About my college education: If you like chemistry mixed with health science, then this is the course for you.
It is interesting because you get to synthesize all sorts of drugs and chemicals! You spend a lot of time in the lab mixing chemicals and looking at what visible reactions occur, test different substances to analyze their purity and content, and even formulate pharmaceutical products such as suspensions, elixirs, creams, etc. In this aspect, you get to unleash your inner child who dreamed of being like scientists you see on TV whenever you do experiments.

Apart from the chemistry part of the course, there is also the health sciences, where you learn about diseases and the different drugs used to treat them. This is where memorization comes into play, because there are a lot of drugs out there! Not often do you get to have the education of a chemical engineer and that of a doctor (when it comes to drugs) , but pharmacy is the perfect blend of these two fields.

Pharmacy forms the transition from the lab (where the drug is made) all the way towards the clinics (where the final intended use of the drug is given to the patient) . Thus it is both enjoyable and challenging.

However, all these cool things about the course do come with a price. Compared to others, pharmacy is a difficult course in general. There's a lot of chemistry and analysis, hard work, dedication, math, and memorization as well.
For my alma mater specifically, the pharmaceutical chemistry subjects are notorious in failing a lot of students. The attrition rate (percentage of students being irregular/delayed bec of failing 1 or more subjects) is quite high. I am not exaggerating, so before choosing UP college of pharmacy as your education, consider it very carefully. Many people had difficulty in the early math subjects, many of the chemistry subjects, and some of the clinical subjects. Failing just one major seasonal subject (offered only once a year) , will get you delayed for 1 year.
This isn't to scare or discourage you from taking this course, but to give you a realistic view.

Nevertheless, after all the struggles and difficulties faced in UP college of pharmacy- if you persevered despite all setbacks and trials- you will come out as an excellent graduate with a high competitive advantage over pharmacy graduates of other college graduates. We've continually had a 100% passing rate in the board exam, with many topnotchers as well. Also, many pharmaceutical companies you apply to would put you in the top of their list because you are a graduate of UP. This is speaking from experience.

My current job: Regulatory associate in a pharmaceutical company

Am I using what I learned in college: Definitely! As I mentioned, the environment fosters resourcefulness, to think outside the box (to be an independent thinker) . This is very much needed in the working world, as there are no simple answers to the problems you face in your profession. The education is definitely being applied in terms of drug manufacture and drug information. But I believe the values and skills you learned from the college have a more important contribution. As the course is very difficult in our school, graduating from it will give you perseverance and confidence to face whatever obstacles at work, because you know you already endured "hell" from school and survived.

How long did it take to find a job: After the board exam, I got a job 2-3 months after the results.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Contrary to popular beliefs, pharmacists aren't just sales people behind counters in drug stores. There are many career opportunities - you can work in the lab, company, or hospital. The growth and number of jobs are increasing around the world, not to mention with high compensation such as in the US or Canada.

Pharmacists are enjoying lucrative careers within our country and abroad. There is no shortage of job opportunities, as they are very much in demand. You also get to have a wide variety of career options-being able to apply in manufacturing plants and labs just like a chemist or chemical engineer, but also being able to apply in hospitals in the healthcare profession, and also work in companies such as in sales and regulations.

The salary is high when you work in companies locally, but the salary in drug stores and hospitals locally aren't that high. Abroad is a different story - it is one of the high-paying jobs, comparable to nursing.

About my college education: It was tough but rewarding.
Analytical skills and problem solving abilities predominates, of course math skills are very much needed coupled with much hard work; Laboratory discussions and defense required much patience and being fluent in English language. Interactive skills (interpersonal skills) with co-students especially during group activities - research, thesis, laboratory experiments etc., were very much solicited.

My current job: Registered Pharmacist II

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes, all the basics of pharmaceutics, patient counseling, drug interactions, drug dosing, jurisprudence almost all are being used.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduation I worked immediately as private tutor while waiting for the board exam, after the board exam (Feb. 2008) I continued working as private tutor in chemistry and math while applying only Online. Got my first pharmacy job on May 2008. Few months after the board exam and resting periods.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: For employment opportunities: yes, very much - statistically there are only few who take BS Pharmacy courses, and considering the fact that it belongs to the medical field - a lasting profession that was there for centuries;
Canada, Australia and other countries pay as much as PhP 500,000.00 monthly for this profession - in fact I have more than 20 classmates / batchmates who are Registered Pharmacists (took their board exam) of the said countries.

