A Career in Pharmacy

Pharmacists are medication experts who help people live healthier, better lives.

With the completion of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, graduates are skilled in medication and disease state knowledge, critical thinking, empathy, communication, and leadership. Working closely with other health care professionals, pharmacists dedicate themselves to help ensure patients receive patient-centered, high-quality health care.

Pharmacy careers are exciting, growing, and provide pharmacists with excellent earning potential and job security. Because of the services provided and the accessibility of pharmacists in the community, pharmacists are consistently ranked as one of the most trusted health care professionals.

Is Pharmacy Right For Me? To learn more, visit: http://pharmacyforme.org/.

All pharmacists in the United States now graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and work in various settings, including community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, government agencies, and other healthcare-related businesses.

While you may have had interactions with various types of pharmacists, it is likely that there are additional types of pharmacy practice opportunities that you may not be aware of. With all of these career options, how do I know which pharmacy practice setting is right for me?

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has a Career Option Profiles page with links to documents for various pharmacy practice settings. Each career document provides background information, characteristics of its practice setting, and personality traits that are important in its environment. To learn more and review pharmacy career options, visit https://aphanet.pharmacist.com/career-option-profiles.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), “The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree is awarded after completion of what is equivalent to a four-year professional degree program, following a minimum of two years of collegiate undergraduate study. Students who achieve the PharmD degree must also pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and state law examination in order to engage in professional practice.”

Below are several pharmacy-related organizations to find more information on pharmacy and pharmacy practice.