How to Become a Pharmacist

If you’re interested in medicine, science, and medication, you might be suited to a career as a pharmacist. A pharmacist has a vital role in healthcare. They are responsible for dispensing medication and advising patients on how to use prescription medications safely and effectively.

Being a fully qualified pharmacist requires specialized undergraduate and postgraduate education and training. However, your hard work may pay off. In addition to serving an important role in healthcare, the average pharmacist earns a salary over six figures.

Becoming a pharmacist can be a lengthy process, beginning as early as high school. Aspiring pharmacists will likely want to take relevant AP classes and get a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, before gaining practical healthcare experience and taking an exam. Finally, earning a PharmD will help make you a fully licensed pharmacist.

A pharmacist is responsible for reviewing the appropriateness of therapy, prescribing under certain circumstances, and providing recommendations to practitioners. They provide patients with instructions and advice on the safe use of their medications. Pharmacists must be highly qualified, with a licensing exam they must pass.

Earning a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree takes on an extensive postgraduate education.

Becoming a pharmacy technician, who fills prescriptions and checks inventory in a pharmacy, does not require a four-year degree, although it does require training and qualifying exams.

For those looking to change careers to work in a pharmacy, you may want to consider qualifying and working as a pharmacy technician. You can gain experience in the field before continuing your studies and training to become a full-fledged pharmacist.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Before you begin your educational journey to become a pharmacist, there are a few factors you need to consider when looking at schools and pharmacy programs.

It is important to make sure that you will be enrolling in an accredited program, which will give you legitimate pharmacy qualifications. You should also ensure that you are aware of the total cost of the program before you enroll, and that you have a plan to pay for your degree.

It is very important that your pharmacy degree program is accredited. This means that it has been found to meet certain standards of difficulty and thoroughness in the curriculum and has been recognized by an accreditation board. The degree you obtain will be recognized by residency programs and potential future patients and employers.

Becoming a pharmacist can be expensive, like any higher education program. The average cost of a bachelor’s degree in the United States is $36,440, including living expenses, books, and more. Pharmacy school itself costs between $65,000-$200,000 to complete, before living expenses.

Pharmacy is generally a higher-earning career, so many people consider the cost of a pharmacy education to be of good value.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a pharmacist is $136,030, as of May 2023. This number can vary depending on location, experience level, and individual workplace.

The top-paying states for pharmacists are: California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. The average annual salary for pharmacists in California, the highest-paying state, is $157,280.

To become a licensed pharmacist, you will need a PharmD degree. Some also complete a residency. This is different from a pharmacy technician, which is a qualification that can be earned without a degree.

Because a PharmD is a postgraduate degree, you will need to have completed a bachelor’s program before you begin (except in a few exceptional circumstances, such as through an accelerated undergraduate pharmacy program).

Typically, it takes eight years of post-high school education, with four years as an undergraduate and four years in a PharmD program, before you become a fully qualified pharmacist.

There are a few pharmacy schools which offer a six-year “0-6” pharmacy degree program, where students can enter directly out of high school. These programs are generally considered the fastest way to become a pharmacist in the United States.

However, admission to these programs is extremely competitive. So acceptance into one is rarely a sure thing. If you do not do a “0-6” program for whatever reason, you can complete prerequisite courses in your undergrad degree and gain relevant volunteer or internship experience before you apply for a PharmD postgraduate program.

The cost of becoming a fully licensed pharmacist will vary significantly depending on a variety of factors. Since pharmacists need both an undergraduate and graduate degree, you will need to factor in tuition, fees, and living expenses for both programs.

This will vary significantly depending on in-state or out-of-state tuition, cost of living in specific areas, scholarships and grants, and more.

Pharmacy is not typically offered as an undergraduate major, and postgraduate PharmD programs are not offered online.

However, if you have completed your bachelor’s degree online and want to apply for an in-person pharmacy program, as long as your online degree is accredited, you should be able to apply for pharmacy school.

Check with the pharmacy programs you are looking to apply to for more specific information about what type of undergraduate qualifications they require before you submit your application. Requirements can vary by school.

Pharmacy training in a postgrad PharmD program will generally offer a mixture of practical, hands-on training and traditional lectures and exams. The program, which lasts four years, requires coursework, clinical hours, hands-on training, electives, and offers opportunities to specialize. The exact curriculum can vary from school to school.

Some students complete a residency, usually lasting three years, after finishing pharmacy school but before applying for jobs as a pharmacist. Residency will not have lectures, but it will give you on-the-job experience with some supervision.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges.