How To Become A Pharmacist

Pharmacy is a high paying field with good growth prospects. However, in order to Become A Pharmacist you need to get a PharmD degree and take the necessary licensing exams. The high level of schooling required and the necessity of passing license exams deters some people from pursuing this career.

Those who would like to Become A Pharmacist should start early and study subjects such as mathematics and natural sciences. In order to be considered for a PharmD program, students need to have completed at least 2 years of post secondary education, and the majority of schools offering this program also require applicants to take the PCAT exam as well.

In order to find a program to study to Become A Pharmacist, you can go to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education website. They have a listing of all the programs that are accredited, as well as contact information that you can use to find out more about the program so that you can make an informed decision about where you will study for your PharmD. Programs of study usually include some practical training working in pharmacies in order to gain experience under the supervision of trained pharmacists as well as classroom work.

Once you have completed the necessary educational requirements to Become A Pharmacist, unless you are practicing in Alaska or Hawaii, you need to pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam as well as an exam on Pharmacy Law. Some states might also require you to pass additional examinations as well. In order to keep your license current you will then need to do a certain amount of continuing education each year, with the exact number of credits necessary depending on the state.

Those who have done the work to Become A Pharmacist earn a good salary. The mean annual salary for pharmacists was $98,960 as of May 2007 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest paid 10% of pharmacists made less than $73,010 (still a really good salary) and the highest paid 10% of pharmacists made over $126,410. Obviously you won't be in the highest paid 10% when you are just starting out, but with experience you could get there. The idea of a nice salary like this should help people to get through pharmacist school and the necessary exams they need to take in order to pursue pharmacist careers. That and the fact that there are excellent job prospects will hopefully spur some people on to become pharmacists.

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