With a pharmacy degree, there are a number of jobs you can consider, all related to dealing with medication and medical devices. What most students don’t know when they begin, however, is that there are many different types of pharmacy careers you can consider. Let’s take a look at the jobs you can hold in this field.

Entry-Level Pharmacy Career Options

If you have a lower-level pharmacy degree, such as an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, you can still pursue a pharmacy-related position. First, you can consider becoming a pharmacy aide. In some states, you don’t need any degree to hold this position, which makes it a great part-time job option for students. As a pharmacy aide, some of your job duties will include running a cash register, stocking shelves, and providing basic customer service. Next, you can become a pharmacy technician. In this role, which is regulated by a certification board, you’ll be able to do the same tasks as a pharmacy aid, along with preparing prescription medications for customers.

Upper Level Pharmacy Jobs

Once you have an advanced degree, you can become a full-fledged pharmacist, which allows you to not only prepare medications, but also to answer customer questions about their prescriptions and, in some cases, work with doctors and nurses to prescribe treatments and administer doses, injections, etc. To become a pharmacist, you must have a doctorate degree and pass the NAPLEX exam. Most pharmacists work in retail settings, but you can also become a clinical pharmacist, working in a hospital or other medical facility. With experience, you can also take a leadership role, overseeing other pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and aides. These pharmacists are usually called pharmacy directors or pharmacists in charge.

Pharmaceutical Sales

A completely different career path to take in the pharmacy field is to work in sales. In this position, your job will be to travel (in most cases) and talk to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals about their drug options. Typically, pharmaceutical representatives work for single company who is attempting to convince healthcare providers to prescribe their medications or use their products over other similar medications and products. You don’t need a doctorate degree to get started as a sales rep in the pharmaceutical field, which makes it an attractive option for those interested in the industry, but who don’t want to spend even more time in college.

Earning a pharmacy degree offers students the skills and ability to work as professionals within the quickly expanding pharmaceutical and health care industries. Courses prepare students with a versatile education based in the disciplines of chemistry, biology, health care administration, communications, and human anatomy and physiology. Below are some of the best online pharmacy degrees and related programs.

Pharmacy Technician	Allied Schools – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacy technician employment is expected to grow by 25% through 2018. Allied University offers a self-paced, online pharmacy technician program that prepares students for careers in this growing field. Prerequisites include an interest in the field and demonstrated high school science courses.
Pharmacy Technician Certificate	U.S. Career Insistute – At the US Career Institute, students can enroll in the Pharmacy Technician program, which will train individuals for entry-level positions as pharmacy technicians. This career offers job security, no previous medical experience, and the opportunity to improve the healthcare system. Graduates work in a hospital, drug store, or mail-order pharmacy.
Career Training - Pharmacy Technology	Ashworth College – The Pharmacy Technician Course at Ashworth College is made up of 15 comprehensive lessons. These lessons are composed of a subject matter preview and objectives, an introductory note from your instructor and a vocabulary builder of new words and terms. Following this introduction, a reading assignment will expand your knowledge and practice exercises help you check and review what you've learned.
Pharmacy Technician Diploma	Ultimate Medical Academy – Ultimate Medical Academy's Pharmacy Technician program allows students to enter this growing field. The online format provides students with a convenient learning platform, while the on-campus option provides a more traditional, intimate approach. Accelerate your career options with Ultimate's dynamic program. Graduates are found throughout the healthcare system.
Certificate - Pharmaceutical Science Certificate - Regulatory Affairs Certificate- BiOrganic Pharmaceutical Science	Lehigh University – Lehigh University offers several certificates in pharmacological sciences. The pharmaceutical science certificate is designed for employees working in pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device manufacturing companies. The certificate in regulatory affairs explores the drug creation process including such courses as Discovery to Approval and Commercial Production. The BioOrganic Pharmaceutical Science certificate studies the biology of the pharmaceutical process.
Pharmacy Technician	Penn Foster Career School – At the Penn Foster Career School, you can become a pharmacy technician in as little as one year. The course of study will provide you with the training and skills you need to gain employment in this fast growing field. Graduates might work in a retail pharmacy, local druggist, grocery store, or hospital.
MS in Pharmacy - Medication Therapy Management Working Professional Doctor of Pharmacy	The University of Florida – The University of Florida MS in Pharmacy in Medication Therapy Management is a 33 credit degree program that is designed for working adults. The program can be completed in about five semesters. Courses provide pharmacists the ability to explore an advanced practice in medication management. A doctorate is also available for those pharmacists who want to begin a career as a professor or consultant.