The health care industry comes with a slew of indecipherable names and words that ordinary individuals like you or me would never otherwise know if our classes did not force us to.  Pharmacology is one such word that many of us would not otherwise be aware of, although it has become increasingly vital for many of us to know the benefits that pharmacologists serve in our society.  Pharmacology is the study of drug action, differing greatly from the role that pharmacists fill; pharmacologists instead test the interactions that occur between living organisms and various chemicals, many times discovering a new biological drug that can help combat viruses. 

Without pharmacology, we would not be able to safely take any drugs, vaccines, or prescriptions because they would not be safely tested, nor would we know what we were putting in our bodies.  While pharmacists develop new drugs, pharmacologists ensure that these drugs will help us fight diseases without causing further harm to our bodies.  Surprisingly, pharmacologists existed as far back as the Middle Ages, although they experienced a kind of “dark ages” themselves after this point until the nineteenth century.  It was only in the mid-nineteenth century that we realized many drugs that doctors give us, need to be further researched before human ingestion. 

As a result, pharmacologists were again brought back to test the chemical reactions between various substances and observe the reactions of living organisms to these chemical compounds.  A field that was once empty opened up nearly overnight, and served to secure the health care industry in an uncertain era.  Since this point, pharmacologists have expanded their studies and help discover new compounds that can be mixed in order to fight more diseases than ever before.  This is especially helpful in the modern era, in which viruses seem to emerge nearly overnight.  Pharmacologists were involved in discovering an antidote for the H1N1 virus that swept the world within a few weeks, causing mass hysteria in many overcrowded cities.  Pharmacologists helped calm this fear by introducing a tentative vaccine relatively early on, and later developed a full fledged vaccine by the time flu season really took off.

While this was the first outbreak to occur in the past few years, it does not mean that we are safe from future diseases.  Pharmacologists have a larger role to play in our future in which we will grow ever closer to foreign nations.  While this closeness is a good thing for global politics, it means that it will be easier than ever to spread disease and viruses, although we will continue to be protected by the skill of pharmacologists.  Pharmacology means that we sleep better at night knowing there are individuals who fight viruses for us to ensure we won’t succumb to a simple flu compound. 

Every state board of pharmacy requires certain prerequisites from students hoping to enter a pharmacy program in the state and receive their license, including the number of hours they have earned, the number of years in the program, etc.  Louisiana is no different, although it does not require as extensive prerequisites as other states.  The state’s requirements include 15 hours of study, resulting in only one year, a lesser amount than many programs which require 2-4 years of study.  The state additionally requires three hours of “live” continuing education requirement hours or five non-live course hours.  Once again, this is different from most states which do not require “live” continuing education hours in pharmacy for licensure.  Finally, the state of Louisiana does not require any further requirements in HIV or medication safety, whereas other states typically require some background knowledge of these topics or a refresher course every few years.  Regardless of the requirements of other states, Louisi
ana determines its own source of requirements for pharmacy licensure and thus far has exhibited a program that attracts pharmacy programs from around the state.

Louisiana is one state that is in dire need of pharmacists and other medical specialists in general, with a rising population that exists underneath the poverty line and a higher emergence of the H1N1 virus.  Only last month, the state was able to secure a large batch of the vaccine that became available in Walgreens stores across the state.  This is one step in the pharmacy program that is constantly looking for ways to improve and to reach the masses within the state.  While the state has been ravaged by hurricanes over the past years, the spirit has not broken and the population continues to persevere despite all odds, producing a fierce pride of the state that is evident from a conversation with any native citizen.  While the pharmacy program in the state can only do so much to help the citizens of Louisiana, the requirements for licensure by the board of pharmacy is one step in the right direction for a state that is almost trying to prove itself to the nation. 

The pharmaceutical industry is constantly changing and evolving in order to bring the best medicine and vaccines to the people of the nation.  The state board of pharmacy in Louisiana is no different in this regard and strives to bring the best possible service to the citizens of the state as they continue to rebuild their coastal cities to become better than they ever were.
 

