Career Overview
Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Also Known As
- Clinical Pharmacist
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Pharm D (Pharmacy Doctor)
- Pharmacist in Charge (PIC)
Alternate Job Titles
- Apothecary
- Clinical Pharmacist
- District Pharmacy Supervisor
- Druggist
- Float Pharmacist
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Industrial Pharmacist
- Informatics Pharmacist
- Outpatient Pharmacist
- Pharm D (Pharmacy Doctor)
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacist in Charge (PIC)
- Pharmacy Consultant
- Pharmacy Coordinator
- Pharmacy Informaticist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
- Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
- Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.
- Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.
- Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Psychology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Category Flexibility
- Written Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Speech Recognition
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Recognition
- Support
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Doctoral Degree
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Ampoule filling machines
- Area survey meters
- Automated drug dispensing equipment
- Barcode scanning/prescription tracking systems
- Binocular light compound microscopes
- Capsule counters
- Electronic blood pressure monitors
- Electronic toploading balances
- Filters for glass containers/ampoules
- Geiger-Muller counters
- Glucometers
- Hemacytometers
- Horizontal air flow laminar hoods
- Hospital beds
- Intravenous IV therapy equipment
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $86,930 |
| Median | $137,480 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $172,040 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 328,870
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Emergency Medicine Physicians
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
Nurse Practitioners
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $129,210
Family Medicine Physicians
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $238,380
Physician Assistants
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $133,260
General Internal Medicine Physicians
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $236,350
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.