If you are looking towards higher education as a way to boost your career prospects, pharmaceutical science may have been one of the areas you have investigated. Did you know that there are diploma programs that will qualify you for a career in this area? Courses will introduce you to essential knowledge across a broad range of healthcare products including medical devices and pharmaceutical products. Graduates of these programs have a high success rate of finding employment, so read on to learn how you could benefit today!

What Type Of Work Could I Be Doing?
A diploma in Pharmaceutical Science will qualify you for a wide range of positions. The diploma will be your first step on the road towards a career as a chemist, technician, lab assistant or assistant pharmacist. Staff falling into each of these categories will have a range of roles and responsibilities and therefore have different job titles. For example, you could choose to become a pharmacy assistant working alongside technicians under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. In a community pharmacy, there might be different roles as a dispenser or dispensing assistant whereas in a hospital pharmacy the job title of pharmacy assistant is more commonly used.

Where Can I Get Training?
You can search online for a pharmaceutical training center nearest you. Diplomas in Pharmaceutical science can last up to 46 weeks. You will be learning full-time on an instructor-led course.

What Qualifications Will I Need?
Don’t think that a Pharmaceutical Science diploma will qualify you to become a pharmacist. To become a pharmacist you’ll need a bachelor’s or doctor of pharmacy degree from one of only ten Canadian Universities that offer these courses. Then you’ll be required to complete a national board examination through the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC). Once you have passed, you must gain practical experience through an apprenticeship program.

If you left school earlier you could train as a pharmacy assistant and then gain qualifications to advance towards a position as a pharmacy technician. A diploma in Pharmaceutical studies is the perfect preparation for you to work in a wide range of roles within the pharmaceutical field. You will need a much lower qualification for the range of roles you will be suitable for. Typically this will be a college or science degree and a strong command of English.

Which Strengths Will Make Me Successful?
If you want to work in a pharmacy-related job, you’ll need strong communication skills as you will be communicating with colleagues and patients who are often ill. If you plan on using your diploma to work in a laboratory setting as a researcher or assistant, excellent time management skills will be essential. A key difference between the two settings is that laboratory work is 9 to 5 whereas pharmacies usually require you to work in shifts.

Career Prospects
Graduates for a diploma in Pharmaceutical Science have an excellent chance of securing employment following their course. As a student on this course, you’ll perform complex chemical and physical analysis on a wide range of pharmaceutical products in accordance with established procedures such as US and British Pharmacopoeia. This will prepare you for a wide range of jobs and good career prospects.