Pharmacologists: The Creators of Medicine

What are pharmacologists?

Pharmacologists have an important role when it comes to medicine. Thanks to them, we wouldn’t have some of the medications we need to cure certain illnesses and diseases. They are responsible to find chemical compounds and test them on animals and humans in order to create new medications. In order to do this, they study the impact (side effects) certain chemical substances have on specific parts of the body. There are also different types of pharmacologists, each specializing in a different system in the body (ex. cardiovascular pharmacology for the heart, neuropharmacology for the brain, etc). For animals, there are veterinary pharmacologists.

Sometimes, instead of making new medications they improve current medicines by making it more effective by conducting research the positive and negative effects that they have on certain systems of the body. There are two types of research that they conduct: in vitro research (using cells or tissues) or in vivo research (using whole animals).

What are they responsible for?

In their everyday life, they often have to interact with other scientists in conferences and meetings. Before they start their research, they must develop a plan to ensure their experiments are controlled and efficient. They need to be good with technology in order to collect and analyze data obtained from their research. Pharmacologists then apply the data to create new products and medications. Before it gets confirmed and sent to pharmacies, it has to be tested on animals or willing humans to ensure that are safe and test its carcinogenic, mutagenic (mutation) and teratogenic (deformity) effects. There are rules and regulations when it comes to medications, they must be met in order for they are available to the public. For example, pharmacologists are often responsible for establishing the dosage of medications. Pharmacologists often have to interact with others. Part of their job is to also teach the younger and new pharmacologists. With the data they collect, they have to write papers and present them at conferences and meetings or write an essay/article to be published. On a regular basis, pharmacologists find themselves working in labs more most of the day, 5-7 days a week.

Characteristics of a pharmacologist

Good characteristics of pharmacologists include good communication skills for presentations and articles, collaborative in order to work with working with other pharmacologists in the lab, strong skills in IT to analyze data and to pay attention to detail when working with intricacy. Along with having a strong understanding in chemistry, they also need to be knowledgeable in biology and medicine. This is usually taught before entering a pharmacology course in university.

Education and Salary

Universities in Canada that offer pharmacology courses include Western University, University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Guelph, University of Saskatchewan and more. When enrolled in a pharmacology program in university, two years of basic science is taught before students learn about pharmacology. Before finding a job, they must have a PhD or a Pharm.D. The median salary of a pharmacologist is around $81 000 in Canada. The salary varies depending on the number of years of experience and where one is located in Canada.

I believe that pharmacologists are quite underrated as they are not often mentioned. Yes, pharmacists distribute medications from prescriptions to others. Although is is important to acknowledge that nobody would be receiving their prescriptions if pharmacologists didn't make them. This is why doing research on pharmacologists helped me gain an appreciation for them. After reading about pharmacologists and their responsibilities, my question to you is: Do you think there will be a demand for pharmacologists in Canada in the next 10 years? Explain.

Sources:

“28 Institutions in Canada Offering On-Campus Pharmacology Courses.” Hotcourses International, Hotcourses Group, 3 Dec. 2018, www.hotcoursesabroad.com/study/training-degrees/canada/pharmacology-courses/loc/32/cgory/h4-3/sin/ct/programs.html#search&catCode=H4-3&countryId=32&nationCode=32&nationCntryCode=32&studyAbroad=Y&studyOnline=N&studyCross=N&studyDomestic=N&studyPartTime=N&manStdyAbrdFlg=N&restRefineFlag=Y&pageNo=2.

“Pharmacologist.” Prospects.ac.uk, Harper Adams University, 2 Dec. 2018, www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/pharmacologist.

“Pharmacologist: Job Description & Career Information.” Study.com, Study.com, 2 Dec. 2018, study.com/articles/Pharmacologist_Job_Description_and_Information_About_Becoming_a_Pharmacologist.html.

“Pharmacology.” Engineering - Programs - University of Alberta, University of Alberta, 3 Dec. 2018, apps.admissions.ualberta.ca/programs/sc/sc020/pmcol1.

“Pharmacology Salary in Canada.” Neuvoo, 3 Dec. 2018, neuvoo.ca/salary/?job=pharmacology. Rapa, Melissa. “Chemist Job Description.” Pharmajob.ca, Pharmajob.ca, 1 Mar. 2018, www.pharmaceutical.ca/tools-and-resources/pharmacologist-job/.