This profession has also it's specializations - community (patient / customer interaction) Manufacturing (drug / medicine formulation / production); clinical / hospital which also has further specializations (oncology, dispensing, and other departments), in this course you can even proceed to Research and Development of New drugs / medicines or be part of the FDA Food and Drugs Authority. Proves to bequite an interesting career.
Salary Level in the philippines starts over than the minimum, but could climb up to couple of hundred pesos for International companies (Pfizer, GSK, etc.) especially when you are at higher positions; other countries pay as much as PhP 500,000.00 per month on a two-year contract for starters.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: Parent's advice.

About my college education: The course was interesting because we touched a lot of science and other disciplines. The laboratory subjects are fun and challenging.
It will be helpful for the students to read ahead, come on time and be attentive to the professors. Take all the subjects seriously as the pharmacy profession offers a lot of career paths to choose from. Develop your communication, business and leadership skills while in the university as there are many areas to choose from once you graduate.

My current job: Regulatory pharmacist.
We are in charge of preparing and submitting scientific dossiers and technical documents to the regulating agency/ies for the registration of our products. We serve as the liaison between the pharmaceutical company and the government regulating bodies. We need to make sure that our company is following the rules and regulations set by the regulators. We need to keep our documents well for future reference and for any issue that may arise in any product. We coordinate with different persons internally and externally.

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes. These skills that helped me: pharmaceutical knowledge, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills, computer skills, business and leadership skills, professional etiquette.

How long did it take to find a job: 3 months after passing the board exam.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Yes. There's a lot of employment opportunities and there's still less competition among job seekers than in other courses. There are many interesting areas to choose from.

Salary depends on the job and company. Some are more rewarding than others. Pharmacists are also needed abroad.

This is also a very good pre-med course.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: There's a lot more to the pharmacy profession than what some Filipinos think. Here are some of the areas to choose from once you graduate:
Researcher in manufacturing company or research institution; regulatory pharmacist in pharmaceutical company or government institution eg, FDA, DOH; instructor in schools; marketing trainer or marketing professional; dispensing pharmacist in hospital or drugstore setting where patient counselling is slowly being put into practice; clinical pharmacist in hospital or clinical research coordinator in pharmaceutical or clinical research company; production pharmacist, quality control or quality assurance in laboratories.

About my college education: Pharmacy, as a course entails a wide range of knowledge and skills. It is a mixture of applied science, medical courses with a bit of business and administration. It is relatively a difficult course since one has to have a thorough understanding of different sciences, like chemistry (organic and inorganic) , biochemistry, biology, physiology, physics, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. These basic sciences subjects, especially chemistry, are pre-requisites to understanding the concepts of advance pharmacy subjects in the higher years.

Aside from the theories, it is also imperative to have practical skills since most of the major subjects have laboratory components that require the application and interpretation of the concepts. Furthermore, good interpersonal and communication skills are also advantageous since patient counselling and even pharmaceutical marketing are included in the course.

Statistically speaking, there is relatively a high attrition rate for students taking up the pharmacy course, especially in UP. Thus, in order to be successful one has got to be versatile, dedicated, has great time-management skills and must be really interested with the course.

On a positive note, the course definitely will hone you into a very adept being with a wide range of skills that may give endless opportunities from being a community pharmacist, to a researcher, drug developer, manager or clinical practitioner.

My current job: I am an Instructor at a private college of pharmacy in Manila.

Am I using what I learned in college: As an instructor, I can say that definitely all the things I've learned is very handy and useful. However, I believe and also based from the accounts and experiences of my schoolmates, other jobs does not necessarily require that you master all of the subjects taught in the university. For example, if one practices as a clinical pharmacist, skills like marketing and manufacturing are not really necessary. Most jobs are very specific or specialized in an area of practice. But the understanding of all of the subjects gives any graduate a better view of the profession and the roles they can assume.

Probably, the most useful lessons that one should keep, aside from the basic pharmacy courses, would be those beyond what is written in the textbooks. Lessons like punctuality, professionalism, hardwork, perseverance and self-confidence would always be useful no matter what career path you take.

How long did it take to find a job: I had my first job one month after my graduation. But normally, pharmaceutical companies and drug stores require licensed practitioners so they hire pharmacists immediately after they pass the board examination. For example, most who graduate in March/April can take the July board exam, and those who graduate in October can take the January board exam. If they successfully pass the exam, then finding a job would be relatively easier.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: It is undeniable that pharmacy is not an easy course, but it is actually one of the profession with the highest number of career opportunities. In fact, just recently it has been considered by the DOLE as the top 8 career that have job openings and hiring in the Philippines. There are actually a lot of career options for pharmacists, even fresh graduates. Many would think that pharmacists are only hired in drug stores, but actually, there are even greater opportunities than that. Multinational and local pharmaceutical companies may hire a pharmacist in research, regulatory affairs, and quality control and quality assurance. Maybe some are also unaware, but cosmetics companies also hire pharmacists for the registration of their products. Pharmacists may also choose a career in the hospital setting. They can also teach in academic institutions, like me. Even the Philippine FDA hires pharmacists as inspectors and as regulatory officers. Not to mention, pharmacy graduates may also venture into their own business. The salary level would just depend on what path one chooses to go and certainly, one will find a fulfilling job that would suit their interest.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: Since grade school days, I wanted to be a nurse. But when I went to a certain university, I saw "College of Pharmacy & Medical Technology" signage. I had no idea that time of what BS Pharmacy was all about because in my mind, I would take up Nursing. Out of curiosity, I enrolled to Pharmacy course.

About my college education: I was so motivated to study everyday because they had high expectations and taking up a pharmacy course was not that easy like 1-2-3! During my first year in pharmacy school, we were six sections. By second year, 3 sections and by fourth year we only had 2 sections left. We had less than 10 classmates who were males and the rest of us were females. My other classmates had transferred to other universities because they failed on 2 major pharmacy subjects. It was the rule of the University that when a student has 2 failures in major pharmacy subjects, it's either you have to transfer to other schools or take up a 2 year pharmacy technician course.

Pharmacology and all forms of chemistry I think, were the most difficult subjects. But honestly, ALL of the pharmacy subjects were difficult! Taking up a pharmacy course, I should say would make you a strong and independent person. One should be strong-willed, and dedicated to the course because being a Pharmacist takes a lot of responsibilities. I learned how to value my time: time for studying and time for socialization. Even if there were no exams, everyday I had to scroll down my notes and books to familiarize our lessons. You had to memorize scientific names, periodic tables, lots and lots and lots of formulas, etc. I remembered how I wrote down formulas, scientific names, chemical names, etc.on a Manila paper and hanged them on the walls near my bed, at the back door of our restroom, and near my closet. So that even when I was about to sleep, I get to peek and memorize, hahaha!

On our third year, we started on our Community Pharmacy Internship. And during summer, we had a Manufacturing Laboratory Internship in some of the leading drug manufacturers in Manila and Laguna. On our fourth year, we had our Hospital Pharmacy Internship. These were all needed and must be complied inorder to take the Pharmacy Board Exams.

Passing the exams were difficult, indeed! I prayed to God for knowledge and guidance that I could pass the board exams. I only did a self-review and didn't had the chance to enroll in a review class. But thank God that I passed on the first try.

My current job: After I passed the board exams, there are a lot of work opportunities. I worked for 8 years in a community pharmacy, so that I can have experience on how to handle a drugstore.
I have now my own drugstore here in our province. I had it for almost 7 years already. I do patient counseling and gives advice on how and when is the right time to take their medications and the possible side effects their medicines can give to them.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: I definitely recommend this course to others because Pharmacy profession is in demand nowadays. If you plan to put up your own drugstore, it is much okay because you own your time and you have no other boss, but yourself.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: This was actually suggested by my aunts who are now living in Korea. Interested to build up my own Pharmacy store and to have higher rate job. As preparation to the next big thing as well, it is for my future purpose. Having our own pharmacy is my greatest plan.

About my college education: Difficult when it comes to actual practice for there’s not enough facilities for experimentation and etc, but it's fun to study this course you will learn a lot of things especially about medicine and the interesting is to discover new things about medicine. You have to love your course and enjoy every subject.

My current job: Part-time working at Mercury Drug store as cashier and teller.

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes I consider it as very practical, I learned a lot. From our training and internship where we are required to duty in a particular Pharmacy store. And today, all those learning and experiences are very useful in my field.

How long did it take to find a job: After I graduated, it took me 1 month to have work.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Yes, today BS Pharmacy is in demand in the field of medicine. This is the best opportunity to grab, there are only few pharmacist in our country. Salary is good especially if you are already licensed.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Prepare for the chemistry and physics subjects, there will be more challenges along the way so be ready for that. And my advice, focus more on studying because it’s not an easy subject. It is difficult and it needs more effort in study.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: I chose to study BS Pharmacy because it is a noble profession with a lot of employment opportunities. Pharmacy graduates can lead into jobs in the community, hospital, manufacturing, corporate and academe path to name a few. Pharmacy graduates are one of those with high start up salary and one of the most respected professions.

About my college education: I learned that pharmacy graduates are not just expected to be a sales person in a pharmacy or in a drugstore. It can offer various range of opportunities here and abroad. Pharmacology is definitely a difficult subject as well as Biopharmaceutics. The most useful things I learned are the following: proper dispensing of drugs, proper medication plan and strict patient compliance.

The exam is definitely difficult. Not only you have to memorize a lot of things but you also have to analyze situations and cases. Many shifted to nursing as it is much more in demand during my time. A lot of people fail the exam as pharmacy is one of the most difficult science course.

Patience and perseverance are very important to pharmacy. Study hard but study smarter.

My current job: Drug Safety Team Leader - I manage people doing drug safety analysis and pharmacovigilance. We report adverse events (events not known when taking a drug) to business partners and health authorities such as FDA, DOH, etc.

Am I using what I learned in college: I was able to use my technical knowledge in my current job.

How long did it take to find a job: I had my job on my graduation day itself.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Yes. I would definitely recommend BS Pharmacy for aspiring college students.

Start up salary range from 18k - 30k depending on the field that you're going into. In less than 5 years, I was able to triple my starting salary. For more experience employees, they'll get 15-35% higher rates compared to new graduates.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Consider checking the curriculum first if the subjects are of your interest. It is very difficult to study something which you really don't like.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: I chose to study BS Pharmacy because there are lots of opportunities for licensed pharmacist, and I think, I can learn bunch of things while working. There are different fields that we can choose for our career: Retail/Community setting (typical drugstore), Hospital setting, Manufacturing, Industrial, and as well as the Regulatory side. But on top of these, nowadays, Patient Counseling is one of our job. I like giving medical advice to people and entertaining their queries that they weren't able to ask from the physician. I also enjoy on the chemistry/laboratory side. Moreover, I like making money, and as a licensed one, I can also be on the business side and start my own drugstore, or my dream, drug distributor. If ever I change my mind, I can continue to Medicine school, Clinical Pharmacy and/or take up Masteral (and teach).

About my college education: There are many things that I learned in the course. In order to sum up, we tackled some lessons in different fields like Botany, Chemistry, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Calculations, Dosage Forms, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Toxicology, Manufacturing, Patient Counseling, Jurisprudence, and even the business side of Pharmacy and the Informatics side too.

Personally, Pharmacology was the hardest subject for me because it involves a thorough understanding of drug actions. This is a vital part of our lives as pharmacists because we are going to deal with it everyday in our career.

The useful things that I learned in the course include the basic knowledge in every subject we took such as calculations and drug actions as I use them everyday.

Passing the exams is difficult so I encourage everyone to review hard. Some people fail and shift to another course.

In order to survive the course, one must be competent, goal-oriented, and focused.

My current job: I am currently the branch pharmacist of the leading generic drugstore in the country. I supervise the store, counsel the patients, and take care of the inventory and compliance.

Am I using what I learned in college: I already worked in four companies already.
On my first job, I used my knowledge in analytical chemistry most of the time.
On my second and third, my job was more focused on the regulatory side, as well as in cosmetics.
On my current job, I am now patient-oriented and am using my knowledge in basic Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Calculations.

How long did it take to find a job: After graduation, we first took our review classes for our Licensure Exam. I started applying for jobs and was employed after one and a half months.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: I recommend this course to others because of the vast range of opportunities and the need of licensed pharmacists in our country and abroad.

A fresh graduate can expect 12,000-15,000 in most of the companies, while an experienced employee can expect 18,000 and higher, according to the years of experience.

Some interesting careers would be Quality Control/Analyst, Clinical Pharmacist, Drug Relations Officer, and Branch Supervisor for a drugstore.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: To those who are considering BS Pharmacy, please, love your course. It may seem very hard at times, but you can do everything if you focus well and strive hard.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: Fine Arts was my 1st choice because I really love to draw, but I chose Pharmacy because I want a course that will be a big help to my parents. My parents are both sick and they are taking many medications.

About my college education: At first, I thought that Pharmacy has no math, but I was wrong! There was a subject called Pharmaceutical Calculations where in we learned how to calculate doses for pediatric and geriatric patients. I also learned how to compound drugs and chemicals.

The subject that was the most difficult was Pharmacology. Almost half of the class failed and needed to take removal exams in order to pass. Pharmacology is considered as one of the core subjects in Pharmacy. It is where we discuss the mechanism of action of a drug, it's effect to the body.

