Demystifying the pharmacist PhD career pathway

Industry

October 5, 2019

As pharmacists break down traditional boundaries and work in novel fields, we sought to explore one of the less common career pathways – the PhD. Here we chart our journeys and those of 11 other pharmacists at various stages of their careers.

A Doctor of Philosophy, more commonly referred to as a PhD, is the highest academic degree. For entry into a PhD course, a person is usually expected to have a Bachelor’s degree with Honours or equivalent. It generally takes three to four years full time to complete.

The structure and content of a PhD degree varies considerably but generally involves a large research component and a final written thesis. Traditionally a thesis is a long essay (up to 80,000 words) describing the relevant literature and one’s research. These days it is quite common to have a ‘PhD by publication’ where the thesis consists of four or more peer-reviewed journal papers rather than essay-style writing.

During the PhD, the student undertakes research under the guidance and mentorship of a supervisory team which is generally two to four people who hold PhDs and have the necessary skills or experience to inform the research.

Full-time PhD students are often supported by a tax-free scholarship (~$27,000/year) but are restricted on hours of paid work they can do outside of this.

The number of people undertaking a PhD is increasing both nationally and globally, despite the huge time investment and financial considerations. Anecdotally, it also seems the number of pharmacists undertaking a PhD is increasing. While a PhD is necessary for career progression in some fields (e.g. academia and basic science), it is not commonly required in traditional pharmacy career pathways.

What do pharmacists research for their PhD?

Pharmacists are fortunate to receive a foundation-level knowledge across a broad range of disciplines in our Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. We are trained to apply our clinical, analytical and problem-solving skills to various situations. Not surprisingly, this means that pharmacists have the ability and passion to undertake study in many different fields of research.

For us, our research stemmed from clinical practice as community pharmacists and accredited pharmacists and, to some extent, felt like a natural extension of the work we were already doing (see Box 1). Yet while we both focussed on improving the quality use of medicines in older people, the topics that other pharmacists researched were perhaps less traditional.

They included:

organic chemistry
formulation science
pharmacokinetics
disaster management
scabies treatment in third world countries (see Box 2).

BOX 1. Origins of two PhDs

AMANDA CROSS – PhD completed in August 2019 with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University.	DR AMY PAGE – PhD completed in October 2017 at the Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, UWA Medical School and the Centre for Optimisation of Medicines, School of Allied Health at UWA.
Why did I start a PhD? As a community pharmacist and accredited pharmacist I was frequently seeing people taking inappropriate medicines and while I was able to help those individual people, I wanted to see if I could make a difference on a larger scale.	Why did I start a PhD? I was working as a clinical pharmacy educator at UWA and as an accredited pharmacist. A GP colleague at UWA was undertaking a randomised controlled trial of deprescribing in aged care facilities. She knew I was interested in the area so invited me to undertake my PhD in their deprescribing study.
What did I research? My PhD looked at optimising medicines use in older people, particularly those living with cognitive impairment. I evaluated the effectiveness of interventions that aim to improve medicine adherence and medication-taking ability, explored the prevalence of inappropriate medicines in people attending Australian memory clinics and evaluated the feasibility of pharmacist-led deprescribing in a memory clinic setting.	What did I research? My PhD investigated the evidence for continuing and deprescribing medicines for older people, particularly those with dementia. I synthesised the evidence on deprescribing interventions, compared deprescribing decisions of pharmacists and doctors, validated a tool for deprescribing, and created a consensus-based guideline called the Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health conditions during Dementia (MATCH-D) criteria.
What next? Started a postdoctoral research role with the Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Hospital. My research is focussing on improving the quality use of medicines in chronic non-cancer pain. I continue to work clinically as an accredited pharmacist.	What next? Undertaking my postdoctoral research between Monash University and Alfred Health continuing to research medicine safety and quality use of medicines for older people, particularly those with multiple chronic conditions. I’m also continuing to work clinically at Alfred Health and the GP practice.

BOX 2. Varied topics help improve pharmacists’ breadth of knowledge

NAME	UNIVERSITY	STAGE OF PHD	TOPIC
Gemma Latter	Curtin University	First year PhD	Formulation science and nanotechnology
Susie Lake	University of Melbourne	First year PhD	Dosing schedules for mass drug treatment of scabies in developing countries
Tyler Goodine	James Cook University	First year PhD	Organic chemistry and sustainable process for making naturally based insect repellents
Anna Barwick	University of Queensland	First year PhD	Medication rationalisation and deprescribing
Alyson Stephensen	University of Canberra	Mid-PhD	Improving the quality of medicine safety for breastfeeding women
Brooke Bullock	University of Queensland	Mid-PhD	Pharmacists on post take ward round prescribing, medication communication and cost
Courtney Mangelsdorf	University of Melbourne	Mid-PhD	Antimicrobial stewardship across the surgical setting
Libby McCourt	Queensland University of Technology	Submitted PhD 2019	Preparedness of pharmacists to respond to disasters in Australia
Ella van Tienen	University of Tasmania	Finished 2012	Feasibility of patients doing self-monitoring of INR while taking warfarin
Greg Kyle	University of Queensland	Finished 2012	Prescription medicine samples on initiation of therapy
Suzanne Nielsen	Monash University	Finished 2008	Interactions between opioids and benzodiazepines in the context of understanding safety of opioid substitution treatment

So why do pharmacists choose to do a PhD?

