physician
The financial rewards for veterinary specialists proved impressive in a 2015 compensation survey sent to veterinarians in the US. Ophthalmologists and radiologists could earned more than $345,468 per year. Pathologists earned more than $267,000 per year, and veterinary surgeons earned more than $250,061 per year, and lab animal medicine specialists could earn more than $246,000 per year. Veterinary dermatologists responded to the survey with a median salary of $224,640 and anesthesiologists with $405,200.
Primary care
Primary care physicians earn $60.48 per hour; specialists on average earn $88.34. A follow up study conducted by the UC Davis Health System found that earnings over the course of the careers of primary care physicians averaged as much as $2.8 million less than the earnings of their specialist colleagues. This discrepancy in pay has potentially made primary care a less attractive choice for medical school graduates. In 2015, almost 19,000 doctors graduated from American medical schools and only 7 percent of graduates chose a career in primary care. The average age of a primary care physician in the United States is 47 years old, and one quarter of all primary care physicians are nearing retirement. Fifty years ago roughly half of the physicians in America practiced primary care; today, fewer than one third of them do.
Pharmacy school
In Chile, students must study six years to become pharmacists. The best school of pharmacy is at Universidad de Chile , in Santiago de Chile. Chilean pharmacists are prepared not only to dispense and be able to work at clinical and communitary pharmacies, but in Pharmaceutical, Food and Cosmetic industry at every level, including drug development (a Degree is needed here), manufacturing, management, marketing, etc., due to the very strong scientific preparation they receive, including engineering and pharmaceutical technology topics. The official title for pharmacists in Chile is Químico Farmacéutico (Pharmaceutical Chemist), and their degree is Licenciado en Ciencias Químicas y farmacéuticas (Bachelor in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences).
Biochemist
The average income of a biochemist was $82,150 in 2017. The range of the salaries begin around 44,640 to 153,810, reported in 2017. The Federal Government in 2005 reported the average salaries in different fields associated with biochemistry and being a biochemist. General biological scientists in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions earned an average salary of $69,908; microbiologists, $80,798; ecologists, $72,021; physiologists, $93,208; geneticists, $85,170; zoologists, $101,601; and botanists, $62,207.
Medicare (United States)
Chemotherapy and other medications dispensed in a physician's office are reimbursed according to the Average Sales Price, a number computed by taking the total dollar sales of a drug as the numerator and the number of units sold nationwide as the denominator. The current reimbursement formula is known as "ASP+6" since it reimburses physicians at 106% of the ASP of drugs. Pharmaceutical company discounts and rebates are included in the calculation of ASP, and tend to reduce it. In addition, Medicare pays 80% of ASP+6, which is the equivalent of 84.8% of the actual average cost of the drug. Some patients have supplemental insurance or can afford the co-pay. Large numbers do not. This leaves the payment to physicians for most of the drugs in an "underwater" state. ASP+6 superseded Average Wholesale Price in 2005, after a 2003 front-page New York Times article drew attention to the inaccuracies of Average Wholesale Price calculations.
Pharmacist
In the United Kingdom, most pharmacists working in the National Health Service practice in hospital pharmacy or community pharmacy. Pharmacists can undertake additional training to allow them to prescribe medicines for specific conditions. The Royal Commission on the National Health Service in 1979 reported that there were nearly 3,000 pharmacists employed in the hospital and community health service in the UK at that time. They were enthusiastic about the idea that pharmacists might develop their role of giving advice to the public.
Pharmaceutical industry
An investigation by ProPublica found that at least 21 doctors have been paid more than $500,000 for speeches and consulting by drugs manufacturers since 2009, with half of the top earners working in psychiatry, and about $2 billion in total paid to doctors for such services. AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly have paid billions of dollars in federal settlements over allegations that they paid doctors to promote drugs for unapproved uses. Some prominent medical schools have since tightened rules on faculty acceptance of such payments by drug companies.
