THE CAREER OF A PHARMACIST

By: Sara Nazir

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What does a Pharmacist do?

Basic Responsibilities of a Pharmacist Dispense prescription drugs (Fills

Prescriptions) Counsel patients about the medication they

are taking Ensure drug therapy is safe and effective Monitor patient's drug therapy

What does a Pharmacist do? Give recommendations to customers

about over-the-counter medicines Occasionally Pharmacists compound

medicines (mix up) Work in collaboration with physicians,

nurses and other health care providers

What education is needed?

Pharmacists require many years of training High school diploma Having three or more years of college

before attending pharmacy school Must have a high PCAT score to get into

Pharmacy School Pharmacists must graduate from an

accredited Pharmacy School Pharmacists are now graduating with a 4-

year PharmD degree

What education is needed? Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is no longer

being awarded All Pharmacists need to pass the NAPLEX

practice pharmacy exam Post Graduate Residency and Fellowship

training may be necessary for some Clinical Pharmacy positions

Pharmacists may also get additional certifications and degrees after graduating from pharmacy school depending on their job setting

What makes a good PharmacistDesired qualities in prospective

pharmacists include: excellent communication skills good interpersonal skills a desire to help others conscientiousness and detail-oriented enjoy studying the sciences

“SUCCESS IS A STATE OF MIND. IF YOU WANT SUCCESS, START THINKING OF YOURSELF AS A SUCCESS.”(ANONYMOUS)

What is the Salary for a Pharmacist?

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$140,000

Beginning Median High

OccupationalOutlookHandbook

What is the Salary for a Pharmacist?Median annual salary of pharmacists in May 2008 was

$106,410. A Pharmacist’s salary may depend on several factors

like: Number of years of experience Setting (hospital, retail store, health insurance

company, Pharmacy benefit manager, academia etc)

Number of years of post-Pharm.D. training (residency, fellowship etc)

Extra certifications (e.g. BCPS – Board certified pharmacotherapy specialist)

Type of job (management, clinical, retail, etc)

What is the Job Outlook of a Pharmacist?

The employment of Pharmacists is expected to grow by about 17% between 2008 and 2018

This growth is much faster than the average job. This is probably due to: increasing number of elderly and middle-

aged people who are using more prescription drugs

increased scientific advances leading to new drug products

Related Occupations

Other people who are employed in pharmacies, work with medications, or are involved in patient care include:

Biological and Medical scientists Pharmacy technicians Physicians/Surgeons Nurses Dieticians Social Workers