Pharmacy

Becoming a pharmacist, pharmacy technician or pharmacy assistant is not as hard as you think. This career offers many benefits and pays very well for a degree that only requires a few years. If you are a high school student, there are a few courses you should take to prepare yourself. It would also be wise to check out the university's pharmacy program to see which prerequisites are necessary before beginning pharmacy school. Most programs take about five or six years to complete. However, if you are already a college student, then you need to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) and apply for admissions to the program. All aspiring students need to take the PCAT.

When you earn your Bachelors of Science in Pharmacy, you should then take the licensing exam in your state. All of the states in the USA require pharmacists to be licensed. You must also renew it every two years. Most pharmacists will then begin an internship to get accustomed with the atmosphere of pharmacology. If the college graduate is interested in furthering their education, they can work on a Masters degree. This may take anywhere from one to three years.

The yearly income for a licensed pharmacist can reach six figures. You can make a comfortable income before you are 30 years old. The work hours are also very flexible and do not require long hours to earn a high income. Seven or eight hour work days are normal, and there is no need to work with blood! Some people are afraid of going into a medical field because they do not want to work with blood.

If you are not interested in going to college for five or six years, you may also be interested in becoming a pharmacy technician or assistant. A pharmacy technician helps out a pharmacist dispense medication and is responsible for other tasks like counting and labeling prescriptions. An assistant answers the telephone, stocks shelves and does most clerical and cashier tasks. Technicians can obtain a degree in one or two years and must be certified by their state, while most assistants are trained on the job in a few weeks or months.

If you are interested in any of these jobs, take a career assessment to see if your interests, work ethic, social skills and other skills compare to that of a future pharmacist, technician or assistant.