Pharmacies in the United States
Top 25 pharmacy chains ranked by the number of pharmacists
Pharmacy school
The profession of pharmacy is regulated on a provincial level. The provincial regulatory authorities are directly responsible for granting pharmacist licenses, assessing the competency of pharmacists and ensuring public safety. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities was established in 1995 as a way to harmonize the activities of the provincial regulatory authorities. They represent the interests of the provincial authorities and serve as a national resource centre for all pharmacists. CPhA is actively involved on several NAPRA committees.
Physicians in the United States
In contrast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual income for physicians at $166,400.
Clinical pharmacy
Clinical pharmacy is the branch of pharmacy in which clinical pharmacists provide direct patient care that optimizes the use of medication and promotes health, wellness, and disease prevention. Clinical pharmacists care for patients in all health care settings but the clinical pharmacy movement initially began inside hospitals and clinics. Clinical pharmacists often work in collaboration with physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals. Clinical pharmacist often will enter into a formal collaborative practice agreement or a collaborative drug therapy agreement with a physician (s) that includes prescriptive privileges and laboratory monitoring.
Clinical pharmacists have extensive education in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, socio-behavioural and clinical sciences. Most clinical pharmacists have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree and many have completed one or more years of post-graduate training (for example, a general and/or specialty pharmacy residency). In the United States, clinical pharmacists can choose to become Board-certified through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), which was organized in 1976 as an independent certification agency of the American Pharmacists Association. The BPS certifies pharmacists in the following specialties:
Junior doctor
In 2013 graduates who had studied medicine or dentistry were the most likely to be employed and had the highest average gross annual pay when compared to graduates who studied other subjects. In 2015, the average starting salary of junior doctors was the third-highest of all graduate starting salaries, after dentistry and chemical engineering. In 2016, it was reported that after 10 years of employment medicine graduates had the highest salary of all degrees. Research conducted in December 2014 showed that across a range of other jobs, almost a third of graduate programmes at Britain's best known and leading employers paid starting salaries of more than £35,000; however, 83% of these leading employers reported that they were recruiting for jobs in London where salaries are higher, whereas NHS salaries are set on a nationwide basis, with doctors in London given an additional payment (£2,162 as of 2013) known as London weighting to compensate for increased cost of living.
Separation of prescribing and dispensing
In jurisdictions (such as the United States), pharmacists are regulated separately from physicians. These jurisdictions also usually specify that "only" pharmacists may supply scheduled pharmaceuticals to the public, and that pharmacists cannot form business partnerships with physicians or give them "kickback" payments. However, the American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Ethics provides that physicians may dispense drugs within their office practices as long as there is no patient exploitation and patients have the right to a written prescription that can be filled elsewhere. 7 to 10 percent of American physicians practices reportedly dispense drugs on their own.
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
It is uncommon for a pharmacist to be elevated to fellow with only 66 pharmacists (0.001%) recognised as fellows. There are 650 pharmacists who are life-time fellows (0.08%). This low rate means that it is considered a great honour to be elevated to a fellow.
Pharmacies in the United States
The table below shows the top 25 pharmacy chains in the United States per state ranked by the number of pharmacist in each location, according to the National Pharmacy Market Summary done by SK&A 2010
Familiprix
Familiprix is a Canadian group of independent pharmacists. , Familiprix consists of 320 pharmacies with over $1 billion in retail sales. Familiprix's network employs more than 5,000 and covers all of Quebec and part of New Brunswick. The banner's pharmacies are organized by surface area into three categories: clinic, commercial, and extra. Familiprix is the 29th largest company in Quebec's top 500 list and is among the 150 most admired companies in Quebec.
Pharmacy school
The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate pharmacy degree from a recognized university. In many countries, this involves a four- or five-year course to attain a master of pharmacy degree (MPharm). In the United States of America, students graduating after January 1, 2003, must complete a doctor of pharmacy degree to become a licensed pharmacist. This same requirement has been coming into place in other countries such as Canada and France.
American Academy of Dermatology
Dermatologists in the United States have the third highest annual incomes among physicians, at $381,000 per year. They were topped only by cardiologists at $410,000 per year and orthopedists at $443,000 per year. The dermatologist income was an 11% increase from 2015, fourth highest among all physicians. Male dermatologists’ annual incomes exceeded their female counterparts by $73,000. For their income, most (39%) male dermatologists spent an average of more than 12 minutes with each patient; more female dermatologists (48%) spent more than 12 minutes per patient.