It seems the reasons why pharmacists choose to commence a PhD are incredibly diverse. For some, it had been part of their life plan for many years.

I’ve always wanted to do [a PhD] … I knew I wanted to be a scientist since I was seven.’ Gemma

For others it was a necessary means to specialise in an area and develop skills that couldn’t be easily obtained through typical pharmacy practice or existing training courses.

I’m using my clinical skills but I have these other skills [from honours] which are completely going by the wayside and I kind of miss that.’ Tyler

I was the antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist in a regional hospital, and I wasn’t aware of any pathways to upskill in that area.’ Courtney

I’ve been working at a university now for seven years in a teaching role, and I feel that having a PhD and high level research are important for me personally and also to pass on to my students … a PhD provides some credibility as an academic and researcher.’ Anna

Interestingly, and in line with our own personal experience, many pharmacists had no prior plans to start a PhD. Their research ideas had stemmed from clinical practice or conference presentations.

A topic that I was really interested in presented itself to me at my workplace.” Brooke

They had a local pharmacist talking about their experience with Ebola [in Africa] … and I started thinking what would Australia do in the same situation, how would we handle it?’ Libby

Many said they had been influenced by colleagues, previous supervisors or mentors.

I got to choose a lecturer that I got to work with and her passion is pharmacology and breastfeeding and that triggered my interest.’ Alyson

I chose my supervisor first, so it came about because I was involved in the PSA mentor program, who encouraged me to look around for a PhD supervisor.’ Anna

My M Clin Pharm supervisor kept hassling me, asking when I was coming back to do a PhD.’ Greg

Does a PhD change career ambitions and trajectory?

Most pharmacists continued to work part-time in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, consultancy or academia while completing their PhD research. For some this was a means of supplementing income, but many also described the importance of maintaining skills and keeping in touch with clinical practice.

Following a PhD, current PhD candidates described a wide variety of ambitions. The majority wanted to continue working across multiple settings.

International development and consulting … how medicines are used in developing countries, that they are available and used appropriately.’ Susie

I don’t want to give up my pharmacy skills … I just want to be able to step into two environments … both in the lab and in the community.’ Tyler

I’d like to stay in the formulation space.’ Gemma

For those who had completed a PhD, working across multiple settings was a reality. Post-doctoral pharmacists also acknowledged that having a PhD opened up previously unattainable career pathways in academia, health departments and further senior research positions.

I like to cross the holy trinity of clinical practice, research and teaching.’ Libby

When I finished my PhD I got an NHMRC early career research fellowship. Then I went into more implementation science work and had a TRIP fellowship. And now I’ve got a level two career development fellowship in population health … I’ve been very lucky.’ Suzanne

It opened the door into academia, which was where I wanted to go.’ Greg

How do pharmacists feel about a PhD?

Regardless of the topic, all agreed a PhD is not an easy undertaking. It requires a steep learning curve with pharmacists having to become experts in their chosen area and develop skills necessary to complete their projects (e.g. qualitative and quantitative research methods, laboratory techniques, written and oral communication skills).

I’ll have to learn more about the health economics analyses that I’m doing … I’ve done a literature review before but I’ll need to improve my skills.’ Susie

Hitting the books because a pharmacist simply doesn’t get [enough] training in organic chemistry.’ Tyler

I was exposed to some research skills during my degree … but even changing the way I wrote to being more professional … improving my communication skills was the biggest change.’ Alyson

The day-to-day nature of a PhD can also be an extreme change of pace. As clinical pharmacists, we are always working towards very immediate deadlines, e.g. dispense a script, counsel a patient, conduct a medicine reconciliation, complete paperwork. A PhD requires a lot more self-motivation and self-directed learning and often has infrequent formal milestones or deadlines.

You learn a lot about yourself and your work ethic and how to motivate yourself.’ Libby

I had a meltdown early in my PhD … I didn’t think I’d actually done anything because I didn’t have anything to deliver. You don’t have to deliver … every day to still be doing something worthwhile to build to the bigger project. That was a big culture shock.’ Greg

I do work with the local primary health network which I think … I wouldn’t have got without a PhD. It was quite easy to address the selection criteria … they were all things I’d done as part of my PhD.’ Ella

Tips and advice for pharmacists considering a PhD

When considering a new career pathway, especially one that requires such a large commitment as a PhD, it’s really important to reach out to others who have experience in that area. Overall, we really enjoyed our PhD journeys and the pharmacists we spoke to were also extremely positive.

