Samantha Said:

What are the steps to become a Pharmacist?

We Answered:

You have to get a doctorate in pharmacy. It's generally a 6 year program. If you aren't in college yet, look for a school that has something like this.

If you're transferring, depending on the school, they decide how much credit you get from other degrees, but I've heard of people transferring to pharmacy school with a completed bachelor's degree that still had to do 4 more hours. I'd call specific schools with pharmacy programs and inquire about transfer issues.

Sam Said:

What are the steps to become a pharmacist?

We Answered:

I'm a biology major in the pre-vet program but the undergraduate curriculum is the same for those in pre-med, pre-vet, pre-dentistry, and pre-pharmacy. If you decide to go for a bachelor's of science degree, you'll have to take general biology courses, microbiology, cell biology, genetics, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry all with the corresponding labs. Extra courses might include communications, english, algebra and trigonometry, humanities, and history electives. Upper level courses can be taken more specific to pharmacy. You will then have to attend a graduate school particular for pharmacy. It might be helpful to visit: http://www.pharmcas.org/

You should take algebra, algebra 2, geometry, and pre-calculus, physics, chemistry, biology 1 and 2 in high school if available.

Judith Said:

Steps to become a Pharmacist?

We Answered:

Pharmacy careers are always in high demand!

Career opportunities for qualified pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides are on the rise. With an increase in Americans suffering from poor health, more prescription drug options and an aging population of baby boomers, the need for people with pharmacy technician training has never been greater. Help fill the demand by training for a challenging pharmacy technician career.

Sound like a career that you would be interested in? Begin searching for pharmacy schools in your area!
Education Requirements

Employment opportunities will be greatest for pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides who have completed formal training and certification. Fortunately, many career and community colleges across the country offer pharmacy programs.

Most pharmacy technician programs require classroom and laboratory work in a variety of areas, including:

* Medical and pharmaceutical terminology
* Pharmaceutical calculations and techniques
* Pharmacy recordkeeping
* Pharmacy law and ethics

Earn a diploma, a certificate, or an Associate degree from a pharmaceutical program in your area!
Growth Statistics

Employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014 because as the population grows and ages, demand for pharmaceuticals will increase dramatically. Increased job opportunities are expected for full-time and part-time work, especially for technicians with a diploma or degree.
Search for Pharmacy Schools

Become a pharmacy technician or pharmacy aide and make a career of help licensed pharmacists provide medication and other healthcare products to patients. As a pharmacy technician, you can find work in various facilities including:

* Retail pharmacies
* Hospitals
* Nursing homes
* Assisted-living facilities

Become a part of an industry that specializes in helping people live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Search for schools with pharmacy programs in your area today!

Felix Said:

what are the steps to become a pharmacist?

We Answered:

i think the person above me is talking about pharmacology degrees that you would use to go into reasearch or as a pre med major.

to be a pharmacist you need a Pharm.D (doctor of pharmacy; use to just need a BS in pharmacy but that changed a few years ago, people with a BS are designated RPh) to get it usually you have to go to school 2 years minimum of prepharm (some schools require 4) then apply to pharm schools like you would to any other professional program (med school, law school, etc) which are usually very competitive anymore, get accepted, then 4 years of professional pharm school. you also have to take PCAT for most schools which is a standardized test like ACT/SAT except its more science based. i dont know exactly what they look for, but probably stuff like grades, PCAT (its a standardized admission test sort of like MCATs for med people) score, people skills, involvement with school stuff, etc. average first year salary for people who graduated from my school last year was over $80,000, and the nationwide average salary is probably around $100k/yr. its really easy to find a job right now too since there is a shortage, but that shortage is starting to close and there are worries that many pharmacists might possibly be out of work down because mailorder is taking a big share of prescriptions and those prescriptions are filled by technicinans making $10 and hour and robots and they employ a lot fewer pharmacists. but they also say pharmacy is going to take a more clinical role in the future and shift away from dispensing which will create more jobs, but i dont know if that will actually happen or not.

the work can be extremely demanding if you work a at a really busy store, or it can be very easy if you are at a slower paced store. i dont know what the best schools are, ive heard creighton, purdue, drake, UCLA, auborn, ohio state, iowa are some of the names i hear often that are supposedly good but really it doesnt matter that much which school you go to as long as you get a degree. the schooling is harder than most majors, you cant piss around and get drunk 5 nights a week like the business people. really depends on if you like the job or not, dont get into something you dont like just because it sounds good. see if you can get a tech job at a local pharmacy and try it out. just surf some pharm school websites and read about pharmacy schools

Irene Said:

Hi I am a High School Student and i want to become a pharmacist...what steps should i take?

We Answered:

haha so do i :D

just got my grades...route im gonna take is...do science btec at college...get distinctions and move to uni...then become pharmacist :D

April Said:

How do you become a pharmacist?

We Answered:

To become a pharmacist, there are two routes you can take. The most common is to get a 4-year degree in something (chemistry is a popular pre-pharm major) and take the pre-pharm courses, and then go on to pharmacy school (another 4 years). Alternatively, you can enter a 6 or 7 year BS/PharmD program and do pre-pharm and pharmacy together. Physics, chemistry, biology, and math will be important. A PharmD is a professional degree, not a PhD - it's actually job training, not research experience. It's not a PhD or a masters, but something in between, like a MD. My cousin made 60k a year straight out of pharmacy school, and is making a lot more now, 10 years later.