Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently hosted a Q&A session with veterinary pharmacists Mrs. Bonnie Judd and Dr. Bailey Slater from Cornell University Hospital for Animals. They spoke to prospective students about their specialization and career path. For many, there may be a lot of uncertainty about what veterinary pharmacists do and how you can get started on that career path, but both speakers were able to provide valuable insight and clear up many questions.
The responsibilities of a veterinary pharmacist involve dispensing and compounding services for the animal hospital, refilling prescriptions in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, checking and verifying orders, answering drug information questions to clinicians, veterinary nurses, techs, and students, and helping educate others. Many of these responsibilities are similar to pharmacists in human medicine, the primary difference being that veterinary pharmacists primarily provide care to animals rather than humans.
Consequently, working with an animal patient population comes with some differences compared to a human patient demographic. Caring for animals means that information could be different from species to species. For example, a kangaroo could have vastly different pharmaceutical needs compared to a tortoise, so veterinary pharmacists need to maintain flexibility when it comes to problem solving with different species and working closely with veterinarians across animal specialties. Additionally, there are different modalities of dispensing medication for different animals. Veterinary pharmacists also need to keep in mind the roles of certain animals. For example, while caring for service dogs, pharmacists need to understand how certain medications could affect the animal’s ability to care for their human. While caring for sporting animals who compete and must follow competition regulations similar to professional athletes, pharmacists must make sure that the medications that they prescribe are safe and compliant with all rules and regulations.
There are often opportunities to get involved with veterinary pharmacy while completing a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program; many teaching veterinary hospitals offer Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations. Additionally, students interested in the veterinary pharmacy specialization may be interested in pursuing a veterinary pharmacy residency program after graduation; a residency opportunity offers valuable and in depth knowledge on how to take care of animals from a pharmaceutical stand point. Residency lasts for a year and it involves learning how the hospital is run, learning the software system that the hospital uses, learning how to look things up when you don’t know the answer, running the drug information service for the entire hospital. The residents also often have the opportunity to give their own presentation at a national level for veterinary pharmacy, participate in research projects, complete different clinical rotations ( i.e ophthalmology and neurology) in the hospital, and develop teaching courses.
Before starting residency and the residency process, the panelists recommended taking veterinary pharmacy electives if your school offers them and if your school does not offer them, other universities offer distance learning classes about this topic that you can easily add on top of your coursework. They also discussed taking advantage of shadowing opportunities at a local veterinary office or volunteering at one because just spending time in that setting will be a valuable learning experience. Most importantly, the panelists emphasized the importance of asking questions and speaking to people who have experience in the field in order to better understand the role and opportunities available.
Veterinary pharmacy is a growing field filled with people who are passionate about animals and learning and passing on that knowledge to future students. For pharmacy students who love animals or for students who have considered veterinary medicine but would like a more unique path, this is a promising and fulfilling career path to check out! Some professional organizations where you can learn more about about this dynamic field can be found below:
