The task of a pharmacist is to order as well as store the medicines and keep them safe, effective and free of impurities. The pharmacist maintains the records of the drugs that they handle. A lot of pharmacist jobs require you to work in community pharmacies, which are in fact retail stores that are owned by the pharmacist themselves or are owned by the drug store chains. They sell sick room and medical supplies. A lot of medical supplies are sold along with laundry detergents and supplies. While some of the pharmacist jobs focus on drug dispensation, there are yet others who manage the stores, thus combining the pharmacy and business careers.
An advanced degree is required to become a pharmacist. You may enter the field from high school, community college or with a bachelor's degree. Pharmacy school is in itself a 4 years professional degree program that is different from the pre pharmacy curriculum that requires a single year of the following subjects:
- Math
- English
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Physics
At pharmacy school, you can become a pharmacist with a good deal of studying to do along with the opportunity to work in a friendly ambiance. Spend the first 3 years in theoretical education, and the 4th in gaining experience.
Being a pharmacist can both be mentally as well as physically challenging and you must be assured that your efforts will eventually pay off. They must know all about the new drugs, from their names and uses to their date of manufacture to side effects, if any. To become a pharmacist, you need to be skilled enough to advise the medical and nursing staff about the new drugs.
Training in pharmacist jobs can be both learning as well as a way to gain experience. You can get trained in mathematics, natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Applicants to the pharmacist jobs are required to appear for the Pharmacy College Admission Tests and specialize in training. 6 years of education is required beyond school. They must also be trained in licenses acquired from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and Examinations.
The pharmacist must be experienced in working as an assistant or as help in the drug stores as this helps them gain thorough knowledge in the drugs and their uses. The more your experience, the better your prospects of getting promoted are.
The prospects of the pharmacist jobs are expected to grow at a faster rate than most of the jobs until the year 2014. In fact, to become a pharmacist you must meet all the requirements and parameters that are desired, as the demand for a pharmacist is expected to grow with the increasing retirements in the field.
The median salary for the pharmacist jobs is around $85,000 per year. The job prospects to become a pharmacist are good and opportunities are expected to rise faster than the average of other occupations by the year 2016. Those who work in the department stores earn around $99,000 per year. Those employed in grocery stores can make up to $95,000. If you happen to work in pharmacies and drug stores, you ca make about $95,000, and the general medical and surgical hospitals offer the pharmacist $94,000.
Pharmacist jobs have good growth opportunity. The pharmacist can become managers and directors of pharmacy services.
