Pharmacists are individuals in the medical profession that are responsible for dispensing drugs that have been prescribed to patients.  Even though they do not prescribe drugs for individuals, they are still required to give patients any necessary information regarding the prescribed drug and ensure that they understand the health practitioners or doctors instructions as it relates to the drugs.  As a result, they tend to have an extended knowledge about the make-up of a drug and how it will react within the body. They may even keep an eye on how the patient is progressing to ensure that the medication dispensed is having a positive impact on the individual and is safe.

Education Requirement

In order to become a pharmacist you must first acquire a Doctorate of Pharmacy degree, which is also referred to as Pharm. D.  The pharmacy program normally take four years and can be started once a student has completed two years of coursework as an undergraduate and has also passed the Pharmacy college admission test (PCAT).  Subjects like biology, chemistry, physiology, anatomy and physics are those that you will encounter when doing coursework in pre-pharmacy and pharmacy.

In addition students in the pharmacy program will be required to do a set rotation in different pharmaceutical and clinical settings.  The number and duration of the rotation are different from place to place; however the on average, approximately 7 – 10 rotations are required, with each lasting 4 – 6 weeks.   A PharmD can take you up to six years if the decision is made early to pursue pharmacy.  However, most students tend to make their decision after college or late in college and end up spending eight years to obtain the degree.

Additionally pharmacists in the United States are required to be successful in the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam.  Many of the states also stipulate that they need to successfully complete the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE).  This is a test which examines your knowledge of pharmacy laws; other states may offer another exam which tests you on the same basis.  There may also be additional exams which are specific to states that you may be required to do.

Job Outlook

The future looks bright for pharmacists today, as there is a great demand for those in the field which is expected to continue until about 2016.  As result, the job of pharmacist tends to be stable and secure with positions available all over the country.   Pharmacists have the option of working in clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical wholesalers, mail order, physician’s office, internet pharmacies, and even with the federal government.    Even thought the setting and state in which a pharmacists works will affect the amount of money they make, the figure will more than likely be more than $90,000.

A pharmacist also has the option of becoming an independent owner or part owner of a pharmacy.  This can be sought after once the individual has the necessary capital and some amount of experience.  For those who choose to work in chain drugstore, they may receive promotions to store manager or pharmacy supervisor, then to regional or district manager and in time to an executive position at the head office.  Those working in the hospital can be promoted to supervisors, while those in the pharmaceutical industry can move forward to areas of research, sales, quality control or marketing.