Pharmacy
Pharmacists are represented internationally by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). They are represented at the national level by professional organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in the UK, Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PSA), Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA), Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA), and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). ("See also: List of pharmacy associations.)"
Specialty drugs in the United States
The top ten specialty pharmacies in 2014 were CVS Specialty parent company CVS Health with $20.5B in sales, Express Scripts's Accredo at $15B, Walgreens Boots Alliance's Walgreens Specialty at $8.5B, UnitedHealth Group's OptumRx at $2.4B, Diplomat Pharmacy at $2.1B, 
Catamaran's BriovaRx at $2.0B, Specialty Prime Therapeutics's Prime Therapeutics at $1.8B, Omnicare's Advanced Care Scripts at $1.3B, Humana's RightsourceRx at $1.2B, Avella at $0.8B. All the other specialty pharmacies accounted for $22.4B of sales in 2014 with a total of $78B.
Pharmacy school
Today, individuals seeking to become pharmacists must first complete a pre-pharmacy undergraduate program. This program consists of a minimum of 60-90 semester credit hours (90-100 quarter credit hours) of undergraduate coursework in basic and advanced sciences; however, many students find completion of a four-year program (between 120-130 semester credit hours) leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, chemistry, or a similar field enhances their chances of admission. Pre-requisite and application requirements vary by individual schools/colleges of pharmacy; therefore, it is prudent to be aware of requirements for prospective schools throughout undergraduate education. The application requirement and processes for pharmacy school admission varies (see Pharmacy Education). A full list of ACPE-accredited programs is available at the ACPE website. Additionally, a PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) score is required at most colleges and schools of pharmacy. Additional requirements for entry may include essays, references, an interview or participation in other on-campus activities.
Pharmacy in the United Kingdom
Because of greater use of specialist medicines the cost, at list price, of prescribed medication in hospitals in England increased by 10.8% to £9.2 billion in 2017/2018 compared with the previous year. In 2010/2011 the hospital pharmacy bill was £4.2 billion. The biggest single cost was adalimumab at £494.5 million, the patent on which expired in December 2018. The actual costs paid may be less than the list prices.
Healthcare in Iran
In 2006, 55 pharmaceutical companies in Iran produce more than 96 percent (quantitatively) of medicines on the market, worth $1.2 billion annually. Iran’s pharmaceutical market is estimated to be worth $1.87 billion (2008), $2.31 billion (2009), $3.26 billion (2011), $3,57 billion (2013) and $3.65bn by 2013 (projected).
Pharmacy technician
In Ghana, a 2009 assessment of pharmaceutical human resources identified a total of 1,637 practicing pharmacists (1 per 14,400 population), 918 practising pharmacy Technicians/Technologists (1 per 25,600), and 1,642 medicine counter assistants (1 per 14,300). Nearly half (45%) of pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers across the country reported having one or more vacancies for pharmaceutical personnel, including 82% of public sector facilities.
Pharmacist
As of 1997, 46 universities of pharmacy in Japan graduated about 8000 students annually. Contemporary practice of clinical pharmacists in Japan (as evaluated in September 2000) focuses on dispensing of drugs, consultation with patients, supplying drug information, advising on prescription changes and amending prescriptions. These practices have been linked to decreases in the average number of drugs in prescriptions, drug costs and incidence of adverse drug events.
Pharmacology
Whereas a pharmacy student will eventually work in a pharmacy dispensing medications, a pharmacologist will typically work within a laboratory setting. Careers for a pharmacologist include academic positions (medical and non-medical), governmental positions, private industrial positions, science writing, scientific patents and law, consultation, biotech and pharmaceutical employment, the alcohol industry, food industry, forensics/law enforcement, public health, and environmental/ecological sciences.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are often the first point-of-contact for patients with health inquiries. Thus pharmacists have a significant role in assessing medication management in patients, and in referring patients to physicians. These roles may include, but are not limited to:
Pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio
The pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio is a legal regulation that establishes the maximum number of pharmacy technicians that may be supervised by a licensed pharmacist at one given time. For example, a pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio of 1:3 would mean that three people are allowed to be working as pharmacy technicians at one time for every one pharmacist present.