Passing the exams was difficult. Almost half of those who took the exams failed. Also, some people shifted to another course.
I failed the board exam on my first try. But I didn't lose hope. I studied and reviewed day and night, and when the day of the exams came, I was prepared. I passed the exams and now, I am a Registered Pharmacist.

My current job: I am a clinical pharmacist at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.
I review the medication history of a patient and make an appropriate plan of action that will be presented to the physician on duty.

Am I using what I learned in college: During college, we used to have Hospital Pharmacy Internship. We will be interns at a hospital for 360 hours. During the internship, I saw how pharmacists work in a hospital setting. Since then, I said to myself that I will be working in a hospital someday, and it came true!

The other useful thing that I learned are the type of prescriptions. I work in a hospital setting and the knowledge about prescriptions was very useful to me.

How long did it take to find a job: It took me over a year to find a job because I took the board exam for the second time.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: There are a lot of opportunities that await to Pharmacy graduates. They can work in a drugstore setting, or in the hospital like I do, or the manufacturing setting (where drugs are made). But you must pass first the board exam and be a Registered Pharmacist in order to be hired. Pharmacy graduates that are not board passers can work as a Pharmacy assistant.

A new entry pharmacist can earn up to 16,000 a month, while a more experienced pharmacist can earn up to 35,000 a month.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: To all those who are considering Pharmacy, I would like to tell you that this is not an easy course. To be able to pass this course, you must be willing to sacrifice your "gimik" time because you will be doing research most of the time.

Also, be diligent in doing your home works. It may be petty to some but by doing this, you will form a habit of professionalism that will be required when you work.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: The course was not my first choice then, it just happened. All I wanted to take up in college is something that is medically-inclined course. I never knew that Pharmacists exists until I was in fourth year HS. I felt curious and got interested about this course, my basic knowledge about the course is that it's all about the Chemistry of drugs, memorization and blah blah. I thought it was just as easy as passing my Advanced Chemistry class in HS, but I was wrong, really wrong.

About my college education: I thought this course was as easy as passing my Advanced Chemistry class with flying colors during HS but I was wrong. Pharmacy course is all about the study of drugs. Expect that there would be a lot of memorization and comprehension; for example: A particular drug if taken by a patient would definitely affect everything in his system that is why understanding the role of the drug and how the body will react to the drug is important and from this, you must learn and understand that every drug is unique and every drug will kill or save a patient.

After four years of studying Pharmacy course, I learned that Pharmacists are vital part of the medical team, they are the one who makes sure that the patient fully understands the ordered medicine of the attending physicians because sometimes the patient has limitations on asking or clarifying their medication on their physicians (the truth is, yes, they are intimidating), and that Pharmacists makes sure that the medicine is given to the right patient, and that the patient is fully informed when to take the medicine and the outcomes of which.

Lastly, Pharmacy is really a hard course, you know, studying a single pill is a long process and there are a lot of type of pills in the market (did you just imagined what we've been learning and still the society thinks we're just glorious 'tindero/as' ha-ha), it's a type of course that will force you to study and comprehend but at the end, it will make you realize how far you've been through and how you've been equipped with full knowledge in the field--- that is something to be proud of.

It is only during board examination review sessions when I realized that I love Pharmacy, especially Pharmacology subject, if only our teacher is as great and knowledgeable as our subject reviewers.

My current job: I am currently a Staff Hospital Pharmacist with administrative and supervisory skills.

Am I using what I learned in college: Today I appreciate all those case study analysis, group report presentations and actual-setting internship. All of those contributed to my skills today as a professional.

How long did it take to find a job: Right after I took the oath of professionals, a letter came in saying "You are hired"

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Yes. Employment opportunities are high, it seems that every company is looking for Pharmacists.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: I had lots of regrets why I have chose the course when I was still a student (well I guess, every student does it) but when I passed the board examination and became a young professional (20y.o), I felt that the course I have been was really destined for me.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: Pharmacy for me was not my first choice, but as time goes by, I learned to love the course. I chose Pharmacy because I wanted a medical course that is not over saturated like nursing.

About my college education: Pharmacy is a hard course to learn if you are not serious about it. I learned many things while studying Pharmacy such as drug interactions, biochemistry of drugs, the quality control that every drug goes through and many more.

The exams were difficult even though I studied for it. Many of my batch mates also passed the exams.

Intense patience and diligence are required for passing this course.

My current job: I am currently a Hospital Pharmacist at Rizal Medical Center.
I dispense medicines to patients in the hospital. I ensure the quality of the medicine, it's expiry date and many more. I also check for adverse reactions if there are any.

Am I using what I learned in college: My Hospital Pharmacy subject, which covers on how to read prescriptions, how to calculate the right dose for a patient of a certain age, the abbreviations used in Hospital Pharmacy were very useful in my job now.

How long did it take to find a job: It took me almost 6 months to find a job after graduating. I still needed to fix some documents regarding my employment.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Pharmacists in the Philippines are in shortage now, so there are many opportunities for Pharmacy graduates, such as Hospital Pharmacy, Regulatory Pharmacy, Manufacturing Pharmacy and more.

In terms of salary, an entry level pharmacist can earn a minimum of Php 12,000 a month. A more experienced pharmacist can earn a minimum of Php 18,000 a month.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: If you think that Pharmacy is an easy course, think again. No course in college is easy. If you are determined to finish your studies, no matter what course it is. You will surely graduate.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: My dream was to become a Registered Nurse, but the profession have already facing crisis the time I had graduated from High School, especially BSN graduates having a hard time looking for stable employment and the only choice you have back then is to go abroad; my mom encouraged me to take Pharmacy degree instead. During that time, I was very disappointed because I dreamed of becoming a nurse since 2005. I ended up thanking my mom for she have inspired me to love this path, though she is a midwife by profession, she already saw the high demand for pharmacists. We can never go wrong with our moms, and that is for sure.

About my college education: I have learned that Pharmacists are also referred to as the "safety net" for all drugs given by the physicians to the patients. We are not just "BOTIKERO" or "taga-tinda lang ng gamot", but actually we dispense the drugs as ordered by the physicians, though not all drugs prescribed by the physicians must be dispensed. If we encountered drug interactions--whether drug-drug interactions, drug-disease, etc., we must alert the physicians because we are the "Legal Drug Experts".

The most difficult subject to pass here are professional core subjects like PHARMACOLOGY which is considered to be the Heart of Pharmacy. You can never be called a Pharmacist if you dislike and hate this one. Also, during my time, Dr. C, my professor in CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY was a nightmare for almost all students coming from my batch... and also the previous batches which I believe is a fact.

Yeah, with the issue of shifting course, it is indeed a fact . During my second year in the university, almost 20-30% of the students shifted to the different fields and every year, there will be a students shifting. Pharmacy degree is the one of the difficult board exams listed in P.R.C.


My current job: I am now a Process Executive and I already earning almost $750-800/month with 0 months experience to this line of business. It is my license which is getting paid higher than my basic salary and allowance.

How long did it take to find a job: Right after I took the board exam, I got a job at Watsons and some community-based pharmacies. I never had a difficult time in switching employers. Philippines is always lacking of pharmacists.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Yes, specially the Pharmacy career now is booming.

16-18K basic salary is an acceptable salary and please do not lower your standards. They have opened a business means they have the capacity to pay you or else they will always bargain you at the lowest price. They always do that but I do not let it happen. You will know the secrets once you're inside the profession. :) cheers.

For a more experienced one, 23k-30K a month is not that bad especially if you are single like me...

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Just love the profession. If someone chose this for you, then you must deceive yourself that you actually love Pharmacy. After you graduated, just take the board exam and use the Pharmacy career to save enough funds to pursue your dreams.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: Interesting

About my college education: It is difficult yet interesting and enjoyable. Most subjects are interesting with only few courses that are boring which usually bored just by the professor.

You need to enjoy Chemistry! because all the facets of chemistry are there from pure to applied, natural and physical. All sides of chemistry you will take it!

You need to be determined and have a strong grasp of understanding with critical thinking.

My current job: I'm Currently a Clinical Research Associate who mostly is in charge with monitoring clinical drug trials.

Am I using what I learned in college: Yes it is practical!
Concepts on everything about drugs. Interpretation and understanding of patient's notes, charts and medicines/drugs being taken.

How long did it take to find a job: I reviewed for my board exam, then 1 month after I became a licensed pharmacist I already landed a job.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Yes, there is a growing demand of pharmacists both locally and overseas. There are a lot of opportunities for pharmacist. There is a little supply of pharmacist in the Philippines. With regards to salary, it depends on your experience, skills and competence.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course:

About my college education: Taking up pharmacy course is quite tough for me. Since pharmacy is a broad course, a student must possess analytical skills, problem solving skills, patience, determination, hard work and interpersonal skills.

My current job: My current job is Pharmacist - Health Informatics Clinician.

