All pre-pharmacy courses include the following subjects: biology with laboratories, biochemistry, calculus, chemistry (general and organic), genetics, human anatomy, medical microbiology or immunology with laboratories, general physics with laboratories, statistics and economics (micro or macro). English language composition is part of most pre-chemistry programs. Elective subjects vary among institutions, and they include a large variety of different topics, such as Western culture, cultural diversity, global issues, science, technology, society and writing.
Pre-pharmacy does not have to be your major if you wish to pursue a pharmacy degree. When choosing a major, consult the pharmacy school you wish to attend. An undergraduate degree in biology provides a strong background for health careers. In addition to pharmacy, biology students may pursue careers in physical therapy, optometry, medicine and other health subjects. Other scientific majors include chemistry, physics, genetics and psychology. Non-scientific majors include marketing, business, human resources and management.
Various institutions require various prerequisites. When choosing your future university, research the pharmacy program and its specific prerequisites. However, all pharmacy schools require completion of the following courses: at least one year of general biology with labs, one year of organic chemistry with labs, one year of inorganic chemistry with labs, one year of general physics with labs, one quarter of statistics, one-quarter microbiology and calculus.
Ideally, students should have a strong background in physical sciences, a highly evolved proficiency in numbers, and the competence to read quickly and with comprehension. Basic prerequisites are two years of algebra, and one year of plane geometry, trigonometry and analytical geometry or pre-calculus, physics and chemistry. These subjects are not required, but students without these courses may require more time to complete a pre-pharmacy degree.
Graduates with pre-pharmacy degrees may work as anesthesiologists, audiologists, biomedical equipment technicians, laboratory technicians, drug information specialists, emergency medical technicians, health promoters and awareness coordinators, health service specialists, medical devices sales representatives, medical technologists, medical records technicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical sales representatives, physician assistants, public health specialists and substance abuse counselors.