Students who have a strong interest in laboratory sciences but want a people-oriented occupation may want to investigate how to become a pharmacist. A pharmacist job involves much more than simply providing medication, although that is the primary function. A registered/licensed pharmacist may also be a small-business owner in an independent community pharmacy, or be a manager in a chain pharmacy. He or she may supervise other staff such as a pharmacy technician or a pharmacy assistant and have training responsibilities for them. Or a pharmacist could work in a hospital setting, advising physicians on drug interactions and teaching patients about medications that are new to them. Pharmacists also work for pharmaceutical manufacturers, helping to develop and test new drugs.
Pharmacist Training
So, how to become a pharmacist? Pharmacist training is extensive; it requires six years of college to achieve a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree, which since the year 2000 is the only professional degree in pharmacy. Pharmacists who completed their training before 2000 may have a Bachelor of Sciences degree in pharmacy. After completing the PharmD degree, students must then participate in a residency or internship program and pass a rigorous written examination, called the NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination). After passing the NAPLEX new pharmacists must apply for licensure in the state(s) in which they plan to practice. The specific requirements for licensure vary among the states, but all require at minimum the steps just listed. Most states also require that licensed pharmacists participate in continuing education at professional conferences or by taking additional courses at a pharmacy school.
Pharmacy Schools
There are 124 colleges and universities in the US and Puerto Rico that have pharmacy programs which grant the PharmD degree. The American Pharmacists’ Association (APhA) maintains an up-to-date list of all of the accredited pharmacy schools. Most of them require at least two years of pre-pharmacy coursework before admission to the four-year professional pharmacy program. Individuals who have completed a Bachelor of Science in another field such as biology or chemistry can also apply to professional pharmacy programs as long as they have completed the required pre-pharmacy courses as part of their degree.
The specific pre-pharmacy courses required vary at different universities, but the courses listed below are typical. The numbers after the name of each course are college credits, usually counted as semester hours.
- General chemistry with laboratory, 5 to 8
- English composition, 4 to 6
- Organic chemistry with laboratory, 8 to 10
- General biology with laboratory, 6 to 8
- Differential and integral calculus, 6 to 10
- Physics with laboratory, 4
- Microbiology with laboratory, 4
- Anatomy and physiology with laboratory, 6 to 10
- General economics, 3
- Biochemistry, 3 to 6
- Immunology, 3
- Introductory Statistics, 3
After completing the pre-pharmacy coursework the student then applies for admission to the professional pharmacy program, which comprises four years of intensive study. Courses include:
Professional courses, i.e., those taken in pharmacy school include:
- Pharmacognosy – he study of medicinal substances that are derived from plants, animals or marine organisms. It covers how such such substances are identified, how they work, and how they are developed into drugs from human use.
- Pharmacology – how drugs are used and how they work.
- Pharmaceutical chemistry – applying basic chemistry to medicines; includes how drugs are developed and manufactured.
- Pharmaceutics – everything a pharmacist needs to know to run a pharmacy: dosage calculations, preparations, techniques, the effects of the dosage form on a medication’s therapeutic activity (e.g. differences in how drugs work depending on whether they are given as an injection, as a pill, or intravenously).
- Clinical pharmacy – how drugs are used in patient care. This usually includes hands-on experience with patients in settings such as hospitals or community pharmacies.
- Drug information – how to teach patients and other health professionals about drugs and their effects. Includes things like taking certain drugs along with food.
- Pharmacy administration – business and law principles needed to operate a pharmacy.
Since many medications are potentially harmful if misused, pharmacists and pharmacies are heavily regulated at both the state and federal levels. Each state has a Board of Pharmacy which licenses pharmacists and issues regulations for their practice. At the federal level, the Food and Drug Administration assures the safety and efficacy of all drug products, and the Drug Enforcement Administration enforces laws about controlled substances such as narcotic painkillers and other potentially addictive drugs. There are also many rules and regulations from Medicare, Medicaid and insurance plans.
Pharmacist Salary
Once and individual has learned how to become a pharmacist, how much can s/he expect to earn in compensation? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2008 (the most recent date for which pharmacist salary data is available) the median annual compensation for licensed pharmacists was $106,410, with a range from $77,390 to $131,440 a year.
Persons who are intimidated by the above information on how to become a pharmacist may want to consider becoming a pharmacy assistant or pharmacy tech. Education and qualifications for these jobs vary widely, from on-the-job training to completion of an Associate’s Degree at a community or technical college. Pharmacy assistants and techs work under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist and perform clerical duties such as typing prescription labels, entering patient information into computer systems, processing insurance paperwork, and sometimes counting out pills for a prescription. All of their work must be checked and approved by the pharmacist. Most of these positions are hourly, and pay in May 2008 was a median of $13.32 per hour with a range from $9.27 to $18.98 per hour.