Pharmaconomist
Like pharmacists, pharmaconomists can work as pharmacy managers and HR managers (or as chief pharmaconomists).
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) is a professional organization that represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory care settings. The organization’s 45,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. For more than 75 years, ASHP has been at the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety.
Pharmacy
Specialty pharmacies supply high cost injectable, oral, infused, or inhaled medications that are used for chronic and complex disease states such as cancer, hepatitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Unlike a traditional community pharmacy where prescriptions for any common medication can be brought in and filled, specialty pharmacies carry novel medications that need to be properly stored, administered, carefully monitored, and clinically managed. In addition to supplying these drugs, specialty pharmacies also provide lab monitoring, adherence counseling, and assist patients with cost-containment strategies needed to obtain their expensive specialty drugs. It is currently the fastest growing sector of the pharmaceutical industry with 19 of 28 newly FDA approved medications in 2013 being specialty drugs.
Pharmacy benefit management
According to the American Pharmacists Association, "PBMs are primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the formulary, contracting with pharmacies, negotiating discounts and rebates with drug manufacturers, and processing and paying prescription drug claims. For the most part, they work with self-insured companies and government programs striving to maintain or reduce the pharmacy expenditures of the plan while concurrently trying to improve health care outcomes."
Quantum Pharmaceutical
Leo McDermott, its [Quantums] business development general manager, said: “We’ll charge you 150 per cent [of the cost of the drug]. Your 50 per cent stays in the Royal Bank of Quantum until you see fit to claim it back.” Mr McDermott also suggested that his company could supply generic drugs free of charge in return for the right to supply the chain of pharmacies with special drugs.
Reporting a conversation he said had taken place with a high street chemist, he said: “I said 'you’ve got an account with [generic drug manufacturer], why don’t I just buy two and a half grand’s worth of generics from them, we’ll get it delivered into Quantum and then delivered [to you]’. So we’re not, no one’s breaking the law. We’re not laundering money or anything,” said Mr McDermott.
Alternatively, he suggested simply invoicing Quantum at regular intervals, with around £10,000 a month being paid to the pharmacy chain for its business.
“Or you can write us an invoice for £10,000 … simple as that. And between two large companies that’s completely legal. Quantum have had the best lawyers in the world on this. It’s completely legal. And little Mr Patel on the high street [thought to be a reference to chemists] they like to duck and dive and get the money back in different ways but a large company like you guys, you, you invoice me once a quarter for £40,000. Dead easy, dead easy,” he said.
Pharmacy technician
In Canada, according to a 2007 profile of the pharmacy technician workforce, 43% of technicians work in hospitals and other related facilities, 37% in
chain or franchise community pharmacies, and 16% in independent community pharmacies. Most (62%) obtained pharmacy technician training from a career college or community college, some (16%) had only a high school education and no formal pharmacy training, while about 20% had some university education. A very small proportion (2%) had trained and worked abroad as either pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. The wide range of technical training and educational attainment likely reflects in part the variety of training programs for pharmacy technicians currently available in the different provinces and territories of the country. Accredited Pharmacy Technician diploma, certificate and college programs are offered in the Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. 908
Raj K Aggarwal
He has also written about the high cost to the public purse for wasted prescription medicines in Wales - that "costs the NHS an estimated £50million a year; enough to fund 350 nurses, 200 hip operations and more than 1,000 coronary bypass operations" - and urged health officials to place more trust in pharmacists, writing: "Wales has the highest prescribing rate per head of population in the UK – 22 items compared to 16 in England – meaning this is a serious issue for the Assembly Government to sort out. There are more than 700 pharmacies across Wales situated where people work, shop and live. The pharmacists working in these businesses are at the heart of decisions about the prescription and dispensing of medicines. They daily interface with prescribers, practice managers, care-home managers and patients and there is not a day that goes by when they do not identify issues which can result in ineffective or inappropriate use of medicines."
