Pharmacist

Not only do pharmacists dispense prescriptions, more now advise diabetics how to inject insulin, discuss solutions with hypertension patients to lower blood pressure, and counsel patients on proper doses of over-the-counter medicine. This is a result of the increasing strains placed on doctors. Pharmacists must also be aware of the combination of drugs dispensed to patients to prevent any dangerous combinations.

Pharmacists do not work only at local drugstores. 25 percent of pharmacists work at hospitals. Some develop new drugs for pharmaceutical companies while some specialize; for example, pharmacogenomics develop drugs to interact with a person's genome. In case of a national emergency, pharmacists could coordinate efforts to immunize or treat masses of people.

There is demand in the job market for new pharmacists with pharmacy schools growing and admitting more candidates. However, as these students graduate, there will be a lot of competition for jobs.

Salary Data

Median (8 years of experience): $103,000

25-75 percentile (8 years or more of experience): $93,300-118,000

Training

Potential pharmacists must earn a 4 year doctor of pharmacy degree.

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