The eight pharmacy schools of California have made a name for themselves mostly because California has the most pharmacy schools over any other state.  Whether this is due to the large population of the state or simply because many pharmacy programs started out in the state, it is clear that students of California pharmacy schools pride themselves on their acceptance to the school.  Ohio is surprisingly the state with the second highest number of pharmacy schools (six), although California is still known for its research and ability to attract students from around the world. 

Ranging from the University of California to the new Touro University School of Pharmacy, it is clear that California is ever expanding in the pharmaceutical industry.  The eight pharmacy schools are as follows:
•    University of California School of Pharmacy
•    University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy
•    University of Southern California
•    Western University of Health Sciences
•    California Northstate College of Pharmacy
•    Touro University School of Pharmacy
•    Loma Linda University and the School of Pharmacy
•    University of California in San Diego – the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Touro University School of Pharmacy, California Northstate, and Loma Linda are the three newest pharmacy programs in the state and have exhibited the understanding that California nearly runs the pharmacy school industry in the country.  California Northstate College of Pharmacy emphasizes active learning, patient care, and research within their mission statement, and as a new pharmacy school, they have set about to expand the pharmaceutical industry through the amount of research in their program.  Setting a goal to advance the science of pharmacy, this school has already attracted a wide entering class and offers many opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry.

Touro University has a similar mission statement, as they strive to serve society through the programs in its pharmacy school as well as prepare its students for a future in the health care industry.  This pharmacy school prides itself on the small size of classes, especially compared with the large lecture-like classes of larger California schools.  Because Touro is a new school, it is still in the process of expanding its programs, and its student population will undoubtedly grow within the next few years, although its still in the beginning years of the program. 

Loma Linda is a little bit older than the other two schools, and had its first introductory class in 2002 although in an entirely different setting than most other pharmacy programs in California.  Loma Linda prides itself on educating its students in a 7th day advent Christian schedule, thereby allowing students of the like religious minds to come together in pharmacy school.  This program is four years as well although is the first such program to offer the degree in an Adventist setting. 
Regardless of whether you go with the older public schools throughout California, or try out one of the newer schools, chances are that as an incoming pharmacy school student, you will receive an exemplary education in the state of California. 

Earlier this month, Louisiana took precautions with the flu season upon them and shipped vaccinations for H1N1 throughout the state: more than 50 pharmacies in 31 parishes received the vaccination just in time for the winter months.  Louisiana has always been a state that is the hardest hit when diseases invade the country and federal programs have taken notice of this, indicating a shift in the structure of the vaccine’s release into the state. 

Walgreens locations in Louisiana began offering the vaccine to priority groups at the beginning of December in order to combat the rise of flu season later in the month.  Additionally, the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy authorized the release of the H1N1 vaccine into the many parishes so that they would not fall into an “at-risk” state later on in winter.   The board then teamed up with Walgreens to get the vaccine a speedy distribution to the parishes of Louisiana that were the highest priority and contained the most at-risk citizens. 

The inoculation effort of Louisiana has been followed by a number of states since the release of the vaccine.  The initiative which the board demonstrated by releasing the vaccine before the height of flu season is a telling sign of the preparedness and anxiety the state has, regarding the H1N1 virus.  The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy is only one of 50 boards that is in charge of the well-being of each state’s citizens and looks over the potential risks that may creep their way into the state.  The rise of H1N1 is one virus every state is currently looking at, and stock piles of the vaccines have run dry within many populous states around the country as worried parents and citizens have waited in lines for their vaccination shot (or spray). 

Many higher tiered pharmacy schools boast their extensive research facilities that help contribute to new discoveries in the drug industry every year.  While pharmaceutical companies are the main force of the pharmacy industry, pharmacy schools across the country attract students who are interested in the research process of pharmacy and contribute to discoveries in new beneficial drugs.

The process toward discovering and manufacturing a new drug is time consuming and requires millions to billions of dollars from the health care industry.  Therefore, pharmacy schools help lessen the burden by requiring their students to complete a certain amount of research hours which may result in a new discovery within the drug.  MIT is one school that has helped pharmaceutical companies by developing a pharmaceutical innovation program that adapts successful approaches toward the production of new drugs.  The health industry still has a lot to work out for itself in regards to the manufacture of expensive new drugs while still keeping costs low, which is where pharmacy schools come into the picture. 

