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Overview for Community Pharmacists

Pharmacists in health care facilities dispense medications and advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. They may also make up sterile solutions to be administered through intravenous lines.. These professionals plan, monitor and evaluate drug programs or regimens. They may advise hospitalized patients on the use of drugs before the patients are discharged.

Pharmacists who work in home health care monitor drug therapy and prepare infusions—solutions that are injected into patients—and other medications for use in the home. Some pharmacists specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such as intravenous nutrition support, oncology (cancer), nuclear pharmacy (used for chemotherapy), geriatric pharmacy, and psychiatric pharmacy (the use of drugs to treat mental disorders).

Employment Situation

Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 22 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. As the population ages, assisted living facilities and home care organizations should see particularly rapid growth. Demand will also increase as cost-conscious insurers use pharmacists to educate patients and administer vaccinations in an effort to control expenses.

Education Outlook

A license is required, and individuals who want to become professional pharmacists must graduate from an accredited college of pharmacy and pass a series of examinations.

In the 2006–07 academic year, 70 colleges of pharmacy also awarded the master-of-science degree or the Ph.D. degree. Both of these degrees are awarded after the completion of a Pharm.D. degree. They are designed for individuals who want additional clinical, laboratory, and research experience. Areas of graduate study include pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry (physical and chemical properties of drugs and dosage forms), pharmacology (effects of drugs on the body), and pharmacy administration. Many pharmacists with master’s and PhDs work in research at a drug company or teach at a university.

Salary Expectations for Pharmacists

Median annual of wage-and-salary pharmacists in May 2006 were $94,520. The middle 50 percent earned between $83,180 and $108,140 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $67,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,480 a year.

Related Information

• All advertised Pharmacy jobs
• Find a Healthcare school near you

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