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Ten Easy Tips on How to Become a Pharmacist |
Pharmacy is a growing and diverse field and can be very challenging for those looking to break into it but here are ten tips that could help those looking to become pharmacists.
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As more and more prescriptions being written as the baby boomer population grows, and retail chains and department stores operating in-house pharmacies, careers in pharmacology are harder than ever. Pharmacists dispense medicine as prescribed by a physician, and therefore must possess a great deal of knowledge regarding medicine and its various effects. As most pharmacists work in drug store pharmacies, they have a lot of interaction with patients, answering their questions and explaining the effects of their medications, as well as screening to head off any possible interactions between drugs they’re taking.
Pharmacists also work in hospital dispensaries, handling the medications for hospitalized patients. patients explaining to them how to take the medication properly and answer questions. Hospital pharmacists must make certain that the medicine prescribed to patients is dispensed as required.
Because of the high degree of trust and ethical responsibility that go with the job, there’s a fair amount of education and basic skills required to become a pharmacist. For people interested in medicine, science and chemistry but don’t want to go to medical school, a rewarding career as a pharmacist may be the answer. Pharmacy is one of the top job opportunities available today. Here are ten tips on how to become a pharmacist.
1. In high school, take a college prep track and concentrate on math and science courses. Keep in mind, though, good written and verbal communication skills are extremely important in pharmacology, so keeping up with other courses of study like English and History are equally important.
2. Prepare for admission to a good college. Look for schools that have pharmacy programs and that excel in math and sciences. Take your SAT’s and apply for admission to several schools.
3. Take at least two years of pre-pharmacy classes. Many people get a bachelor’s degree in biology or chemistry.
4. Consider a pharmacy technician course. The advantages of becoming a pharmacy technician on your way to becoming a pharmacist are:
• You get career experience.
• You earn more money than with work study or at the local burger place.
• You improve your chances of being admitted into a pharmacy program.
5. Prepare for and take the Pharmacy College Admission Test.
6. Apply for admission to a pharmacy program. In the US, that means a professional program that leads to a Pharm D degree.
7. Stick to it and don’t get discouraged. Learning to be a pharmacist is a long and rigorous educational process. It takes time to learn what you need to know to be a pharmacist in today’s world.
8. Graduate! You’re almost there.
9. Complete a residency and/or internship.
10. Take the NAPLEX (North American Pharmacy Licensure Exam). Once you pass the exam, you are a pharmacist, and you can take advantage of the many, many employment opportunities available to you.
The reward for the education that you must undergo is a very good pay scale – the median pay for this job is between $75,500 and $95,000 for a pharmacist with seven years of experience – and the chance to experience great job satisfaction in a challenging, rewarding career.
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