Travel Pharmacist Job Description

As a pharmacist you’ll work to educate patients about the use of drugs and illness prevention, providing medications and acting as a liaison between physicians to ensure proper safety. There are many different settings that pharmacists may choose to work in, including community, government, or consulting pharmacies. Although most work in retail locations as salaried employees, there are plenty of options for positions in private and public healthcare facilities as well. From now until 2024, pharmacists can expect an employment increase of 3%, possibly due to growing middle-aged and elderly populations along with advances in new drug treatments. In May 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported an annual median wage of $121,500 for those working as pharmacists.

Becoming a pharmacist requires many different education requirements, most of which are extremely technical and based heavily in chemistry, biology, and mathematics. To start, students must complete two years of college to even be eligible for pharmacy school, many choosing to acquire a bachelor’s degree in pre-pharmacy. Next, a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) professional degree is now required for even most entry-level positions, including courses covering:

• Biopharmaceuticals
• Disease Treatments
• Drug Absorption Rates
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Pathophysiology
• Patient Care
• Pharmacy Ethics and Law
• Toxicology

Most Pharm.D. programs will incorporate clerkships (clinical training) into their curricula, helping students to gain real-world experience in a pharmacy setting under the instruction of licensed pharmacists. Beyond these programs, many also pursue post-graduate training lasting 1-2 years, or even fellowships, which can provide more specialized training in fields like biomedical research, geriatrics pharmacology, or community pharmacy practice.