Career options in pharmacy range from filling prescriptions at neighborhood stores to conducting research, engaging in clinical practice, and teaching. Pharmacists also consult with and counsel patients and other health care professionals. Many are involved in medication therapy management, providing drug therapy to improve patients' lives.
Along with their science training and expertise in drug selection and preparation, pharmacists must have the business and communication skills necessary for multifaceted careers.
Iowa offers a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree that is a professional degree. It is not offered as an undergraduate major. Students should apply to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and designate a Pharmacy Interest in order to receive specialized advising and course work to help them prepare for applying to the PharmD program. Typically, the PharmD curriculum includes two years of preprofessional college-level course work followed by four years of pharmacy study.