The Process of Becoming a Pharmacist

Many college students and even those considering a change of vocation are expressing interest in how to become a pharmacist. There are many reasons why a career in pharmacy is highly desirable, the most important of which is the lucrative salary pharmacists make.

But there are many more reasons as well–here is a list of benefits to working in this rewarding healthcare field:

- A pharmacists starting salary ranges from $75,000 – $150,000 depending on many factors, including state, city, locale, pharmacy industry (retail pharmacists make less than hospital for example), experience, just to name a few.

- Pharmacists have flexible work schedules, including many out of the ordinary schedules, such as 7 on 7 off, or during the evenings if the facility they work at is open 24 hours. And of course they can work normal business hours as well if they wish.

- Many highly paid positions in healthcare require a residency in addition to their extensive undergraduate and post graduate work. This is not the case with Pharmacists – they can actually become licensed and working in their early 20s if they decide early to pursue the vocation.

- Pharmacists don’t have to interact with or treat patients who may have suffered bodily trauma, lacerations, and other wounds involving the sight of blood.

Of course there are many other benefits, such as the relationships built with coworkers and patients, the personal satisfaction of helping ill patients feel better, and many more.

As for the education requirements of pharmacists, many schools offer 5 and 6 year programs. These are primarily aimed at those still in high school who have decided early to become pharmacists. As long as they receive a minimum GPA and SAT score, they can get into the programs at many top pharmacy schools. The best way to choose a school is to consult a pharmacy school rankings list.

For those who have already graduated high school, the process is similar. It involves, completing the pharmacy school requirements, taking the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), and completing an application for pharmacy school. An alternative route for those investigating a pharmacy career is becoming a pharmacy technician, who basically does all the activities pharmacists do, except educating patients on drug usage. A pharmacy technician salary is just a fraction of a pharmacist’s, but they also require only a 1 year certification program for training requirements.

Although this process seems very basic on the surface, there are many other considerations such as, pharmacy school preparation, determining a major, what extracurricular activities will bolster the application, what degrees are necessary, etc.

After graduating from pharmacy school, the student must then take a state test to become licensed to start practicing as a pharmacist. This license must be renewed every 2 years, which includes some continuing education courses in able to keep up with the rapid changes occurring in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.