Pharmacy schools can produce either students who want to work exclusively in a pharmacy or students who want to research into new drug developments and ways to quell disease symptoms.  With new viruses being discovered every year, the country (and world) are in need of as many researchers as we can get in order to discover new remedies for the illnesses that plague mankind.  While pharmacists only seem to mix chemicals together, they do much more than that and understand the science that brings these chemical compounds together.  The ability to use more resources to combat ongoing diseases such as HIV and H1N1 is important in a world where boundaries have fallen and globalization has taken over.  People are closer than ever to each other, which means diseases are more apt to be spread and can jump from continent to continent.

Pharmacy school is more than just research, but the fact that budding pharmacy students can help contribute to the battle against global diseases is vastly important in the long run and can prove to be a lasting indication of the power of pharmacy schools.  Pharmacy schools have greatly contributed to lessening the cost of drug manufacturing over the years and the next few years are bound to see the same trend continuing throughout pharmacy schools across the nation.  Attending pharmacy school therefore means contributing to a step in human history and can help many poverty stricken nations receive the drugs they need to maintain their battle against disease. 

U.S. News recently came out with a study of the best pharmacy schools ranked in 2008, focusing on expert opinions about the program quality and statistical indicators tat measure the quality of the school’s faculty, research, and students.  Every year, U.S. News conducts various rankings of professional graduate school programs, including pharmacy schools, which allows students to make an informed decision of the school that will best mold to their future goals. 

Rankings provide students a way to compare the many different choices for pharmacy schools that exist around the country.  However, U.S. News releases a disclaimer of sorts on their rankings list to ensure that students do not use their rankings to replace careful thought, and instead treat them as a tool to supplement to further research.  Since U.S. News ranks many other graduate degree programs, the magazine strives to offer their own assessment of the many degree programs so that students have the opportunity to take the rankings into account, as well as the way the programs are ranked.  Typically, the rankings involve an extensive four year process of gathering research and surveys from around the many campuses, additionally asking experts within the field to evaluate their peer programs. 

Within pharmacy schools, the rankings occur as a result of extensive research into students’ perspective of their quality of education.  Rankings are judged on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (‘marginal’) to 5 (‘outstanding’). Many times, the rankings only vary slightly over the years, possibly moving in position after a school funds a new degree program.  Furthermore, U.S. News in particular ranks many schools as tied with other schools, meaning that many times (as is seen within the pharmacy school rankings), five different schools hold the same number of rank, such as the six schools ranked number nine on the list.  Within schools that are tied, they are subsequently listed in alphabetical order. 
  

Thus far, the top 25 rankings as of April 2009 for 2008 are as follows:
1.    The University of California – San Francisco
2.    University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
3.    University of Minnesota
4.    University of Texas – Austin
5.    Ohio State University
5.    University of Kentucky
5.    University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
5.   University of Washington
9.   Purdue University
9.   University of Arizona
9.   University of Florida
9.   University of Illinois – Chicago
9.   University of Maryland – Baltimore
9.   University of Wisconsin – Madison
15. University of Southern California
16. University of Iowa
16. University of Tennessee Health Science Center
16. University of Utah
19. University of Kansas
19. University of Pittsburgh
21. University at Buffalo – SUNY
21. Virginia Commonwealth University
23. University of Colorado – Denver
24. Auburn University (Harrison)
24. Medical University of South Carolina
 

Pharmacy school has always drawn those students who have a desire to study chemical formulas and the like, landing them with a secure career choice.  Many pharmacy schools allow students to complete three years of undergraduate study and then transfer to a larger school which has a pharmacy program, thereby transferring their credits and allowing them a more reputable degree in the end.  However, pharmacy school requires a great deal of work from its students, and they become responsible for knowing complicated chemical compounds and which drugs are formed from each computation. 

