Everything you need to know about becoming a pharmacist

If you’re a combination of a scientist, mathematician, health expert, and communications specialist, you might be pharmaceutical material. We dive into everything you need to know about becoming a pharmacist, below.

What is a pharmacist?

Pharmacists are medicine experts. They learn about a slew of different types of medications and options so that you don’t have to. According to Roseman University, pharmacists administer patient-centered care. They work together with patient healthcare providers and insurance options to promote health and encourage overall wellness.

What does a pharmacist do?

Pharmacists do a lot more than count pills and chat with their regulars. (However, personable encounters do increase the environment in a pharmacy, and many pharmacists do develop a rapport with their customers.) Pharmacists are responsible for the quality of the product they are administering.

Not only do they need to keep up on manufacturing and distribution regulations, recalls, and contract details with an array of pharmaceutical companies and organizations, but they test the product that is delivered to ensure its safety for patients. They follow strict regulations to ensure the right amounts of drugs are administered in a lawful and ethical way.

How do you become a pharmacist?

Becoming a pharmacist takes time, especially if you want to round out your resume and increase your chances for a higher-paying position out the gate. Choosing pre-pharmacy classes during your undergraduate years will help to give you a leg up.

Depending on where you earn your undergrad, there may be additional 3 and even 2-year pre-pharmacy programs to enroll in, if you’ve already decided on your particular focus.

Dual degree programs often take 6 years total to complete and allow students to earn their PharmD and bachelors within the same program. Achieving a pharmacy degree from a program like that actually enhances your chances of getting hired quickly, since those programs boast so many notable graduates and networking opportunities, as well as staff experts in the field.

Pursuing extracurricular activities or hobbies in STEM, healthcare, or customer and personal services looks great on a resume. But every pharmacist needs the following:

• They must earn their Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD)
• After students achieve their (2-4 years of) prerequisites, they then enter four-year PharmD programs
• Once they earn their doctorate, they can sit for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, or NAPLEX

Some organizations will require additional licensure to apply, but most entry-level pharmacy positions will be available to those who pass the NAPLEX.

What skills do you need to become a pharmacist?

When applying to be a pharmacist, resumes with certain skills tend to stand out. Pharmacists lead with optimized communication skills. Dealing with the public and managing systems with reputable manufacturers, distributors, and companies are integral to the role. In fact, every pharmacy school site we explored highlighted the importance of communication within the role, as their demeanor when handling patients — regularly or in crisis — can often help the outcome of the patient’s health.

Another skill that will give you an advantage is your ethics. If you have engaged in ethics training or continued education with any of your schooling, internships, or free time, be sure to put that on your resume. You also need to approach every situation carefully, as there are very stringent rules within the healthcare industry on demeanor, dosage limits, and even words that you cannot say as a medical practitioner or administrator. This circles back to your communication abilities.

Being a mentor is another skill that highlights your ethical abilities. Being a mentee demonstrates that you have learned from an established pharmacist or pharmaceutical professional and that you sought out that extra work or discussion to elevate your intentions within the industry. Having any mentor positions, within the industry or otherwise, indicates that you have compassion and the ability to manage and teach within a given situation. These are all key to a role as a pharmacist, especially since rising in ranks often demands some type of delegation or teaching from more senior pharmacists.

Pharmacists spend much of the day on their feet, speaking with customers in person and on the phone, communicating with healthcare workers, receiving shipments, sending faxes, et al. Some pharmacies are staffed up, but some are pretty bare-bones operations, with 3-5 employees and hardly anyone on shift at any given time.

Regardless, you need to be prepared to shift gears when things get busy, phone lines begin ringing off the hook, or when an international pandemic arises. Being able to multitask and maintain an efficient work environment, especially in stressful situations, is like gold in this industry.

What is the average salary for a pharmacist?

Your wages are on the up and up in a position like this. The average salary for a pharmacist in the United States is $138,676. This rate is dependent on education, skills, years of experience, and continuing education and certification activity. Many entry-level pharmacists enter the workforce on hourly pay, but the low end of that rate is $48.55/hour.

What is the typical career path for a pharmacist?

The career path for a pharmacist involves 6-8 years of study and the completion of a PharmD as well as the passing of the NAPLEX. After that, many graduates are hired as entry-level pharmacists, pharmaceutical technicians, or employees in the pharmaceutical industry. After that, they largely rise through the ranks within their pharmacy environment. This can include mid-level pharmacist, senior pharmacist or managerial status. If you are employed by a chain, this can go on to mean district and even regional management.

Many chains will vie for the attention of senior staff successfully running other locations, and general merchandise stores are reported as the highest paying work environment for pharmacists. Brand giants like Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens lead the pack in that particular area. If you explore pharmacology as a niche option, there are currently many opportunities for teaching on the side as well.

Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Wolters Kluwer, Multicare Health, Universal Health Services, Virtua, and UC Health are currently seeking technicians and pharmacist-adjacent professionals for their expanding teams.