Pet chemists study animal-related chemical processes and are primarily concerned with creating and administering pet medications. They work in laboratories, pharmacies, and veterinary clinics, and may also be responsible for preparing pet prescriptions. Animal drug development is complicated by the diversity of biological systems involved, and most veterinary chemists have veterinary science training. Pet chemical requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Pet chemists may work in a variety of settings with varying responsibilities, but all are involved in some way in the study of animal-related chemical processes. Most pet chemist duties are primarily concerned with pharmaceuticals, whether it be in terms of creating specific pet medications or administering medication for animal ailments. Chemists may work in laboratories, pharmacies or veterinary clinics.
Laboratory work is at the heart of most pet chemists’ jobs. Tasks range from the routine, such as running veterinary tests and analyzing blood samples from animal patients, to the complex. Some of the most in-depth work centers on animal disease research and drug testing.
Animal drug development is similar in many ways to human pharmacology, but is often made more complicated by the diversity of biological systems involved. Animal bodies function differently between species, and sometimes even between them. This doesn’t always require specialized animal knowledge from a pet chemist – most professionals can work with drugs intended for a variety of creatures – but an acute knowledge of key differences is almost always required. For this reason, most veterinary chemists who research and test drugs have veterinary science training.
A pet chemist may also be responsible for actually administering and preparing pet prescriptions. Traditionally, the term “chemist” applied to pharmacists and laboratory scientists. A chemist or pharmacist was responsible for mixing the drugs according to the doctors’ orders and then distributing them to the patient. Modern pharmacists still fulfill many of these roles and generally must receive extensive pharmacological training before stepping behind the counter.
In most communities, pet pharmacies exist only in animal hospitals and veterinary clinics. Pet chemist jobs in these settings are generally very similar to regular pharmacy jobs, except the clientele are pets and their owners. Most often these professionals are ordinary veterinarians or pharmacists with specialized training in animal dosing. It is the rare school that will issue degrees specifically in pet pharmacy.
Regular pharmacies in smaller communities, particularly rural ones, often stock pet medication as well. Pharmacists working in these stores must be familiar with medications for animals and able to follow the veterinarian’s instructions on dosing human medications for animal use. In this scenario, a pharmacist is not always considered a strict pet chemist, but you are generally expected to have the necessary experience to carry out pet chemist work as needed.
Pet chemical requirements often vary by jurisdiction. Veterinary pharmacy licenses are sometimes expected, although in most places, anyone with a pharmacy license can dispense any medicine, whether for man or animal. In some places, the dosage of medicines for animals does not require specific knowledge. Much depends on local laws and customs.
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