Pharmacy school is one career choice which does not receive the respect it deserves.  Pharmacists have become a major part of the health care industry and are in charge of delivering patients the medication which can cure them of illnesses.  As a result, the recent health care reform has revolved around the sky-rocketing price of prescription medication, much of which has little to do with the pharmacists. However, pharmacists have recently carried much of the brunt of unhappy customers, although they have only continued their occupation in mixing various chemicals to produce medications.  The health care industry in general is what customers should be angry at, but it is much easier to yell at your neighborhood pharmacist for the high price of medication.

Despite all these recent revelations, pharmacy school has continued to be a profitable degree which is sure to land nearly every student a career within a pharmacy program.  The health care industry is one which has not been affected by the economy, and while pharmacists are somewhat excluded from the typical health care field of doctors and nurses, they are still a part of the field, if only at the end of treatment.  Regardless, there has been and will be a demand for skilled pharmacists who can work in Walgreens, CVS, and other pharmacy stores across the country.  Pharmacy school is no easy task for students, and usually involves two to three years of additional school which is grueling work in order to prepare students for pharmacy life.  The Doctor of Pharmacy degree is relatively new within the United States, and has only been in existence for the past three years, thereby allowing students to continue their pharmaceutical degree and gain the professional degree.  Pharmacy school has quickly become as demanding as medical school in some aspects but has yet to attain the notoriety associated with medical school.  However, pharmacy students should not lose hope, because regardless of the acclaim they may get, they too are helping save lives by their many prescriptions and new discoveries within the pharmacy community. 

Online pharmacy school has become a new method to introduce online students to a new option for further study.  Since pharmacy school no longer offers a bachelor degree, the program is a bit more time consuming than normal degrees, although it now allows students to study in online classrooms rather than travel to a commuter school or move across the country to attend classes.

Online pharmacy schools actually involve a higher degree of study since the students need to have the skills necessary to learn on their own through hands-on methods.  Traditional schools allow students to train with a professor in person, but online schools require the student to practice independently, therefore making them less reliant on a superior.  While this may seem to be a challenging undertaking, many disciplines now offer online degree programs and technology has allowed nearly every subject to be taught via the internet through audio and video. 

Most pharmacy students in general have achieved a previous bachelor’s degree or have at least three years of college experience, making them more self-sufficient and responsible with this type of “do-it-yourself” homework.  Additionally, pharmacy students have committed themselves to this particular field, which makes the learning process much easier than if they were simply attaining a first degree to find any type of job. 

Creighton is currently the only entry-level online program that is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education and sets them apart from other online pharmacy schools.  This school additionally offers a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, which is unique to the online community, and is a growing degree within the pharmacy industry in general.  Other schools offer programs for students who are still unsure about a full commitment to pharmacy school and instead enroll in a pharmacy technician program.  This program offers students the opportunity to take a peek into the pharmacy world to determine if this is the path they want to take, without fully committing to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.  Additionally, pharmacy technician certificates give graduates the knowledge and skills necessary to break into the pharmacy world and gain valuable experience. 

The University of Florida offers online programs for students as well, including a non-traditional PharmD program for working pharmacists, allowing them to attain higher degrees while keeping their current pharmacy job.  PCDI and Penn Foster Career School both offer pharmacy technician programs, which appear to be a growing niche within the pharmacy community.  Comparable to medical coding degrees which offer students the opportunity to peek into the medical community, this certificate in turn allows students to peek into the pharmacy community.  Sometimes this is all students need to determine if they want to continue on their pharmacy school course or seek an alternative degree.  Without wasting too much time or money, this popular online degree gives students a chance to view first-hand the benefits of pharmacy school.

Online education is becoming increasingly common throughout the college world as more traditional schools have begun to offer classes online.  Online school is still a wary subject within the educational community, but its students know the work and dedication that goes into earning an online degree, as well as the focus and determination it takes to complete assignments online. 

Pharmacy schools are mainly smaller sections of larger public schools around the country, which makes their entrance into schools reserved for those students who are serious about their studies.  California in general offers programs in only a handful of universities:

    University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles
    Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda
    Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Pomona
    University of California – San Diego School of Pharmacy, San Diego
    University of California – San Francisco School of Pharmacy, San Francisco
    University of the Pacific, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, Stockton

These schools represent the best pharmacy schools within the state of California, and the schools which students should focus on applying to. 

