Which field is better: Pharmacy or Medicine?

The primary duties of doctors are to see patients, diagnose their medical conditions and determine the appropriate course of treatment for them. Pharmacists on the other hand ensure people have the right prescription medication and that they know how to take their medication properly.

Which field is a better profession and why?

Which Field is better: Pharmacy or Medicine

This Post Has 28 Comments

  1. Ozone

    Being a Pharmacists is kinda Acknowledge by me to be a better Profession to that of a Doctor. The Percentage of a Doctor to a Pharmacists in healing a patient is 40% to 60%. After a Patient has been diagnosed by a doc and he or she has been giving a prescription, We can’t Admit d Prescription made by the doc to b 99.9% Valid.. But mostly their Prescription is Absolutely Correct. I v once been a Victim, A prescription was written by a doc but on getting to d Pharmacist, He Corrected Some Mistakes and Told me To Administered less d gram of Tablet the doc wrote for me. I hope u sense that this my point is Particularly based on Prescription. I m not trying to be Sentimental here cs m Neither a Pharmacy Student or Medical Student

    1. Bi.san

      A pharmacy shouldn’t temper with a prescription as they CAN’T diagnose and don’t know WHY the prescribed drug.
      A pharmacist once did that and he got a lash from the Doctor and was asked never to do that again.

      President of the PSN ones said, “Medicine is a Noble profession and Nobody can take that away, the function of a Doctor is to Prescripe while that of the pharmacy is to dispense”. Here, the president clearly stated the role of his profession. There’s always a line.

      1. RushHour

        How about a case of errors in prescription

  2. Chrisluther

    Doctors are not bound by their environment. They are constantly moving from one hospital to another; one locality to another. They are highly sort after making their stream of income numerous.
    Doctors fresh from Medical School have opportunities to work in the USA or UK by taking USMLE &PLAB respectively. They are well paid during their house job year and some of them indulge in private practice at this time. Pharmacists on the other hand doesn’t have these opportunities and more.
    Without mentioning names, it becomes pretty obvious which profession is better than the other

  3. francis

    Thankfully, am not a doctor or a pharmacist.. Their roles are indispensable but Doctors take the lead for me.. Doctors are trained with skills needed for diagnosis while pharmacists are trained to monitor and dispense prescriptions.. Without the right diagnosis, the use of drugs still remains secondary.. Although there are doctors of pharmacy and pharmacists that diagnose and treat diseases but doctors seem to be more paramount. In health care, if u haven’t mentioned the doctor then you haven’t started talking about health care😅. Forget about all the rivalry.

  4. histokay

    Some people miss conduct and know the right of every profession, like what Francis just said, he misappropriate the role of each profession, a doctor and a pharmacist can not ever diagnose, pls dont misquote me, physician know better about health of every individuals by prognosis, I don’t say physician (doctor can not diagnose but that’s the role.of MLS, if physican can diagnose what’s the uses of laboratory medicine in health care deliver, so the role of MLS in health care delivery can not be over emphasised, but doctor can Prognose and gives the directions of pharmacist by drugs, what am I even saying, lol I don’t know maybe Francis is in any medical field, he said and I quote “Thankfully, am not a doctor or a pharmacist” 😂

    1. abubakar hamisu

      Mr histokay Diagnose means “To find out what physical or mental problem some one has by EXAMINING THEM.”

      Then what concerns MLS with diagnosis of diseases?

      In fact the topic didn’t included MLS at all

      The primary role of MLS is to carry out TESTS in a med lab. So that the doc can use the result to diagnose(find out) what’s wrong, then prescribe the appropriate treatment

