Why should students study Pharmacology abroad?
ua-networks.com, Jun 10 2020 at 01:33 PM
Pharmacology is an incredibly developed field, one of the largest and most profitable in the world, of central importance for the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, the modern pharmaceutical industry can trace its history back to the mid-nineteenth century as well. This makes Pharmacology an excellent choice for students hoping to graduate from the pharmaceutical industry and make it into a career.
To differentiate between pharmacology and pharmacy, or between becoming a pharmacologist and a pharmacist, is essential here. While pharmacology is the study of drug behavior, pharmacy is a specialist area dealing with medicinal product dispensation; A pharmacist tests the actions of drugs in the living body (which may lead to new medications being developed), whereas a pharmacist distributes medications. This confusion is brought by the fact that Pharmacy is a traditional degree program in many universities, and therefore a potential route for Pharmacology students to pursue postgraduate study.
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest in the world, renowned for its profits: annual sales are $1072 billion, and global drug consumption is expected to be as high as $1,470 billion by 2020. The gains made by the pharmaceutical industry have been the focus of debate and controversy, and it is understandable that, after all, if patients need drugs to live, is it appropriate for other people to benefit? While arguments over the ethics of so-called 'Big Pharma' are inevitable, however, they do not change the fact that the medicines manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry are vital to humanity's existence.
The rise of developing markets provides the pharmaceutical industry with a huge challenge, but also an opportunity to expand exponentially – with demand on conventional pharmaceuticals in emerging markets projected to increase by about 70 per cent in the next five years. This offers Pharmacology students an interesting chance to study abroad as one of the key challenges facing pharmaceutical firms moving into these new markets is selling drugs in various cultural contexts. Students who during their studies have observed various cultures should be able to view issues with a more cosmopolitan and multicultural outlook.