General practice
GPs are increasingly employing pharmacists to manage the increasingly complex medication regimes of an aging population. In 2017 more than 1,061 practices were employing pharmacists, following the rollout of NHS England’s Clinical Pharmacists in General Practice programme. There are also moves to employ care navigators, sometimes an enhanced role for a receptionist, to direct patients to different services such as pharmacy and physiotherapy if a doctor is not needed. In September 2017 270 trained care navigators covering 64,000 patients had been employed across Wakefield. It was estimated that they had saved 930 GP hours over a 10-month trial.
Pharmacy in the United Kingdom
Since at least 1979 there have been proposals that pharmacists should develop their role of giving advice to the public. NHS England announced a pilot scheme in July 2015 for GP practices in England to employ around 300 pharmacists to provide clinical care and relieve pressure on GPs. They will monitor patients with long-term conditions, create medicine plans and provide advice and expertise on day-to-day medicines issues.
Paramedics in the United States
Aside from their traditional roles, paramedics may also participate in one of many specialty arenas:The salary of a paramedic in the US varies. The mean average is $30,000, with the lowest 10% earning under $20,000 and the top 10% earning over $50,000, considerably less than the salaries of paramedics in Canada. Factors such as education and location of the paramedic's practice influence the salary. Paramedic supervisors and managers may make between $60,000- $80,000, depending on location.
Specialty pharmacy
Pharmacy benefit management — working with employers, health plans companies and government programs — dominate the specialty pharmacy market in the United States since at 2008. According to the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), "Historically, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) is a third-party administrator of prescription drug programs. PBMs are primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the formulary, contracting with pharmacies, negotiating discounts and rebates with drug manufacturers, and processing and paying prescription drug claims. For the most part, they work with self-insured companies and government programs striving to maintain or reduce the pharmacy expenditures of the plan while concurrently trying to improve health care outcomes."
Martin A. Herman
In 1976, Herman sponsored legislation allowing the substitution by pharmacists of generic drugs for their brand-name equivalents and permitting price-based advertising for medications, proposals that were opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, many of whose largest companies were based in New Jersey and brought in $2 billion in revenue a year to the state. Martin cited the opportunities to offer New Jersey residents "high quality drugs at lower cost", with savings estimated up to $15 million annually; while opponents argued that reduced profit margins could lead pharmaceutical firms to cut research and cause drug companies to leave the state.
Pharmacist
In British English (and to some extent Australian English), the professional title known as "pharmacist" is also known as "dispensing chemist" or, more commonly, "chemist". A dispensing chemist usually operates from a pharmacy or chemist's shop, and is allowed to fulfil medical prescriptions and sell over-the-counter drugs and other health-related goods.
Pharmacist
School students must take a national exam to enter a university of pharmacy or the pharmacy department of a university of medicine and pharmacy. About 5–7% of students can pass the exam. There are 3 aspects to the exam. These are on math, chemistry, and physics or biology. After being trained in the university students receive a 5-year bachelor's degree in pharmacy. Or they are university pharmacists (university pharmacist to discriminate between college pharmacist or vocational pharmacist in some countries of the world these pharmacist are call pharmacist assistants). An alternative method of obtaining a bachelor's degree is as follows. School pupils study in a college of pharmacy or a vocational school of pharmacy. After attending the school or college they go to work. And with two years of practice they could take an exam to enter university of pharmacy or the pharmacy department of a university of medicine and pharmacy. This exam is easier than the national one. Passing the exam they continue studying to gain 3-year bachelor's degrees or 4-year bachelor's degrees. This degree is considered equivalent to a 5-year bachelor's degree.
Physician assistant
"Money" magazine, in conjunction with Salary.com, listed the PA profession as the "fifth best job in America" in May 2006, based both on salary and job prospects, and on an anticipated 10-year job growth of 49.65%. In 2010, CNN Money rated the physician assistant career as the number two best job in America. In 2012, Forbes rated the physician assistant degree as the number one master's degree for jobs. In 2015, Glassdoor rated physician assistant as the number one best job in America. According to the 2014 national salary survey of PAs, the mean total income for physician assistants working full-time was $112,344. Physician assistants in emergency medicine, dermatology, and surgical subspecialties may earn $100,000 to $200,000 per year.
