Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.; pronounced /ˈfɑːrməsi/; from the Latin pharmacia, meaning "drug healing") is a professional doctorate in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree and a prerequisite for licensing to practice the profession of pharmacy or to become a Clinical pharmacist.
Etymology
The term "Pharmacy" comes from the Greek word pharmakon, meaning "drug" or "medicine". The prefix "Doctor" originates from the Latin docere, meaning "to teach". Thus, a Doctor of Pharmacy is one who is trained to teach about drugs and their effects.
Related Terms
- Pharmacist: A healthcare professional who practices in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use.
- Clinical pharmacist: A pharmacist who is educated and trained in direct patient care environments, such as hospitals and clinics, where they have collaborative practice agreements with other health professionals.
- Pharmacy: The science and technique of preparing, dispensing, and reviewing drugs and providing additional clinical services.
- Pharmacology: The branch of medicine that deals with the study of drugs and their actions on the body.
Education and Training
A Doctor of Pharmacy degree is a graduate-level professional doctorate degree. Before the implementation of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, most U.S. pharmacists held a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. The Doctor of Pharmacy degree requires completion of specific prerequisites followed by two to four years of professional pharmacy study. Most students have a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree before they enter a Pharm.D. program.
Licensing
After earning the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, candidates must pass two exams to become licensed pharmacists. They must pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and a state-specific pharmacy law exam.
Practice
Pharmacists, therefore, are the experts on drug therapy and are the primary health professionals who optimize the use of medication for the benefit of the patients. An establishment in which pharmacy (in the first sense) is practiced is called a pharmacy, chemist's or (in the United States) a drugstore.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Doctor of Pharmacy
- Wikipedia's article - Doctor of Pharmacy
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