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Pharmacists are also often small-business owners, owning the pharmacy in which they practise. This unique dichotomy is often the subject of debate within the profession - in part due to the perception of pharmacists as "common shopkeepers" by many in the community.
Pharmacists are often, incorrectly, referred to as "Chemists". This term is a historical one, since pharmacists originally were required to complete an undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (PhC) and were known as "Pharmaceutical Chemists". This is, however, no longer appropriate and may result in confusion with practitioners of the field of chemistry.
The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognised university. In most countries this involves a four-year course to attain a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree.
In Britain, integration with the European Union has resulted in the BPharm course being superceded by a four-year course for the qualification Master of Pharmacy (MPharm). In Australia, apart from the four-year BPharm course, there is the option of a postgraduate 2-year MPharm course for those with undergraduate science degree.
In the United States, pharmacists complete a two-year pre-pharmacy undergraduate program. Following that, the pharmacist will then complete a four year pharmacy program. They will be awarded a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree upon completion of the program. Then a pharmacist will complete an internship. In the United States, people must pass the Naplex exam and an additional state exam before they can acquire a license to practice pharmacy in that state. It was created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® ( NABP ).
Pharmacists are trained in fields including pharmacologyPharmacology (Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos''is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. If these substances have medicinal properties, they are referred to as pharmaceuticals . The field encompasses drug compo, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy practicePharmacy practice is the discipline of pharmacy which involves developing the professional roles of pharmacists. Areas of pharmacy practice include: Disease-state management Clinical interventions Professional development Communication skills Health psych (including drug interactionGenerally, an interaction is a kind of action which occurs as two or more objects have an effect upon one another. The word is sometimes used synonymously with " transaction"; in some cases, a difference between the two should be distinguished. Examples is, medicine monitoring, medication management), pharmaceuticsPharmaceutics is the discipline of pharmacy which deals with all facets of the process of turning a new chemical entity (NCE) into a medication able to be safely and effectively used by patients in the community. Branches of pharmaceutics include: pharmac, pharmacy law , physiologyPhysiology is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. Physiology has traditionally been divided into plant physiology and animal physiology but the principles of physiology are universal, no matter what partic, anatomyAnatomy (from the Greek anatome from ana-temnein to cut up), is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and organization of living things; thus there is animal anatomy ( zootomy) and plant anatomy ( phytonomy). The major branches of anatomy in and biochemistry.