Spotlights
Job Description
Pharmacists advise patients and health care providers on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Rewarding Aspects of Career
- Job security
- Excellent pay
- Flexibility: You can work part-time and still make a good living.
- Making a positive impact on a patient’s health.
$122,230
The Inside Scoop
Different types of pharmacists
Community Pharmacists
- Fill prescriptions, verifying instructions from physicians on the proper amounts of medication to give to patients.
- Check whether the prescription will interact negatively with other drugs that a patient is taking or conditions the patient has.
- Instruct patients on how and when to take a prescribed medicine.
- Advise patients on potential side effects they may experience from taking the medicine.
- Advise patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, and managing stress, and on other issues, such as what equipment or supplies would be best for a health problem
- Complete insurance forms and work with insurance companies to be sure that patients get the medicines they need.
- Oversee the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists in training (interns).
- Keep records and do other administrative tasks.
- Place of work: Community pharmacies (chains like CVS and independent pharmacies), hospitals.
- Downside: Will probably have to work weekends.
Clinical Pharmacists
- Direct patient care. Assists doctors in recommending medications to patients and monitors therapeutic outcomes.
- Place of work: Hospitals and ambulatory care clinics.
Nuclear
- Measure and deliver the radioactive materials which are used in digital imaging (MRI, CT, etc).
- Place of work: Medical offices and hospitals.
Consultant Pharmacists
- Advise healthcare facilities or insurance providers on how to make pharmacy services more efficient and ensure they are compliant with all applicable state laws.
Expectations/Sacrifices Necessary
- Lots of schooling!
- Will be on your feet for many hours of the day.
- Might work nights/weekends.
Current Industry Trends
- For the past 10 years or so, pharmacy has been moving towards getting even more involved with direct patient care meaning there are more clinical pharmacists.
- Knowing more than one language is quite useful, especially Spanish. “I can't tell you how many times I've needed a translator when trying to communicate with patients!” – Tony Bui, Licensed Pharmacist
- The industry is continuing to grow and that there's still a demand for pharmacists; however, because more and more pharmacy schools keep opening up, it's only a matter of time before the market might get too saturated.
Education Needed
- A 4-year Bachelors of Science degree is mandatory.
- Take required classes during college to apply (vary per pharmacy school): human anatomy, microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry and organic chemistry.
- Take and pass the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test).
- Attend 3-4 year PharmD graduate program and obtain a PharmD degree.
- Get Licensed: Must pass 2 exams. One is the NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination). The other is state-specific for pharmacy laws of that state.
Things to look for in an University
- NAPLEX pass rates: Shows the percentage of students who passed the board examinations for each school.
- % of students that do a residency (if you’re interested in being a clinical pharmacist).
- National ranking is not as important.
Things to do in college
- Get involved with the pre-pharmacy club in college.
- Do healthcare community work (i.e. diabetes and blood pressure screenings).
- Take required classes during college to apply (vary per pharmacy school): human anatomy, microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry and organic chemistry.
Typical Roadmap
How to Land your 1st job
Typically during your 4th year (P4), the pharmacy school will host a job fair. This is the best opportunity to get as many interviews in one day. If you know you want to work for a specific company early on, you should get a job as a technician/intern while in school. They typically offer jobs to their own employees first before they will consider others.
Qualities of those who climb the ladder
- Excellent leadership qualities
- Results-driven
- Self-motivated
- Good time management skills
- Genuine interest in pharmacy
Recommended Tools/Resources
Plan B
Alternate careers: Nurse, Physician Assistant, Pharmaceutical Representative.
Words of Advice
“Try to find a pharmacy that will allow you to shadow a pharmacist for a few days. This will help you figure out if pharmacy is for you. Do not limit yourself to just a community pharmacy. That setting is not for everyone.” – Tony Bui, Licensed Pharmacist
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