Am I using what I learned in college: I was not able to use everything I learned in college in my current job as well as my previous jobs. My job focus mainly on pharmacology subject.

How long did it take to find a job: It took me about 2 months. I needed to pass the board exam first before finding a job.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Pharmacists in the Philippines are not widely recognized in the society. This is one of the reasons why they have low salary. Pharmacy profession is great and self-fulfilling. It's best to practice this profession outside the Philippines wherein people look up to you as an important allied healthcare professional. You gain respect from people as well as you are highly paid.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: Some people tend to judge pharmacist calling them "tindera". Some people are unaware of the roles they play in patient care. So, I decided to take this course so that I can full understand how important pharmacist are in the medical field.

About my college education: BS in Pharmacy is a very challenging course. I used to go to sleep very late at night because of reviewing and doing school requirements. Subjects such as clinical pharmacy and pharmacology are the most difficult but I consider these subjects challenging and important.

The most useful things I've learned is during our internship wherein it trained me on how to become a good pharmacist. A good pharmacist means a trustworthy and reliable healthcare professional. I learned how to counsel a patient and provide them necessary information regarding their medications and health conditions.

Exams are very difficult. Some failed. Some of my classmates shifted to another course. In order to succeed in this course patience, hard-word and strong determination to succeed is needed.

My current job: I am not working yet. I'm still preparing for the board exam.


Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: Make sure if you want to enroll a certain course be ready to face the challenge. Make sure if you go to school you enjoy it and you should love your course. In BS in Pharmacy you will learn a lot and realize the value of a pharmacist in patient care.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: I liked a medical course that is a good pre medicine course. It almost tackles all the subjects needed when taking medicine.

About my college education: I learned in this course things like drug assay, quality assurance of drugs, how drugs are formed, different drug delivery systems are some of the things I learned in college.

Toxicology was the most difficult subject for me because I had to memorize 8 pages of toxic substances and it's antidote.

The common drugs used in the hospital, the do's and don'ts in the hospital pharmacy setting are the useful things that I learned.

It was very difficult passing the board exams. You have to review every subject. I was not able to review all subjects because of improper time management. I passed the exam but I know I could do more. Many failed the exam, my classmates who failed rested for a month then reviewed again for the next board exam.

My current job: I am a Staff Pharmacist at St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City. I am in charge of the organization of documents in the pharmacy department.

Am I using what I learned in college: I learned the value of time management in college. It is very useful in my job because I am able to schedule my activities for the day and not miss anything.

How long did it take to find a job: Almost 6 months, I took a vacation after the exams.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Pharmacy graduates should pass the board exam first to be able to find jobs appropriate to us. Pharmacy graduates who have not yet taken the board exam can be a Pharmacy Assistant, Regulatory Assistant. Registered Pharmacists can enter into different fields such as hospital, regulatory pharmacy.

A new registered pharmacist can expect to earn 12,000 to 14,000 a month while a more experienced pharmacist can earn 20,000 to 30,000 a month.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: I chose BS Pharmacy as my course because I want to learn how medicine works since my father is diabetic and is taking too much medicine. I want to know how it will affect my father's health positively and negatively.

About my college education: I learned so much about medicines. How they work in our body and how our body responds to it.

The most difficult subject for me was Pharmacology since this is the study of drugs where in we have to know all the available drugs available. I mean EVERYTHING about the drugs.

The most useful thing I learned is that not all medicines/drug available can cure someone who is sick because some can exacerbate your condition.

Passing the exams for me was 50/50. Half difficult, half easy because even though I studied so hard for it, only 1 module that I studied came out in the exam and for the rest, I don't know where they get it. Most of my classmates failed the exam but in totality, more than half of the takers passed the exam including me. Some of my classmates shifted to another course because they found it hard to study pharmacy for it is not an easy course.

To succeed in Pharmacy and become a Registered Pharmacist, you should not take it as a simple course but to like it so much so you will be eager in studying it. You should have the enthusiasm, determination and will most especially when it comes to dealing with scientific names and calculations.

My current job: I am a Regulatory Affairs Assistant dealing in drug registration at FDA.

Am I using what I learned in college: In my current job, Regulatory was never taught in BS Pharmacy because we don't have a subject for it. Regulatory is being taught when you got the job.

How long did it take to find a job: I've found a job after 5 months, because I wanted to relax first and think deeply what kind of job I will take. When I started applying for a job, after 2 weeks I got in.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: When it comes to employment opportunities, there are lots of it like hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, academe or professor, clinical pharmacy, regulatory affairs, medical information, patient safety, pharmacovigilance, clinical research, business (putting up a drugstore or own pharmaceutical company), Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Drug Production, Sales (MedReps).

