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Pharmacist Career - What's All the Hype?
Scott Knutson

Today, pharmacists are becoming more and more like the family physician of years past and as the science has changed so has their role in society and the great news is that it's becoming easier to get started along this promising and rewarding career path all the time.

If you've heard all the rumors about all the great opportunities that await those in this field but are wondering where to start then sit back and relax because it's easier than you might think.

Of course, finding an accredited, quality pharmacy school (online or brick and mortar) is your first step and with the evolution of the internet it's rather painless to spend a little time researching the options that lie before you. You simply need to put in the time to research the best fit for your situation.

Everyone understands that the primary responsibility of a pharmacist is to dispense the prescription medicines that were prescribed by the patients' doctor. However, pharmacist's responsibilities go way beyond the simple counting of pills and filling a bottle. A pharmacist must also have the knowledge of how drugs interact with other drugs and their potential side effects; they are also responsible for running the pharmacy, supervising and in many cases the hiring and/or firing of pharmacy technicians or pharmacist aides and for interacting with customers and advising them on possible medications and other health related advice.

A pharmacist's duties are varied and encompass most aspects of running and maintaining a pharmacy that most people wrongly assume others are responsible for.

Many pharmacists are also trained in the use of therapies which can extend into specialty fields like intravenous nutrition support and oncology.

Pharmacists must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited pharmacy school or other accredited training institution - online or traditional brick and mortar. In many cases, you may also be required to serve as an apprentice under the guidance of a licensed pharmacist before becoming a fully recognized pharmacist capable of running a pharmacy and standing on your own two feet.

At first glance, the responsibilities of a pharmacist may seem a bit daunting but just like any highly esteemed profession it requires a certain amount of training and once you've been trained you will no longer have that same feeling.

Most pharmacists still work in community pharmacies but close to 25% are employed in local clinics and hospitals and a smaller percentage work in wholesale and mail order pharmacies.

Salaries for pharmacists vary due to factors such as experience, geographical location and your level of education but a pretty typical salary is in the range of $75,000 plus.

If you're looking for an exciting career choice that holds many rewarding challenges, has great income potential and requires much less training than a full fledged medical doctor then pharmacology may be the career path for you.

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