The Bermuda Pharmaceutical Association (BPA) ensures that the highest standards of pharmaceutical practice are met, and provides opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to improving their knowledge and practice. Furthermore, the Association continues to empower its members to be leaders within their own field and acts to foster good relationships with all healthcare practitioners and the public.
To this end, they urge students to consider pursuing a career in pharmacy and participate in career talks at schools around the island, every year, to encourage science-minded students to consider this dynamic career. If you’re interested in chemistry or biology and have strong analytical and organisational skills to identify issues and solve drug-related problems, this might be for you.
If you look at bermudascholarships.com there are a number of scholarships that could be applied to this career. The BPA’s scholarship requires that you be a resident of Bermuda, have completed at least one year of pharmacy school, possess a minimum GPA of 3.0, and have plans of returning to the island to provide pharmaceutical services in Bermuda. You can email [email protected] for more information.
Pharmacy is a dynamic career path, which allows pharmacists to work in a myriad of roles, some of which you may not immediately think about. These include:
- Regulatory Pharmacists, who contribute by helping to govern the practice and ensure standards related to the provision of pharmaceutical care are upheld and improved. The government relies on several pharmacists to help keep Bermuda in line with international standards.
- Hospital Pharmacists, who use their knowledge about drugs to make recommendations to ensure that patients receive the best available drug options when needed and can work to manufacture IV preparations for patients in the oncology unit, on the wards, in clinics and in satellite pharmacies.
- The Retail Pharmacist is one of the most accessible and affordable healthcare professionals the public has access to, and they offer expert advice and act on behalf of the patient in order to supply medications and care.
- Pharmacists also work as Pharmaceutical Medical Representatives, where they might be employed by a drug manufacturer or drug distribution company. They educate other healthcare professionals on new advances in the field.
- Research Pharmacists play a vital role in developing effective and safe treatments for all the disease conditions the public may face.
Practicing pharmacy in Bermuda can be very interesting, is often challenging, but is also rewarding. There are approximately 60 registered pharmacists currently on the island, alongside pharmacy technicians, who are both Bermudian and representatives from over a dozen other countries.
The BPA is aware of the importance of continuing education in this role as well, and to that end, they, offer seminars and partner with companies to provide continuing education, and arrange networking opportunities.
If you are a science student and interested in a healthcare field that is in demand, allows you to work in many different specialties, allows you to travel, and is both challenging and rewarding, consider becoming a pharmacist and join a dynamic profession that is always growing and evolving.
