Pharmacist

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists several tasks that a pharmacist completes as a part of his or her job: distributing prescription drugs, advising patients and doctors on their choice of medication, and monitoring the progress of patients’ health to ensure that drugs are being taken correctly. In some, relatively rare, cases a pharmacist will also practice pharmaceutical compounding—actually creating drugs by combining ingredients. This is not common, however, since modern medicine is created by drug companies according to established standards. The two most common workplaces for pharmacists are drugstores and hospitals.

Job Outlook for Pharmacists

The Bureau of Labor Statistics rates job prospects for pharmacists in the near future as “excellent.” Currently, the demand for pharmacists is high and the supply fairly low. The Bureau lists the median annual income for pharmacists as $106,410 in 2008.

Becoming a Pharmacist

Pharmacy is important and difficult work; not surprisingly, therefore, a person must be granted a government license before he or she can legally become a practicing pharmacist. Earning the license is a long process.

Generally, the first step is undergraduate education (college). Technically, a bachelor’s degree is not required, but two years of college classes are, and most pharmacists current earn their bachelor’s before moving to the next level. There is no longer any bachelor-level degree in pharmacy itself, so those interested in becoming pharmacists may wish to choose a related area of knowledge to specialize in, such as math, chemistry, or biology.

Next, the aspiring pharmacist must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree at an accredited pharmacy school. This is a graduate-level degree that requires an average of four years to complete. During this time, students will learn the basics of pharmacy in classes such as physiology and toxicology. They will also have the chance to study related areas, including pharmacy law, public health, communications, and ethics. Advanced students are also given practice experience outside the classroom. Applicants must meet a number of requirements in order to be admitted to pharmacy school, including an acceptable score on the PCAT, the standard pharmacy school aptitude test.

After being awarded the Pharm.D., new graduates can apply for their license. In the United States, this is usually granted based on performance on two tests, the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam. Note, however, that requirements vary from state to state.