Pharmacist Jobs

If you have the right training, pharmacy is a very promising field. The shortage of pharmacists has led to a virtual smorgasbord of pharmacist jobs in all settings and specialties. Pharmacist jobs are hard work - many pharmacists work long hours on their feet, sometimes including nights, weekends, and holidays - but can be very lucrative. Most pharmacists earn between $80,000 and $108,000 per year.

What education is needed for pharmacist jobs? To be a pharmacist, you need quite a bit of training. Pharmacists must earn a PharmD degree from an accredited college or school of pharmacy, and then must pass additional exams to earn a license.

Other pharmacist jobs require on-the-job training and certification. Pharmacy technicians, for example, usually take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination given by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

What are the different types of pharmacist jobs? Licensed pharmacists work in all different settings. Besides the traditional behind-the-counter pharmacist jobs in a community drugstore or retail outlet, pharmacists also work in other health care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, mental health institutions, and neighborhood clinics.

Others pharmacy employees are pharmacy clerks, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy aides.

What does the pharmacist job market look like? Because of the aging baby boomer generation and advances in pharmaceutical science, pharmacist jobs are in more demand than ever before. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 22 percent between 2006 and 2016 - much faster than the average for all other occupations.

Demand for pharmacist jobs is expected to grow in all traditional settings, as well as in other industries like managed care, disease management, and pharmacy informatics (combining technology with pharmacy).