The USC pharmacy program was the first pharmacy school in the state, founded in 1905, and still remains one of the top choices for many pharmacists within the state (50 percent of pharmacists attended the school).  USC offers the Doctor of Pharmacy program as well as Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy, all of which are necessary within fields of pharmaceuticals.  This school was the first to establish the six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program and remains a model for pharmacy schools around the nation. 

Loma Linda is a relatively new school, which saw its first class of graduates in the fall of 2002.  This school caters specifically to pharmacists in a Seventh-day Adventist Christian setting, allowing students to achieve a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in this environment.  While the school grants entrance to a wide array of students, priority is given to those who have a bachelor’s degree in biological, chemical, or related sciences. 

Western University has undergone name and location changes since its inception in 1977, when it was known as College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.  It was founded in response to a shortage of physicians in the western United States, and represents the fourth pharmacy school to be established in California.  The name of the school changed in 1996 to western University of Health Sciences to better reflect its true purpose. 

Another new school, the University of California Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences was established in 2000, graduating its first class in 2002.  This program specifically focuses on the intertwining of science degrees such as chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering, with pharmacy.  This school has recognized the need for students who are well-versed in all sciences and pharmacy in order to tackle modern diseases, which is why it now ranks third in the nation for the development of biotechnology products as a result of this emphasis on sciences.  Plans are still underway to create a new program that offers a B.S. in Chemistry and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in a joint seven-year program. 

The University of California, San Francisco Pharmacy School boasts the title of the nation’s top-ranked pharmacy school, as well as one of the oldest pharmacy schools in the West.  The school has focused over the years of the growing link between drugs and technology and has evolved its teaching methods as technology has allowed.  Therefore, as the top-ranked school, it has catered to evolutions within the technological field while still retaining the core pharmaceutical values. 

The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is another school that has been around for more than fifty years in California.  Making a name for itself on the Pacific Coast, the school offers an extensive history of unique humanistic approaches to education.  The school recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and continues to be a beacon of strength on the West Coast. 

The role of the pharmacist is ever-evolving as new methods come out to better serve patients and the health care industry in general.  Pharmacists serve dual roles in providing both medical care and furthering the technological aspects of current medical care.  Pharmacists additionally now have a more active role in making scientific breakthroughs and catering more to this side of the health industry.

Most people assume that pharmacists simply sit behind the counter at their local Walgreens and mix together prescriptions day-in and day-out.  While this is an accurate assumption for many pharmacists around the country, there are others who are deeply involved with the advances in technology and others who are more heavily involved with physician opinions.  This shift in description has evolved only in the past few years, as the role of the pharmacist now includes much more knowledge about the health-care industry than it ever did in the past. 

Currently, many of us are looking to pharmacists for comfort amidst the H1N1 flu scare.  Flu shots are more popular this year than they have ever been in the past, and there is a heightened focus on health care due both to H1N1 and the congressional bill.  As a result, pharmacists have become more important in the eyes of the public and the eyes of the health care industry as they make discoveries regarding viral infections almost yearly.  Additionally, physicians now work more closely with pharmacists than they have in the past in order to form revolutionary breakthroughs in the field and cater to their patients more efficiently. 

Pharmacists now additionally perform more of a physician role in several states, as they are allowed to administer lab tests and check diagnostics such as blood glucose levels or liver function tests.  This is helpful for physicians because patients who have chronic long-term conditions no longer have to come into the office for these tests, but can simply drop by their local pharmacist.  Pharmacists have thus become much more involved in patient care and now even perform private patient “counseling” over specific forms of drugs. 

As the years pass, the link between pharmacists and doctors will only grow, as breakthroughs in patient care push the two realms of the health industry closer together.  Both physicians and pharmacists are informed of the same information when new drugs come out, and both deal directly with the same patients, leading to heightened role of the pharmacist in modern society.