Four key pieces of advice for those considering a PhD and echoed by all the pharmacists we interviewed were:

CHOOSE A GOOD TOPIC

Pick a project you’re really interested in because it’s a long haul.’ Brooke

Only do it if it’s something you’re passionate about.’ Courtney

PhDs that are really driven by a curiosity and a passion for a specific question you have encountered in your practice can be really exciting.’ Suzanne

I don’t think any PhD is easy … but I’d rather do something practical and get out and do stuff rather than sitting at a desk … field work is good.’ Susie

ENSURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT SUPERVISORY TEAM

Make a start … find good supervisors that have time to commit to you and support you.’ Anna

Meet potential supervisors and talk about potential ideas before you start … try to find a match … you need the right support team to help you through it.’ Alyson

HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

If you are thinking of going into academia don’t do it with an expectation of job security or high pay … but I love it.’ Suzanne

Don’t expect anything to happen quickly.’ Gemma

MAKE THE MOST OF ALL OPPORTUNITIES DURING YOUR PhD

A lot of opportunities come from doing [a PhD], and just from being back at uni whilst doing it.’ Ella

To find out more, contact your local pharmacy school to discuss opportunities to undertake a PhD.

Full-time PhD students are often supported by a tax-free scholarship (~$27,000/year) but are restricted on hours of paid work they can do outside of this.

What do pharmacists research for their PhD?

They included:

organic chemistry
formulation science
pharmacokinetics
disaster management
scabies treatment in third world countries (see Box 2).

BOX 1. Origins of two PhDs

AMANDA CROSS – PhD completed in August 2019 with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University.	DR AMY PAGE – PhD completed in October 2017 at the Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, UWA Medical School and the Centre for Optimisation of Medicines, School of Allied Health at UWA.
Why did I start a PhD? As a community pharmacist and accredited pharmacist I was frequently seeing people taking inappropriate medicines and while I was able to help those individual people, I wanted to see if I could make a difference on a larger scale.	Why did I start a PhD? I was working as a clinical pharmacy educator at UWA and as an accredited pharmacist. A GP colleague at UWA was undertaking a randomised controlled trial of deprescribing in aged care facilities. She knew I was interested in the area so invited me to undertake my PhD in their deprescribing study.
What did I research? My PhD looked at optimising medicines use in older people, particularly those living with cognitive impairment. I evaluated the effectiveness of interventions that aim to improve medicine adherence and medication-taking ability, explored the prevalence of inappropriate medicines in people attending Australian memory clinics and evaluated the feasibility of pharmacist-led deprescribing in a memory clinic setting.	What did I research? My PhD investigated the evidence for continuing and deprescribing medicines for older people, particularly those with dementia. I synthesised the evidence on deprescribing interventions, compared deprescribing decisions of pharmacists and doctors, validated a tool for deprescribing, and created a consensus-based guideline called the Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health conditions during Dementia (MATCH-D) criteria.
What next? Started a postdoctoral research role with the Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Hospital. My research is focussing on improving the quality use of medicines in chronic non-cancer pain. I continue to work clinically as an accredited pharmacist.	What next? Undertaking my postdoctoral research between Monash University and Alfred Health continuing to research medicine safety and quality use of medicines for older people, particularly those with multiple chronic conditions. I’m also continuing to work clinically at Alfred Health and the GP practice.

BOX 2. Varied topics help improve pharmacists’ breadth of knowledge

NAME	UNIVERSITY	STAGE OF PHD	TOPIC
Gemma Latter	Curtin University	First year PhD	Formulation science and nanotechnology
Susie Lake	University of Melbourne	First year PhD	Dosing schedules for mass drug treatment of scabies in developing countries
Tyler Goodine	James Cook University	First year PhD	Organic chemistry and sustainable process for making naturally based insect repellents
Anna Barwick	University of Queensland	First year PhD	Medication rationalisation and deprescribing
Alyson Stephensen	University of Canberra	Mid-PhD	Improving the quality of medicine safety for breastfeeding women
Brooke Bullock	University of Queensland	Mid-PhD	Pharmacists on post take ward round prescribing, medication communication and cost
Courtney Mangelsdorf	University of Melbourne	Mid-PhD	Antimicrobial stewardship across the surgical setting
Libby McCourt	Queensland University of Technology	Submitted PhD 2019	Preparedness of pharmacists to respond to disasters in Australia
Ella van Tienen	University of Tasmania	Finished 2012	Feasibility of patients doing self-monitoring of INR while taking warfarin
Greg Kyle	University of Queensland	Finished 2012	Prescription medicine samples on initiation of therapy
Suzanne Nielsen	Monash University	Finished 2008	Interactions between opioids and benzodiazepines in the context of understanding safety of opioid substitution treatment