Prescription drug
Many prescriptions issued by health practitioners in Australia are covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, a scheme that provides subsidised prescription drugs to residents of Australia to ensure that all Australians have affordable and reliable access to a wide range of necessary medicines. When purchasing a drug under the PBS, the consumer pays no more than the patient co-payment contribution, which, as of January 1, 2018, is A$39.50 for general patients. Those covered by government entitlements (low-income earners, welfare recipients, Health Care Card holders, etc.) and or under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) have a reduced co-payment, which is $6.40 in 2018. The co-payments are compulsory and can be discounted by pharmacies up to a maximum of A$1.00 at cost to the pharmacy.
Pharmacy (shop)
In the English NHS there are 438 million visits nationally to community pharmacies a year for health related reasons. More than 1 billion prescription items were dispensed in 2012. More than £14 billion is spent on prescribed drugs annually. Under the 2005 NHS Community Pharmacy contract all community pharmacists in England and Wales provide:
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Grattan Institute Health Program released a report titled "Australia’s bad drug deal" by Dr Stephen Duckett, in which he states that Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme pays at least $1.3 billion a year too much for prescription drugs. New Zealand, which has capped its budget and appointed independent experts to make decisions through the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Pharmac), pays a sixth as much as the PBS for the same drugs. Public hospitals in two Australian states pay much lower prices than the PBS. In one case,the prices are just a sixth of PBS prices. In one extreme example the report states that "The price of one drug, Olanzapine, is 64 times higher on the PBS than in Western Australian public hospitals". This report proposes three ways Australia can regain its lost leadership in pharmaceutical pricing.
Physicians in the United States
The United States has the highest paid general practitioners in the world. The US has the second-highest paid specialists in the world behind the Netherlands. Public and private payers pay higher fees to US primary care physicians for office visits (overall 27 percent more for public and 70 percent more for private) than in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. US primary care physicians also earn more (overall earning $186,000 yearly) than the foreign counterparts, with even higher numbers for physician compensation for medical specialists. Higher fees, rather than factors such as higher practice costs, volume of services, or tuition expenses, mainly drive higher US spending.
Prescription drug prices in the United States
Prices vary from one pharmacy to another as listed prices determine what the insurance companies will have to pay for the drug. Therefore, patients are rarely expected to pay the high prices listed for each prescription. According to the 2017 consumer reports, it is important to compare prices of various retail pharmacies to get the best deal. Other tips include seeking 90-day prescription when possible, asking for the lowest price when deciding to pay for a medication, asking for generics (refer to "Generics versus Brand-name Products" for more details regarding generic drugs vs. brand-name drugs), comparing insurance plans and talking to your doctor about costs in order to find cheaper alternative(s).
Medication
In the UK the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme is intended to ensure that the National Health Service is able to purchase drugs at reasonable prices. The prices are negotiated between the Department of Health, acting with the authority of Northern Ireland and the UK Government, and the representatives of the Pharmaceutical industry brands, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). For 2017 this payment percentage set by the PPRS will be 4,75%.
Doctor of Pharmacy
In Sweden, the pharmacist (Apotekare) are not presented as a pharmacy doctors. Pharmacist (Apotekare) have largest labor market in pharmacies or hospital pharmacies and can also work closely with health care to improve drug (Clinical Pharmacy). For example, in pharmacy business may pharmacists also work with education and teaching.
Pharmacy technician
, the nationwide average hourly pay for pharmacy technicians working in retail or independent pharmacies is $12.26 and for pharmacy technicians working in hospital setting is $14.57.
Doctor of Pharmacy
In Hungary, pharmacists obtain their master's degree, after five years of study. In the fifth year, students must undergo a professional training, that lasts for two+two months (autumn and spring) in a public pharmacy and one month in a hospital. At the end of this period, the student must pass a nationwide exam to be legally entitled for practicing the profession of pharmacy, after acquiring the pharmacist work license. According to the new law in 2008, which is valid from 2009, all pharmacists, who have acquired the master's degree of Pharmacy, are entitled to the Doctor of Pharmacy.
