How to Become a Pharmacist
Do you like to interact with people and help them take care of their health? Do you also have great communication skills, attention to detail and love science? A job as a pharmacist could be in your future. Find out how to become a pharmacist in our complete guide.
What Is a Pharmacist?
A pharmacist is a licensed healthcare professional that stores, handles, and supplies patients with medicines prescribed by doctors and other healthcare practitioners. They are crucial to educate patients about the drugs they are going to use and ensuring patient drug safety.
Pharmacist hours can vary and may require you to work on weekends and during nights shifts as well since some pharmacies are open 24/7. Pharmacists not only work in pharmacies, though. They can also operate in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, as well as in research and development organizations conducting clinical trials for new drugs.
What Does a Pharmacist Do?
The exact job description of a pharmacist can vary based on their specialization. However, most will perform the following tasks:
- Prepare and dispense prescriptions to patients.
- Verify medication dosages prescribed by physicians and assess possible interactions with other drugs the patient might be taking.
- Explain to patients when and how to take medications and answer any questions they might have.
- Administer immunizations, vaccines, and flu shots.
- Providing patients with general health care advice.
- Collaborate with insurance companies to obtain patient medication approval.
- Train intern pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
- Keep records and perform other administrative tasks.
How to Become a Pharmacist
If the questions “how long does it take to become a pharmacist?”, “which pharmacy school requirements do I need to fill?” or “what degree do you need to be a pharmacist?” are on your mind, relax. We’re here to explain to you all you need to know about how to become a pharmacist in terms of your education.
To practice pharmacy, you’ll need first to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from an accredited organization such as the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Your studies need to also include an internship period.
Pharmacy school usually takes three to six years, depending on if you start straight after high school or if you’re taking certain courses or degrees. Requirements to study can be different, so we suggest always checking your institution’s particular rules. However, most of them ask that you have one or more of the following:
- additional postsecondary courses like biology, chemistry, or physics
- a completed two-year undergraduate degree
- a bachelor’s degree
- a Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) certificate
Then, to obtain your license, you’ll have to pass both the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE), which vary by state.
On top of this, if you want to specialize in certain areas such as administering vaccines or becoming an expert in diabetes treatment, you’ll have to earn the corresponding certification. Finally, candidates wishing to pursue roles in clinical pharmacy or research will need to complete an additional one or two-year residency.
How Much Do Pharmacists Make?
A pharmacist salary averages $105,670 per year, with an entry-level pharmacist salary starting at $47,894. However, keep in mind that many other factors like your particular certifications and specializations and where you workcan influence how much you’ll earn. For instance:
- clinical pharmacist salary: $110,739 per year on average
- hospital pharmacist salary: $110,318 per year on average
- retail pharmacist salary: $111,694 per year on average
- oncology pharmacist salary: $112,422 per year on average
Moreover, certain industries simply spend more on their employees. Among the top-paying sectors for pharmacists we find R&D services, outpatient care centers, and local government (excluding schools and hospitals).
As far as locations go, you’ll see the highest salaries in:
If you’re interested in how to become a pharmacist, you’ll certainly also want to know how much you personally could earn as a pharmacist in your city. To find out, check out Monster's Salary Calculator. This tool will also provide you with useful tips to improve your skills and employability.
How to Find Pharmacist Jobs
Now that you’ve learnt all about how to become a pharmacist, it’s time to go get that job you want. It all starts with writing a good pharmacist resume. It won’t feel like a hard task as long as you follow Monster’s resume writing tips.
The best advice we can give you is to always strive for a resume that is easy to read and scan through for recruiters. They have hundreds of resumes to review in so little time, so it can really make a difference in passing the selection process. Use clear sections, bold text, bullet points, a professional summary, and don’t forget to include industry-related keywords from the job ad itself.
Finally, always pair your resume with a cover letter. Address it specifically to the company you’re applying to and explain why you would be the perfect fit for their role by focusing on what you can bring to the table.
Where Do Pharmacists Work?
Pharmacists primarily work in pharmacies. These can be privately owned or part of different types of stores, such as a grocery store. However, pharmacists can also be found in hospitals and other healthcare organizations.
Some of the settings with the highest levels of employment for pharmacists are:
- drugstores
- general medical and surgical hospitals
- food and beverage stores
- general merchandise stores
- merchant wholesalers
What about the best locations in which to pursue a pharmacist job? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states with the best employment numbers for this profession are:
As for the best U.S. metro areas by the number of opportunities, we also suggest looking into:
Formulate the Best Resume and Upload it on Monster
Learning how to become a pharmacist is just the beginning of what could be your future career. Monster supports you through every step of your job search to make it easier. Simply set up a free account and upload your most recent resume. Decide what kind of role you’re after and we’ll send you all the matching job listings available. With Monster you’ll never miss a chance to land your dream job.