Career
Center Resources
Nature of the Work | Working
Conditions | Employment
| Training, Other Qualifications,
and Advancement | Job Outlook
| Earnings | Related
Occupations | Sources
of Additional Information Significant Points Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health
practitioners and provide information to patients about medications
and their use. They advise physicians and other health practitioners
on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Pharmacists must understand the use; clinical effects; and composition
of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties.
Compounding the actual mixing of ingredients to form powders, tablets,
capsules, ointments, and solutions is only a small part of a pharmacist's
practice, because most medicines are produced by pharmaceutical
companies in a standard dosage and drug delivery form. Most pharmacists
work either in a community setting, such as a retail drug store,
or in a hospital or clinic. Pharmacists in community or retail pharmacies counsel patients
and answer questions about prescription drugs, such as those about
possible adverse reactions or interactions. They provide information
about over-the-counter drugs and make recommendations after asking
a series of health questions, such as whether the customer is taking
any other medications. They also give advice about durable medical
equipment and home healthcare supplies. They also may complete third-party
Insurance forms and other paperwork. Those who own or manage community
pharmacies may sell nonhealth-related merchandise, hire and supervise
personnel, and oversee the general operation of the pharmacy. Some
community pharmacists provide specialized services to help patients
manage conditions such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or
high blood pressure. Pharmacists in hospitals and clinics dispense medications and advise
the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. They may
make sterile solutions and buy medical supplies. They also assess,
plan, and monitor drug programs or regimens. They counsel patients
on the use of drugs while in the hospital, and on their use at home
when the patients are discharged. Pharmacists also may evaluate
drug use patterns and outcomes for patients in hospitals or managed
care organizations. Pharmacists who work in home healthcare monitor drug therapy and
prepare infusions - solutions that are injected into patients -
and other medications for use in the home. Most pharmacists keep confidential computerized records of patients'
drug therapies to ensure that harmful drug interactions do not occur.
They frequently teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation
for graduation and licensure. Some pharmacists specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such
as intravenous nutrition support, oncology (cancer), nuclear pharmacy
(used for chemotherapy), and pharmacotherapy (the treatment of mental
disorders with drugs). Pharmacists are responsible for the accuracy of every prescription
that is filled, but they often rely upon pharmacy technicians and
pharmacy aides to assist them. Thus, the pharmacist may delegate
prescription-filling and administrative tasks and supervise their
completion. Pharmacists usually work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated
areas. Many pharmacists spend most of their workday on their feet.
When working with sterile or potentially dangerous pharmaceutical
products, pharmacists wear gloves and masks and work with other
special protective equipment. Many community and hospital pharmacies
are open for extended hours or around the clock, so pharmacists
may work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Consultant pharmacists
may travel to nursing homes or other facilities to monitor patient's
drug therapy. About 1 out of 7 pharmacists worked part time in 2000. Most full-time
salaried pharmacists worked about 40 hours a week. Some, including
many self-employed pharmacists, worked more than 50 hours a week. Pharmacists held about 217,000 jobs in 2000. About 6 out of 10
worked in community pharmacies, either independently owned or part
of a drug store chain, grocery store, department store, or mass
merchandiser. Most community pharmacists were salaried employees,
but some were self-employed owners. About 21 percent of salaried
pharmacists worked in hospitals, and others worked in clinics, mail-order
pharmacies,pharmaceutical wholesalers, home healthcare agencies,
or the Federal Government. A license to practice pharmacy is required in all States, the District
of Columbia , and U.S. territories. To obtain a license, one must
serve an internship under a licensed pharmacist, graduate from an
accredited college of pharmacy, and pass a State examination. All
States, except California and Florida , currently grant a license
without extensive re-examination to qualified pharmacists already
licensed by another State; one should check with State boards of
pharmacy for details. Many pharmacists are licensed to practice
in more than one State. States may require continuing education
for license renewal. In 2000, 82 colleges of pharmacy were accredited to confer degrees
by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. Pharmacy programs
grant the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), which requires
at least 6 years of postsecondary study and the passing of the licensure
examination of a State board of pharmacy. The Pharm.D. is a 4-year
program that requires at least 2 years of college study prior to
admittance. This degree has replaced the Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
degree, which will cease to be awarded after 2005. Colleges of pharmacy require at least 2 years of college-level
prepharmacy education. Entry requirements usually include mathematics
and natural sciences, such as chemistry, biology, and physics, as
well as courses in the humanities and social sciences. Some colleges
require the applicant to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test. All colleges of pharmacy offer courses in pharmacy practice, designed
to teach students to dispense prescriptions and to communicate with
patients and other health professionals. Such courses also strengthen
students' understanding of professional ethics and allow them to
practice management responsibilities. Pharmacists' training increasingly
emphasizes direct patient care, as well as consultative services
to other health professionals. In the 2000-01 academic year, 64 colleges of pharmacy awarded the
master of science degree or the Ph.D. degree. Both the master's
and Ph.D. degrees are awarded after completion of a Pharm.D. degree.
