How to Become a Pharmacist
The majority of pharmacists work within the community, for example, at a drugstore, or in a health care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home. These pharmacists dispense medications, counsel patients on the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and advise physicians about patients' medication therapy.
However, more and more of those who become pharmacists these days are engaging in non-traditional pharmacy work. Some conduct research for pharmaceutical manufacturers, formulating new drugs and testing their effects. Others work in marketing or sales, providing clients with expertise on the use, effectiveness, and possible side effects of drugs.
Programs available at colleges of pharmacy are designed to teach you how to become a pharmacist and about related topics too, such as drug therapy. You will also learn about communicating with patients and health care providers about drug and therapy information. Furthermore, you will learn about professional ethics, concepts of public health, and medication distribution systems management. Your studies will not be restricted to the classroom either, as you spend about a quarter of the time in an assortment of practical situations under the supervision of already qualified pharmacists.
To be admitted to a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program, you are required to have completed at least 2 years of post-secondary study, although the majority of those applying have completed 3 or more years. Other entry requirements usually include courses in natural sciences, such as chemistry and biology, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences. As well as academic requirements, you should also have good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others.
A license is also required to become a practicing pharmacist. To acquire a license, you must graduate from a pharmaceutical college which has been accredited by the ACPE, in addition to passing a set of written and practical examinations. All States within the U.S ask that pharmacists pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX), which evaluates your knowledge and expertise of pharmacy skills, and the majority of U.S States additionally require the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) be be passed, which evaluates your competency regarding pharmacy laws. As well as the NAPLEX and MPJE, some States require additional exams to be passed that are particular to their jurisdiction.
Those who graduate from foreign pharmacy colleges may also qualify for licensure in the U.S. To do so, they must apply for certification from the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) and then must pass the standard U.S pharmacy exams i.e. the NAPLEX and the MJPE.
On completion of the Doctor of Pharmacy program, and having acquired a license, as a result of rapid growth, and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation, finding a job should be no problem. You can expect to initially earn around $80,000 a year, and this will rise as you gain more experience.
Those who are newly qualified and have just become a pharmacist usually begin at the staff level. From there you may be promoted to supervisory or managerial positions, and later on to executive positions. After gaining experience and securing the necessary capital, it is also possible to become part owner, or owner, of your own pharmacy.
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Pharmacy jobs available are the position of community pharmacists. Community pharmacists are working in drugstores, supermarkets and retail stores.
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