Pharmacist
Pharmacist
Career Description:
- Dispense drugs and provide information on their use
- Ensure the safest and most effective use of medication to treat illness and medical conditions
- Educate patients about the use of medications and their side effects
- Advise and educate physicians and other healthcare practitioners about all aspects of drugs, including the appropriate selection of drug treatment for the condition, the dosage, the interaction with other drugs and possible side effects
- Prepare sterile equipment for use by doctors and patients
- Analyze prescribing trends to prevent excessive usage and harmful interactions
- Maintain proper procedures for quality and security of controlled substances
- Manage pharmacy operations, including hiring and supervising employees
- Review and monitor drug therapies for hospital patients
- May compound medications using standard formulas and processes
- Train pharmacy students, interns
- Write educational information for patients and other healthcare workers
- Perform administrative tasks such as maintaining patient records and inventory records
Work Environment:
- Hospitals
- Retail drug stores, grocery store pharmacies, department store pharmacies
- Other healthcare settings such as nursing homes, outpatient clinics, etc.
Working Conditions:
- Exposed to diseases and infections on a weekly basis; often wear protective clothes and equipment
- High social contact; work with patients and various healthcare providers constantly
- High level of accuracy required; high level of responsibility for patient well-being; may be stressful
Job Outlook:
- More than 230,000 Pharmacists are employed in U.S.; approximately 4200 are employed in MA.
- Approximately 101,000 open Pharmacist positions are predicted nationally between 2004-2014 (new and replacement positions); 24% growth rate
- 120 Pharmacist job openings are predicted annually in MA through 2008 (mainly replacement positions); Despite negative job growth between 2002-2012, a slight shortage of Pharmacists is forecasted in MA, as the number of predicted Pharmacy school graduates is expected to be less than the number of job openings
- Fastest job growth is expected in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home care settings; hospital employment is declining as patient stays are reduced
Career Advancement:
- Hospital Pharmacists may advance into management/administrative roles
- Many work with managed care organizations to analyze medication usage patterns/trends of patients
- May work with Pharmaceutical companies in areas such as research and development, biotechnology, sales and marketing
- Retail pharmacists may advance in management at the local, regional and national level
- Some Pharmacists may open their own business (may require more business education)
Earnings:
- Nationally, the median wage for Pharmacists is $6,880 per month, or $82,560 annually
- Half of all Pharmacists in the U.S. earn between $6,050 and $7,640 per month, or $72,600 - $91,680 annually
- In Massachusetts, average monthly salary for pharmacists is $6,910, or $82,920 annually
- Half of all Pharmacists in Massachusetts earn between $6,260 and $7,550 per month, or between $75,120-$90,600 annually
Salary information is based on data extracted from the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development Career Information System, the Massachusetts Hospital Association “Pulse” website, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wages vary by employer, geographical location, experience and level of education. Salaries in the Boston area are generally higher than stated Massachusetts and National averages.
Education/Training Required:
- A Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) is required to work as a Pharmacist; this is a six (6) year college program
- Pharm.D. programs require a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy college courses, a 4-year pharmacy program and a clinical internship
Credentialing requirements:
- Must pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam and the Multi-State Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (both administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy)
- All states require licensure for Pharmacists; requirements vary by state
- In Massachusetts, licensure requires:
- Graduation from an accredited American Council of Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) school or college of pharmacy, or
- Foreign Pharmacist Graduate equivalency or certification and
- Minimum of 1500 hours internships after two years of college; up to 400 may be acquired concurrently with college attendance in board approved clinical programs or demonstration projects
- Must pass above-mentioned exams and pay fees to MA
- Continuing education required to maintain licensure
Prerequisite Educational Requirements:
- HS, GED required
- Strong science and math grades in HS, advanced placement classes preferred (if entering as freshman in six year Pharm.D. course), or
- Successful completion of at least two years in college including A+P 1 and II, Chemistry, Biology, Algebra, and other prerequisite courses
- Must pass college entrance exams; 2/3 of Pharm.D. programs require students to pass PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test)
Is this career for you?
- Are you, or have you been a student that excels in science and math?
- Do you consider achievement important?
- Do you have close attention to detail?
- Are you able to follow set procedures, routines and standards?
- Do you work well in teams?
- Do you like to help others?
- Do you enjoy independent decision–making and are you able to manage yourself and others?
- Can you handle a good deal of responsibility?
- Do you have strong communication skills?
- Do you enjoy research and investigative work?
For more information on this career choice, please see:
Schools:
Schools for Pharmacy-Mass Pulse
