When it comes to choosing a career for life, it is always important to get as much information as possible to ensure you are on the right track. A lot of students are quite ignorant about the differences that exist between a Pharmacist and a Pharmacologist. They ask questions such as;
Is Pharmacology the same as pharmacy?
Are Pharmacologists licensed to open a Pharmacy Store?
Is pharmacology a good career?
Are pharmacologists in demand?
The list of questions are endless; Thus the need to learn the differences between Pharmacology and Pharmacy.
What are the differences between pharmacology and pharmacy?
Okay, good morning all.
Let me start by telling a story from last year. I had just finished my exams in OAU then I went to visit a friend in DELSU. I was done with pharmacology admist several other courses(however I felt this one sha🙂).
I was literally shocked when I heard that pharmacology was being offered as a course at the bachelor’s degree level. A whole five years to study pharmacology.
If I’m correct, over there in DELSU pharmacology is almost as rigorous as any professional medical course.
You guys go for dissections!! as regularly as medical students, even pharmacists don’t do that here in OAU.
Studying pharmacology at a bachelor’s degree level in Nigeria is just plainly giving students confusion to be honest.
They’re not pharmacists, they’re specialized but not under any authority (if you catch my drift).
You can study medicine, and do your masters in Pharmacology, or focus on it as your field of research. You could do the same in Pharmacy too, nursing and maybe Physical or Occupational therapy (leveraging on the therapeutic aspect).
Pharmacology is a course that deals with research, and is not well founded in Nigeria. To be quite frank, the rigours you guys go through in DELSU is more or less to make it appealing to the students, but it’s unnecessary.
If you want to lecture in DELSU however, go ahead, do your masters and PhD in that school.
Even here in OAU our pharmacology lecturers didn’t study pharmacology!!!
It’s like having a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy alone! Who does that??
Do you get my point??
My advise is that you stay in Pharmacy as far as you’re in this country sha.
If you’re going outside the country, switch if that’s your passion🙌🙌, then bag a master’s degree or maybe an MBBS with it.
But if your plan is for this our wonderful country, at least in the nearest future, stay in Pharmacy, or your options are very very slim.
That being said, these are my thoughts, I may not be well informed yet 🙂.
* As a pharmacologist here in Nigeria you can work in a drug manufacturing industry, hospitals (although most hospitals would prefer to take a pharmacist), laboratories, government agencies (e.g NAFDAC), research institutes. You can also work as a lecturer if you obtain your PhD.
Here are some differences between the two professions:
*1. Pharmacists have the license to sell drugs but they don’t have the license.
2. Pharmacists can produce drugs but they can’t.
3. Pharmacy has to do with the production of drugs and dispensing of drugs but pharmacologists only do research works on drugs. They study the effect of drugs on humans. (i.e side effects, contraindications, adverse effects, indications, interactions, etc)
Well, before a drug can be certified for use, a pharmacologist has to carry out laboratory experiments on it to test if it’s fit for consumption. But, this doesn’t means a pharmacist can’t do that.
* Sadly, a pharmacist knows much of what a pharmacologist knows while a pharmacologist knows a fraction of what a pharmacist knows.
Pharmacology is simply the study of drugs and it’s mechanism of action
Pharmacy is a field of science that deals with manufacturing, compounding and dispensing of drugs
A pharmacist is more experienced than a pharmacologist
Pharmacologist can work as sales representative, lecturer in schools, they can also work in research institutes, toxicologist (sometimes) and sometimes consultant and many more. Although most of this opportunities are limited in Nigeria, but if as a pharmacologist outside this country (Uk , USA etc.) You will definitely love the course