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Careers in Pharmacy:
For more information about exploring career options in Pharmacy at Mayo Clinic, visit our Mayo Clinic Human Resources Department at http://www.mayoclinic.org/jobs/.
Or learn about the daily work life of a Mayo Clinic pharmacist by logging onto http://www.mayoclinic.org/careerawareness/ce-pharmacist.html.
Choose a program:
Internships:
Clerkships:
Residencies:
Field Description
Pharmacists are experts on the properties and proper use of medicines.
They consult with physicians and other health-care practitioners
on drug selection, dosage, interactions and potential side effects.
Pharmacists are licensed to dispense prescribed medicines, and they
advise patients on how to correctly use and benefit from their medications.
Pharmacists are trained in the composition of drugs and, when necessary,
may compound medicines, mixing chemical ingredients to form powders,
tablets, capsules, ointments or solutions.
Pharmacists are responsible for the accuracy of every prescription
that is filled, often relying upon pharmacy technicians and pharmacy
aides to assist them. Thus, the pharmacist may delegate prescription-filling
and administrative tasks and supervise their completion.
Most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail
drug store, or in a hospital or clinic. Pharmacists in hospitals
and clinics dispense medications and advise medical staff. They
assess, plan and monitor drug regimens, and counsel patients on
how to take their medications when they are discharged from the
hospital. Pharmacists also may evaluate drug therapy patterns and
outcomes for patients.
Pharmacists in community or retail pharmacies counsel patients,
answering questions about prescription drug reactions and interactions.
They provide information and recommendations on over-the-counter
drugs, durable medical equipment and home health-care supplies.
Those who own or manage community pharmacies may sell nonmedical
merchandise, hire and supervise personnel, and oversee the business
operations.
Some community pharmacists help patients manage conditions, such
as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation or high blood pressure. Pharmacists
may specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such as intravenous
nutrition support, oncology (cancer) and pharmacotherapy (the treatment
of disorders with medicines).
Career Opportunities
Across the United States, according to the US Department of Labor, pharmacists held 229,740 jobs in 2005. About six out of 10 worked in community pharmacies, either
independently owned or part of a drugstore chain, grocery store,
department store or mass merchandiser. Most community pharmacists
were salaried employees, but some were self-employed owners. About
21 percent of salaried pharmacists worked in hospitals, and others
worked in clinics, mail-order pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers,
home health-care agencies or the federal government.
Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow faster than the average
for all occupations through the year 2010, due to the increased
pharmaceutical needs of a larger and older population and greater
use of medications. The growing numbers of middle-aged and elderly
people – who, on average, use more prescription drugs than
do younger people – will continue to spur demand for pharmacists
in all practice settings. Other factors likely to increase the demand
for pharmacists include medical and scientific advances that will
make more drugs available, new developments in genomic research
and medication distribution systems, and increasingly sophisticated
consumers seeking more information about drugs.
Earning Potential
The annual earnings of pharmacists in 2005 ranged from $85,000 to
$110,000 a year. The mean income for pharmacists in Minnesota in 2005 was $94,470.
In addition to traditional benefits, such as health-care insurance
and paid vacations and holidays, many pharmacists receive compensation
through bonuses, overtime and profit sharing.
Professional Organizations
Visit the following Web sites to learn more about pharmacy:
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