  5. Muhammad Ahmad Tahir

    Well, the discussion as to whether the Pharmacy profession or the medical profession (been a Doctor) is a better field remains a huge topic to debate about. First of all, a Pharmacist is a professional licensed by law to deal in drugs and poisons and I believe whatever the Doctor does, at long last he/she has to come back to the same “drugs” and these drugs are been formulated and dispensed by Pharmacists. For all ailments, the ultimate target is to get drugs and that is the most basic need of every patient. Even in instances where surgeries are the final resolutions to treatment of a particular medical condition, drugs are still needed pre and postoperatively ranging from anesthetics to antibiotics and analgesics among other drug classes required. Secondly, among all the medical professionals we have, Pharmacists are the only professionals that produce a 3-dimentional item you can see, touch, use and feel its impact and no other professional in the health sector does close to that. The autonomy and freedoms one has as a Pharmacist to engage in other lucrative business activities is second to none in the medical profession at the same time, most minor ailments are been treated at Pharmacy premises mostly by Pharmacists before hospitals are even considered by the common. How will the medical profession look like if “drugs” are removed from it? Not just drugs, medical and surgical consumables are all controlled by Pharmacists and how do you see when such professionals are not around to take good care of those items? Prescription errors which account for death of several patients are usually recognized and corrected by Pharmacists. The list can get on and on and on but let me summarize it here. A Doctor is indispensable and takes the lead when it comes to diagnosis but diagnosis without drugs remains inconclusive and will produce little or no much positive outcome. To end this debate, I will say, “Never imagine life without a Pharmacist”.

  6. mari_yah

    The MLS only task is to provide we doctors with definitive diagnosis,if you look at a chart of a patient,several differential diagnosis are given even before it gets to the lab,the doctor asks the patient to visit the lab,to confirm at least one differential diagnosis given by the doctors
    The only task of MLS comes after the doctors requests for their services
    There are also pathognomic signs that when a patient presents with,you’ll know that definitely it’s this disease or that disease
    If the doctors do not refer the patient to visit the lab for confirmation,they wont do anything.
    Pharmacy’s role is to ensure that the drugs prescribed by the doctor wont have any adverse effect during drug interaction,to educate the patient,on how to take it and when to take it
    I do not understand why MLS always say they are responsible for diagnosis
    They are second in command after the doctor has provided array of options and all we need them do is confirm one of the differential diagnosis which then becomes definitive diagnosis and the doctore starts to treat
    Have you asked yourself,in hospitals why is it that doctors are the first line of healthcare
    If MLS are really responsible for diagnosis why come to doctors first and not go to them straight
    Let’s not mix up our duties and responsibilities
    And until we give up this inferiority complex,we would keep saying things like this,in healthcare every arm is important,but they should live with the fact that in every team there must be a leader and the leader is a doctor.
    If you check even in the MLS,a medical doctor is the head of the MLS dept,and not MLS degree holder

  7. Rufyanjr

    talking about which is a better profession, I think it’s more about which is more needed nd can help you when you really need it. The answer is very simple; the Doctors are trained professionals with an eye to determine what could be the reason of your discomfort who then try to reverse the damage or reduce it by some measure nd also save your tru surgery
    You will see patients parents,wards begging doctors/surgeons pls save their person’s life. Medicine its self is rewarding, with so many life experience dat will evn incrz ur faith.
    Now side by side analysis..
    – medicine is a core medical profession while pharmacy is a para medical
    – In Nig dat we r are let’s be sincere to ourselves medicine is more rewarding dan pharmacy. Graduate pharmacist dz days hardly get employed,
    * Fed hospital hardly u will count 30 pharmacist, privates hardly u will see 2, some don’t evn use to HV pharmacy section self.
    * Let’s say pharmacist can open a pharmacist shop, evn people dat don’t study it hv pharmacy shops numerous in Ng, all de hv to do is to use a pharmacist license nd pay him/her. dat is applicable in med too but not common nd evn if its possible u will still have to employ Doctors to run ur hospital.
    – hv also seen Pharm students rewriting UTME to get MBBS admission but hvnt seen of vice versa bfr. (Though dz hv to do with ones ambition)
    – Evn their salary scale Is not same.. CONMES (for doctors) nd CONHESS for all allied health professions(rad,nursing, medlab,pharm nd rests).for exp, Fresh pharm grad is CONHESS 9 nd dt of MBBS grad is CONMESS 2. this conmess 2 is equivalent to conhess 12.
    – Even in d society, u will agree wit me dat Doctors are well respected.
    So any angle u will look at it in NG. Med is better.

    1. Tee

      Pharmacy is a paramedical?? Lol, do you even know the meaning of paramedical?
      Graduate pharmacist hardly get employed? Wow. Says? The profession is very versatile, we can work in hospitals, pharmaceutical industries, community pharmacies, food and beverage companies etc. Doctors mostly work in only hospitals.
      You said people that didn’t study pharmacy can open a pharmacy store, agreed. But, they need the licence of a qualified pharmacist to oversee and register the premises not just to register and go.
      Do you think you have to study MBBS too before you can open a hospital? Lol, most of these hospitals are owned by all these rich men, make your findings.
      Get your facts right and stop any unhealthy comparison.
      What level are you sef??
      Thanks.

  8. Rufyanjr

    A Rejoinder to a medzoner claiming diagnosis is not the work of a physician

    What😳?? This is unbelievable from this person. am sure even a layman knows dat diagnosis is a work of medical doctor.. It’s either dz person does not hv a knowledge of medicine or sentimental
    Nigeria for example..
    – The common sicknesses in nig don’t evn requires d Input of a MLscntst.. Doctors diagnosis dem perfectly bcx de r use to dem..
    – Many hospitals in nig don’t employ med labs nd d de r running fine, saving lifes.. Doctors diagnosed nd treats dem
    – it might interest u to note dat evn in rare diseases like d case of COVID-19. Nig gov’t preferred the service of pathologist, whom are also medical doctor by profession. That is in most COVID-19 testing lab it was the pathologist dat were doing the experiments to d extend a prominent journalist fisayo soyombo had to talk about d issue nd dt which evn creates a loggerhead btwn Doctors nd MLScntst on Twitter, I had d scrnshot bfr but I hv deleted dem now..dz person can go nd confirm it.
    So u shld do away with dat knowledge dat Medical professional can’t diagnose nd bla bla bla. Harmony btwn dem nd med Labs is gud fr d patient but d medical procession is way more dan dat person thinks.

    1. abubakar hamisu

      Thanks bro I am also wondering how a person will said so
      But may be he’s an aspirant of MLS and didn’t know the real duties of both proffesions

  9. duek

    I feel that the both profession work hand in hand and no one is actually more relevant than the other…

    My reasons?

    A doctor diagnoses a patient and prescribes the drugs to use, without the pharmacist role in checking the prescription for drug- drug counter interactions and dispensing the drugs( which the doctors aren’t actually licensed to do in an organized healthcare system) the patient’s treatment isn’t then complete, same vice versa.

  10. vikkul

    Pharmacy is better.

    The primary role of doctors should be to diagnose, while the pharmacist are to prescribe and dispense the medication.

    pharmacists being drug Lords, know more about drugs (their interaction etc…) than doctors.

  11. Muslimahnurse

    A pharmacist and doctor both work and in hand with other medical professionals to ensure that a patient gets better, but we can also say a doctor has more efficiency than a pharmacist due to the fact that they diagnose the patient which a pharmacist is not licensed to but also the pharmacist also ensure that the right dosage and drug is administered and at the right time. We can just say their both efficient both in different ways, so we cannot say one is better than the other.

  12. outlaw

    A myth that every pharmacy student wanted to study medicine but didn’t reach the requirements is a false theory. Pharmacy is equals with medicine in the field of advance study. Now, coming to the point of discourse, I feel pharmacy is a more lucrative field in this region of the world at least, a layman will rush to a pharmacy to get drugs and treatment from a pharmacist before thinking of going to hospitals to see a doctor, hence the money oriented part which gives it a lead.

  13. Mildred

    Medicine student can’t stand on their own neither can a nursing student or pharmacy student,we all need ourselves. When would this hit the right spot and Medicine student would understand than seeing themselves as one great lord🙂

  14. doc_kenny

    Every field of study is unique in their own way u just have to encounter it to know so I see no point comparing both fields and trying to justify which is better. A pharmacist can’t do the work of a doctor and even if he can there is to an extent so it is for a doctor so comparing them is an endless arguement because there will always be a point from someone, pharm no go gree doc sef no go gree

  15. Bi.san

    😂Ahh! Why this question na!!

    Its so obvious.
    No long talk. I can’t stay in two bedroon when I’ve a well FURNISHED DUPLEX. That’s demotion..

    Everything points to Medicine being better

  16. Specialsammy

    Firstly, I will say both fields are good, because they have different functions, pharmacists are responsible for producing drugs.but I don’t know why medical students always put themselves as the best in the world. Which is totally wrong.

  17. Miraculous

    A lot of people will think that pharmacists are better than doctors but that’s fallacious.
    Doctors are the head of every health department,which a pharmacy can not handle.
    On the part of admission into the college of medicine or graduating, medicine is always a tug of war.
    On the salary scale, Medicine is by far more lucrative than pharmacy; then many people might think about the pharmacy (i.e shops that sell drugs),also to the guy that said it is more lucrative in the sense of opening a pharmacy.
    ….With reference to this

    This guy forgot that the pharmacies(shop) about 70% are owned by business men and not those with the certificate.
    Starting a good pharmacy requires a huge capital to start which is not readily available to a pharmacist that just graduated unless you have a rich family that can finance you,but an average pharmacist that just graduated cannot open a pharmacy due to capital problems.
    About 90% of pharmacy graduates applies for jobs first before thinking of raising the finance for a shop.
    Now coming to the salary structure,you can’t compare a pharmacist with a doctor,doctors earn higher.
    As a doctor,you can even have a pharmacy shop,just get a legal backing to open it up.
    Then to the side of the chemist,which is common in Nigeria,99% of them are not pharmacists,they just got a certificate to sell drugs,some even don’t have a legal backup to their shops.

    Business men are different from pharmacists. Know this.

    A doctor can start up a hospital with a less capital required to open a pharmacy if he doesn’t get a job immediately and start practicing,as a pharmacist it’s either you work for a pharmaceutical company or a hospital, because the funds you need are enormous and may not be readily available.

    Gracias 🤓

    1. Tee

      Opening a hospital is far expensive than opening a pharmacy, get that right, and most hospitals are owned by business men too.
      To open a pharmacy(not chemist) and to open a hospital both requires the licence of a qualified personell.
      Let’s stop unhealthy comparison without basis
      Thanks!

  18. KennyFash

    Both pharmacy and medicine are good and important in their own rights. Choosing a better one is definitely taking away the narrative of the courses and their importance. Medicine cannot function fully without pharmacy and vice versa. Pharmacy is just as important or maybe even better than medicine the same way some other medical courses are as important or maybe better than medicine but because medicine is the course associated with the saving of lives we all regard it as the better one and forgo the importance of the other ones. In my opinion none is better they’re both on the same level

  19. Oluwapelumi Fadipe

    In my opinion,

    No profession is better than the other. Each profession is unique and needed in the system. We need to stop comparing Doctors with other medical professionals. It’s not fair. How can you say medicine is better than pharmacy today, it’s better than Nursing tomorrow. Do you think a doctor can function alone? They are a team, they work together. No medical professional is better than the other.

    I see these excessive comparison, not just among students but even the professionals themselves. Let that orientation change from among us. Let treat one another with respect, without egotism.

    The goal of all medical professionals is to save the lives of their patients. Doctors, Nurses, pharmacists, medical lab scientists and so on, each of them are needed. None is the boss of the other.

    #stopthecomparison

  20. Oluwabunmi

    To me, every field of study has its own importance and usefulness. We can’t do without either of them as well as we can’t do without some courses we even feel are inferior or not too important.

    Just like every part of the body has its function, so it is with our fields of study. The brain and heart are very essential and vital, but so also the tongue, eyes, legs and hands. Without these little members, there won’t be smooth running of the body.

  21. WOSU RUTH

    Actually,to me every discipline is very important as the other because they’re all unique in their own ways,so their shouldn’t be comparison.On the other hand,if the society has placed doctors at the position they are everyone should accept that.But,I earnestly urge all medical students to respect all other disciplines because we’re in medicine by grace,so many who are good too couldn’t get in.

  22. Bi.san

    When I was still a student nurse and was sent to the pharmacy for one of My regular posting, A Pharmacist I met who was so nice to Me drew a Health sector organogram and She said something I’ll never forget, She placed the Medical Doctor above all others and then Pharmacy and Nursing at next level below the Doctors’ and then others below them. She said, Doctors were first and still remains the first in the health sector.
    There shouldn’t be rivery and sentiments in all this. The knowledge you need to become a Doctor is not same as that of a pharmacist, the points you need to gain admission as a Medical Student is not same as that of a pharmacy student, the school fees you need to pay as a Medical Student is not same as a pharmacy student, the number of years you need to study Medicine is not same as pharmacy.
    Both compensate each other but there’s ALWAYS a Higher LINE for One.

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