The pharmacist, the doctor of pharmacy, sells drugs, whether prescribed by a doctor or not. Its advisory role is very important. Most work in pharmacies, the others in medical biology, health establishments, pharmaceutical industry or distribution, the army.
Business description
- The pharmacist is a specialist in medicine as a whole. Pharmacy studies allow access to a wide range of activity sectors (distribution circuit, sales, and advice, hospital, army, and firefighters, education and research, industry, biology, drug regulatory institutions, and bodies.) and trades.
- The dispensing pharmacist (who works in a pharmacy) dispenses the drugs prescribed by the doctor.
- It monitors any incompatibilities and can offer products not subject to prescription or generics. Its role of information, advice, and medical prevention is very important. He can also make specific preparations, always on prescription.
- In addition to his reception function, the pharmacist must keep his accounts and manage stocks and third-party payments.
- The hospital pharmacist provides the drugs to be given to the patients and ensures that the protocols developed with the doctors are followed.
- In a private laboratory, the pharmacist-biologist can be the director, while performing analyzes. In a public laboratory, he is recruited by competitive examination.
- In the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacist follows the drug throughout its development: research, manufacture, control, batch release, marketing authorization file (AMM), and marketing.
Pharmaceutical distribution is handled by the wholesale distributor pharmacist. The latter buys, stores and distributes pharmaceutical products in pharmacies and pharmacies of health establishments in its geographical area. At the interface between laboratories and pharmacies, it defines and enforces procedures relating to the product and regulations. He supervises control, product quality, and safety operations and ensures the traceability of all operations carried out. He manages customer relations (orders, complaints, information) as well as relations with the supervisory authorities as well as administrative declarations.
In the senior civil service, pharmacist inspectors of public health are responsible for drawing up new texts on the profession. They also control drug manufacturers, as well as wholesalers, pharmacies, and laboratories. They are few in number and recruited by competition.
Public bodies such as Inserm, Inrae, Institut Pasteur, IRD, and CNRS recruit some R&D pharmacists for high-level research.
The army, for its part, also employs military pharmacists. Recruited by competitive examination at the Army Health School, they carry out various missions (pharmacist in a military hospital, industrial pharmacist, researcher at the Army Biomedical Research Institute, pharmacist in toxicology).
Studies / Training to Become a Pharmacist
To be a pharmacist, you must have a DE in Doctor of Pharmacy. Studies last between 6 and 9 years depending on the specialty chosen (6 years for pharmacy and industry specialties, 9 years for the internship which allows specializing in hospital pharmacy, medical biology, pharmaceutical innovation, and research).
Access to pharmacy studies is via the MMOP stream: Medicine, Maieutics, Odontology, Pharmacy. Many changes from 2020 in this sector: abolition of the PACES and the entrance examination for the 2nd year, abolition of the nummus clauses in favor of a nummus apertus (number of places fixed by the universities according to their capacity to 'reception and their needs)
MMOP studies are now accessible in two ways :
- health portal (which replaces PACES)
- minor health license (which offers a second chance to students wishing to integrate medicine)
To access the 2nd year of MMOP studies, students take an admission test (written and/or oral).
Access conditions: to
have validated 60 credits, to
have results above a minimum threshold to
have validated the teaching units of the minor of health for the students have taken the license to minor health
2nd and 3rd year: common core (theoretical disciplines applied to health and health products, an internship in pharmacies) + obtaining the DFGSP (general training diploma in pharmaceutical sciences)
4th and 5th year: choice of specialization (pharmacies, industry, or internship) + obtaining the DFASP (advanced training diploma in pharmaceutical sciences)
6th year (short cycle) or 4-year internship (long cycle)
- short cycle for pharmacy and industry specialties
- long cycle for the other specialties:
- DES pharmacy options: practical hospital practice and research or industrial and biomedical pharmacy;
- DES in medical biology options specialized medical biology or polyvalent medical biology;
- DES in pharmaceutical innovation and research.
At the end of studies, obtaining the DE of doctor in pharmacy and the DES followed for interns in a pharmacy
For pharmacists who wish to evolve in the field of industry, students can validate additional training related to the targeted field (engineering or business school diploma, master's degree in health law, master's degree in distribution pharmaceutical, quality master of health products.).
The Army Health School recruits future military pharmacists through an annual competition: access after the baccalaureate or during the 3rd year of the course. The competition is very selective. The students have the status of officer cadets. They also receive military training and join the army for a minimum of 21 years.
Career developments
In pharmacies, a pharmacist assistant can become a partner and/or strengthen his skills by passing a DU (orthopedic pharmacist). A pharmacist-biologist can create or buy a medical analysis laboratory.
The wholesale distributor-distributor pharmacist can progress to a position of operations manager or site manager, purchasing or supply manager, customer manager, a position of quality manager, or product manager in a pharmaceutical laboratory.
For other pharmacist positions, promotions vary according to the mode of practice.