Ethics in pharmaceutical sales
The pharmaceutical industry is a highly competitive business and its success is dependent on the sales and marketing of each drug. The cost of research and development for each drug is hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2005 the research and development expenditure for the biopharmaceutical industry within Europe and the US was 15,474 million euro.(The Pharma Industry Figures, 2006). Some health economists peg the current cost of drug development at US$1.3 billion, others at US$1.7 billion The actual drug discovery and the drug development can take years. After which, testing and clinical trials are required prior to getting approval by regulatory boards. After launching the drug the company has much at stake as it has already outlaid millions of dollars the success of its sales is an important factor to the success of the company.
Pharmacist
Historically, the fundamental role of pharmacists as a healthcare practitioner was to check and distribute drugs to doctors for medication that had been prescribed to patients. In more modern times, pharmacists advise patients and health care providers on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications, and act as a learned intermediary between a prescriber and a patient. Pharmacists monitor the health and progress of patients to ensure the safe and effective use of medication. Pharmacists may practice compounding; however, many medicines are now produced by pharmaceutical companies in a standard dosage and drug delivery form. In some jurisdictions, pharmacists have prescriptive authority to either independently prescribe under their own authority or in collaboration with a primary care physician through an agreed upon protocol called a collaborative practice agreement.
Evidence-based pharmacy in developing countries
In all the talk of rational drug use, the impact of the pharmaceutical industry cannot be ignored, with its many incentive schemes for doctors and pharmacy staff who dispense, advise or encourage use of particular products. These issues have been highlighted in a study of pharmaceutical sales representative (medreps) in Mumbai. This was an observational study of medreps' interactions with pharmacies, covering a range of neighborhoods containing a wide mix of social classes. It is estimated that there are approximately 5000 medreps in Mumbai, roughly one for every four doctors in the city. Their salaries vary according to the employing organization, with the multinationals paying the highest salaries. The majority work to performance-related incentives. One medrep stated "There are a lot of companies, a lot of competition, a lot of pressure to sell, sell! Medicine in India is all about incentives to doctors to buy your medicines, incentives for us to sell more medicines. Even the patient wants an incentive to buy from this shop or that shop. Everywhere there is a scheme, that's business, that's medicine in India.'
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) is the national organization representing the interests of pharmacy education. Founded in 1900, AACP comprises all accredited colleges and schools with pharmacy degree programs, including more than 6,400 faculty, 63,800 students enrolled in professional programs, and 4,800 individuals pursuing graduate study in the field of pharmacy.
Ethics in pharmaceutical sales
Pharmaceutical fraud involves activities that result in false claims to insurers or programs such as Medicare in the United States or equivalent state programs for financial gain to a pharmaceutical company. There are several different schemes used to defraud the health care system which are particular to the pharmaceutical industry. These include: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Violations, Off Label Marketing, Best Price Fraud, CME Fraud, Medicaid Price Reporting, and Manufactured Compound Drugs. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimates that health care fraud costs American taxpayers $60 billion a year. Of this amount $2.5 billion was recovered through "False Claims Act" cases in FY 2010. Examples of fraud cases include the Pfizer $2.3 billion settlement and Merck $650 million settlement. Damages from fraud can be recovered by use of the False Claims Act, most commonly under the "qui tam" provisions which rewards an individual for being a "whistleblower", or relator (law).
Verband Forschender Arzneimittelhersteller
As of 2010, the vfa represented 43 German pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies with about 80,000 employees. including the following eight largest global pharmaceutical companies with 2014 pharm sales in brackets: Novartis (51.3B$), Pfizer (44.9B$), Sanofi (40B$), Roche (37.6B$), Merck (36.6B$), Johnson&Johnson (36.4B$), AstraZeneca (33.3B$) and GlaxoSmithKline (31.5B$). Their 2014 sales have decreased due to corporate mergers and patent expiration, according to vfa.In 2015, there were 265 pharmaceuticak companies per The Federal Statistical Office.
The vfa members are:
In 2010, the vfa and the BPI were listed as the most powerful lobby groups for the pharma sector in Germany.