Salary depends upon the company you are working at. If a small company, only minimum, let's say 12k. For the big company (direct hire) you'll earn 30k more or less. If agency, depends on your contract.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: My advice is, study BS Pharmacy not because someone said it or your parents pushed you to take it. Study BS Pharmacy because there's something in you that wants to learn it deeply and seriously because once you become a Registered Pharmacist, it is the life of the people we are dealing with.

Why did I choose Pharmacy: I chose BS Pharmacy because this is the course that I really wanted ever since I was in high school.

About my college education: We learned Pharmaceutical calculations, mechanism of action of drugs, the component of each drug are some of the things that I learned in Pharmacy.

Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy were the most difficult subjects for me. The knowledge about drugs and diseases were the most useful thing I learned in Pharmacy, because I am able to use this when my family has questions regarding the drugs that they take.

Passing the exams was difficult and nerve wracking. I remember the time when I was reviewing, I spent almost 15 hours a day reviewing. At the exam day itself, I was very nervous. Many of my classmates failed the exams and some of my classmates shifted to another course such as Nursing.

Patience and determination to finish this course are required in Pharmacy, or in any course in College. You will encounter many problems along the way. It is up to you on how you will overcome your problem.

My current job: I am a Registered Pharmacist and an Online Medical Researcher.
I research the cause, symptoms, treatment of diseases.

Am I using what I learned in college: The knowledge about drugs and diseases are useful to me in my jobs.

How long did it take to find a job: I found a job 5 months after graduation.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: There are a lot of opportunities for Registered Pharmacists. Community Pharmacy (drugstore pharmacist), Hospital Pharmacy, Manufacturing Pharmacy are some of the fields where Pharmacists can go.

A fresh BS Pharmacy graduate can earn 10-12k a month. A Registered Pharmacist can earn 14-25k a month. A more experienced Pharmacist can earn from 25-100k per month.

Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course: To all the people who are considering taking BS Pharmacy, think twice or thrice before taking up this course. You should be 101% sure that you like Pharmacy, not because your parents told you to.

About my college education: Pharmacy is a really difficult course, specially if math+sciences is not your thing. it's interesting because of course you get to learn a lot about medicinal stuff, which is actually beneficial to others. for example, I have a father who has problems with his blood pressure, and because I know the do's and don'ts for his condition, I can give him advice. the amazing part here is that you get to deal with people's lives. it's absolutely survival knowledge. it's not just drugs and chemicals, but you also learn how to avoid this type of disease, how to cure it, and how to prevent it.

My current job: call center agent

Am I using what I learned in college: I'm not using it at my job right now, but at home I can still definitely apply it when I advice my father about what he needs to do to maintain his health. our elderly neighbor also goes to me to ask questions about her meds

How long did it take to find a job: 1 month after results of the bar exam was released

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: yes, I would recommend this course to others. it would be better if they're planning to study medicine to be a doctor afterwards, or if they're planning to go abroad. there is actually a need of pharmacists here in the philippines, so you can be sure to get a job right after school, the thing is, I honestly think that the salary is not enough considering the amount of study that you had to go through, I think that for a licensed profession the pay just doesn't cut it (but I guess that's just me) .

Why did I choose Pharmacy: I chose to study BS pharmacy because I saw it as a challenging course and during our time, there were only a few who have chosen the course in our batch.
And also I have thought then that there will be less mathematics or calculations, I never thought that there would be plain pharmaceutical calculations, but hey! I passed! Ha.

About my college education: I have learned so much about drugs, how to take care of the sick and also diseases of course.

During the first year second semester there was pharmaceutical calculations were so many students have realized that this ain't the course for them, it was difficult for us because it was the phase when you are just learning about a new thing but eventually when the next semesters passed and more difficult subjects were faced, pharm. Cal was just a little piece of cake when you encounter much more challenging subjects like physical pharmacy, pharmacology and toxicology.

So if you're going to take BS Pharmacy course, see to it that you are determined to finish it until the end and to study everyday because most of the time professors give examinations everyday for different subjects, sometimes you'll be having three exams in a day. But most of all you should keep your faith and hopes up and have an unending prayer.

My current job: I don't have a job as of now because I'm still reviewing for the board exams.
But some companies have already offered jobs, like being a marketing staff in a well known store and some pharmaceutical companies are recruiting pharmacist while we were reviewing.