These degrees are designed for those who want more laboratory and
research experience. Many master's and Ph.D. holders work in research
for a drug company or teach at a university. Other options for pharmacy
graduates who are interested in further training include 1- or 2-year
residency programs or fellowships. Pharmacy residencies are postgraduate
training programs in pharmacy practice. Pharmacy fellowships are
highly individualized programs designed to prepare participants
to work in research laboratories. Some pharmacists who run their
own pharmacy obtain a master's degree in business administration
(MBA). Areas of graduate study include pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical
chemistry (physical and chemical properties of drugs and dosage
forms), pharmacology (effects of drugs on the body), and pharmacy
administration. Prospective pharmacists should have scientific aptitude, good communication
skills, and a desire to help others. They also must be conscientious
and pay close attention to detail, because the decisions they make
affect human lives. In community pharmacies, pharmacists usually begin at the staff
level. After they gain experience and secure the necessary capital,
some become owners or part owners of pharmacies. Pharmacists in
chain drug stores may be promoted to pharmacy supervisor or manager
at the store level, then to manager at the district or regional
level, and later to an executive position within the chain's headquarters. Hospital pharmacists may advance to supervisory or administrative
positions. Pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry may advance
in marketing, sales, research, quality control, production, packaging,
or other areas. Very good employment opportunities are expected
for pharmacists over the 2000-10 period because the number of degrees
granted in pharmacy are not expected to be as numerous as the number
of job openings created by employment growth and the need to replace
pharmacists who retire or otherwise leave the occupation. Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow faster than the average
for all occupations through the year 2010, due to the increased
pharmaceutical needs of a larger and older population and greater
use of medication. The growing numbers of middle-aged and elderly
people - who, on average, use more prescription drugs than do younger
people - will continue to spur demand for pharmacists in all practice
settings. Other factors likely to increase the demand for pharmacists
include scientific advances that will make more drug products available,
new developments in genome research and medication distribution
systems, and increasingly sophisticated consumers seeking more information
about drugs. Retail pharmacies are taking steps to increase their prescription
volume to make up for declining dispensing fees. Automation of drug
dispensing and greater use of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy
aides will help them to dispense more prescriptions. The number
of community pharmacists needed in the future will depend on the
rate of expansion of chain drug stores and the willingness of insurers
to reimburse pharmacists for providing clinical services to patients
taking prescription medications. With its emphasis on cost control,
managed care encourages growth of lower cost prescription drug distributors,
such as mail-order firms, for certain medications. Faster than average
employment growth is expected in retail pharmacies. Employment in hospitals is expected to grow about as fast as average,
as hospitals reduce inpatient stays, downsize, and consolidate departments.
Pharmacy services are shifting to long-term, ambulatory, and home
care settings, where opportunities for pharmacists will be best.
New opportunities are emerging for pharmacists in managed-care organizations,
where they may analyze trends and patterns in medication use for
their populations of patients, and for pharmacists trained in research,
disease management, and pharmacoeconomics - determining the costs
and benefits of different drug therapies. Cost-conscious insurers and health systems may continue to emphasize
the role of pharmacists in primary and preventive health services.
They realize that the expense of using medication to treat diseases
and conditions often is considerably less than the potential costs
for patients whose conditions go untreated. Pharmacists also can
reduce the expenses resulting from unexpected complications due
to allergic reactions or medication interactions. Median annual earnings of pharmacists in 2000 were $70,950. The
middle 50 percent earned between $61,860 and $81,690 a year. The
lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,570, and the highest 10 percent,
more than $89,010 a year. Median annual earnings in the industries
employing the largest numbers of pharmacists in 2000 were as follows: Department stores $73,730 According to a survey by Drug Topics magazine, published by Medical
Economics Co., average starting base salaries of full-time, salaried
pharmacists were $67,824 in 2000. Pharmacists working in chain drug
stores had an average annual base salary of $71,486 while pharmacists
working in independent drug stores averaged $62,040 and hospital
pharmacists averaged $61,250. Many pharmacists also receive compensation
in the form of bonuses, overtime, and profit-sharing. Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides also work in pharmacies.
Persons in other professions who may work with pharmaceutical compounds
include biological and medical scientists and chemists and materials
scientists. For information on pharmacy as a career, preprofessional and professional
requirements, programs offered by colleges of pharmacy, and student
financial aid, contact: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy National Association of Boards of Pharmacy General information on careers in pharmacy is available from: National Association of Chain Drug Stores State licensure requirements are available from each State's Board
of Pharmacy. Information on specific college entrance requirements, curriculums,
and financial aid is available from any college of pharmacy. PHARMACIST
Nature of the Work
Working Conditions
Employment
Training, Other Qualifications,
and Advancement
Job Outlook
Earnings
Grocery stores 72,440
Drug stores and proprietary stores 72,110
Hospitals 68,760 Related Occupations
Sources of Additional Information
1426 Prince St .
Alexandria , VA 22314
Internet: http://www.aacp.org
700 Busse Highway
Park Ridge , IL 60068
Internet: http://www.nabp.net
413 N. Lee St. , P.O. Box 1417 - D49
Alexandria , VA 22313-1480
Internet: http://www.nacds.org
