Pharmacists Projected to Have Excellent Job Outlook

In the old days, a male pharmacist in a white coat would toil behind a high counter in a section of the drugstore, creating medications from an assortment of powders and liquids. The local pharmacist was someone to go to for prescriptions, but also advice on what to take for a variety of aches and pains.

With computerized prescription systems and drive-through windows to pick up orders, today's pharmacy scene is quite removed from the old days. The "compounding" of medications has been replaced largely by medicines that are produced by pharmaceutical companies in standard dosages.

But while the local pharmacy today is more likely to be located in a drug store chain, supermarket or department store, some things never change: "Pharmacists are becoming more involved in counseling patients and planning drug therapy programs," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects job opportunities in the field to be "excellent" in the coming decade.

More than 266,000 pharmacists were employed in the United States in 2009 and that number is expected to grow to 296,000 by the year 2016, according to the BLS figures. About 60 percent work in community pharmacies, either in independently-owned stores, drugstore chains or other retail settings. Another 23 percent work in hospitals and others work in mail-order operations, wholesalers and the federal government.

Industry requirements are demanding, but rewards are many

To become a pharmacist, graduates must have earned a Pharm. D degree from an accredited college of pharmacy. To enter a Pharm. D program, applicants must have completed two or more years of college. As of 2007, 92 colleges and schools of pharmacy were accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

A license is needed to practice, and pharmacists must pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). In addition, most states require graduates to pass an exam on pharmacy law and some require state-specific exams.

Earnings are high, even for those just graduating from pharmacy studies, although the locations in which pharmacists are likely to work often require schedules that include nights, weekends and holidays. The mean annual wage for pharmacists is $104,260, according to the BLS latest available figures.

Pharmacists not only counsel patients, but also confer with doctors and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions and side effects of medications. They may also provide information to both patients and practitioners on medical equipment and home health care supplies. Some community pharmacists are trained to administer vaccinations.

The need for more pharmacists will be driven by the aging of the U.S. population and their increased medical needs, as well as scientific developments in pharmaceuticals. Additional job opportunities will occur managed care organizations, where pharmacists analyze medication use; in "pharmacoeconomics," which is the cost and benefit analysis of different drug therapies; in pharmacy informatics, or the use of IT to improve patient care; and in disease management.

Many pharmacists continue their education through postgraduate residencies, fellowships, and graduate programs to specialize in some aspect of pharmacy practice.