What's the Outlook for Pharmacist Careers?

General prospects

The prospects for pharmacists are good. According to the National Employment Matrix, there were around 266,410 full- and part-time pharmacy jobs in the U.S. in 2006. In 2016, this figure may rise to almost 300,000.

The next few years will therefore see a significant growth in new pharmacist jobs. There will also be opportunities for employment when existing pharmacists retire or receive promotion.

Types of pharmacist careers

There are a number of career options for qualified pharmacists.

• Community pharmacies. Just under two-thirds of pharmacists choose to join community pharmacies. These may be independent or part of a chain. The work here is varied and covers dispensing drugs, advising patients, selling over-the-counter medicines, and maintaining patient records.
• Hospital pharmacies. Hospital and clinic pharmacies are the second most popular destination for pharmacists. Responsibilities include dispensing drugs, teaching interns, and preparing medication for procedures.
• Mail order and Internet pharmacies. Mail order and Internet companies send drugs to patients who supply them with a prescription. Pharmacists working at these companies manage the dispensation process.
• Nuclear pharmacist. A nuclear pharmacist specializes in the preparation of radioactive drugs that doctors use for diagnosis and treatment.
• Industrial pharmacist. The pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has an increasing demand for industrial pharmacists. These help develop new drugs and test them.
• Veterinary pharmacist. A veterinary pharmacist deals with the preparation and dispensation of drugs for animals.
• Call center pharmacist. Some major retailers, drug manufacturers, and hospitals run call centers that give pharmaceutical advice over the phone to doctors and patients. Trained pharmacists answer the calls.
• Academic pharmacist. An academic pharmacist usually has a higher degree such as a Ph.D. As well as teaching at pharmacist schools, an academic pharmacist is often involved with research projects and may act as a consultant for public bodies and private companies.
• Managed care. A managed care pharmacist works in long-term care facilities for the elderly or for patients with mental health problems. These facilities use a range of specialist drugs that require strict pharmaceutical management.
• Drug management. This is an area where pharmacists study trends in drug use and determine the cost and benefits of various drug therapies. The pharmacists also look at vaccination and education programs that help prevent disease. Employers may be drug manufacturers or medical insurance companies.
• Federal government. The federal government uses pharmacists to help monitor and regulate pharmaceutical products. Such pharmacists must be comfortable with handling large amounts of admin work as well as maintaining and using their pharmacy skills.
• Oncology. Some pharmacists concentrate on preparing chemotherapy treatments. Pharmacists administer many of these treatments to patients at home.
• Disease management. In this field, pharmacists help develop new drug therapies for managing and curing diseases and illnesses.
• Sales and marketing. Drug companies often like to employ pharmacists to help sell their products. Because pharmacists understand the use and side effects of drugs, they're able to talk to medical staff with confidence.
• Contract and part-time work. There are always openings for pharmacists who prefer contract or part-time work. In fact, around 10% of pharmacists work part-time. These opportunities are in most of the areas given above.

Self-employment

A full-time pharmacist will generally work for 40–45 hours per week. Self-employed pharmacists running their own independent stores will usually work longer hours because they're responsible for all aspects of the business. Nonetheless, some 10% of community pharmacies are independent.

Career ladder

Apart from self-employed and contract pharmacists, the career ladder within any pharmacy-related job is similar. Newly-qualified pharmacists usually begin without any specific management responsibilities. They may then become supervisors or managers when the right opportunities present themselves.

Supervisory work does come with a lot of admin duties and may not suit everyone. Managing staff can also be time-consuming.

Pharmacists who work for the federal government have a defined management path if they wish to take it.

Published on 2009-11-13