Pharmacy

Pharmacist

When one thinks of a pharmacist, most think of counting pills and fill bottles. That is only a small part of the Pharmacists actual job. A Pharmacists job is to distribute medications and drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners, and to also give information to patients regarding the medication and its use (Handbook). Pharmacists also inform patients about possible dangerous combinations of drugs. To prevent harmful drug interactions like that, many pharmacists have computerized records of patients past usage. Pharmacists also have the benefit of working in a clean and well-kept areas.

In all States a license is required to practice pharmacy. "To obtain a license, the prospective pharmacist must graduate from a college of pharmacy that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and pass an examination. All States require the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX), which tests pharmacy skills and knowledge, and 43 states and the District of Columbia require the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE), which tests pharmacy law" (Handbook).

To become a pharmacist, pharmacist, one needs to spend at least six years after high school working toward the Pharm.D. degree. Upon completing pharmacy programs, one receives the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.). These programs require 6 years of postsecondary stud, and passing the license exam. Opportunities for travel in the U.S. is very good for a pharmacist. All states except California make it easy to be able to get a license in that state after already being licensed to practice a different state.

The predicted employment of pharmacists is expected to be faster than average for all other careers up until the year 2014. The increase in the older population and need to replace and fill current pharmacist positions is the reason for the faster than average prediction. New fields in pharmacy also