Pharmacist retail salary: Pharmacist – Retail Salary | Salary.com

Retail Pharmacist Salary: What You’ll Make and Why

According to various salary aggregate websites, a retail pharmacist’s salary in the US ranges between $101,573 and $153,786, with an average salary of $128,219. As of July 2022, the base salaries for retail pharmacists are listed as follows:

Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.

Read more: What Is a Retail Pharmacist? How to Become One

What influences a salary?

The salary of a Retail Pharmacist is determined by a number of factors, including education, experience, and job location. In this article, we will take a closer look at how these factors impact salary.

Years of experience

Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as a retail pharmacist, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your retail pharmacist salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.

Location

Where you live can also impact how much you can make as a retail pharmacist. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.

Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average retail pharmacist salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How does this compare to similar jobs?

Here’s how a retail pharmacist’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.

How to increase your retail pharmacist salary

Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a retail pharmacist, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.

1. Strengthen your skills

Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:

• Pharmacy Law: Understand state and federal laws governing the practice of pharmacy
• Pharmaceutical Compounding: Prepare customized medications for patients
• Medication Therapy Management: Develop and implement treatment plans for patients with chronic conditions
• Pharmacy Operations: Manage the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy, including staff, inventory, and finances
• Patient Education: Educate patients on their medication regimens, including proper administration, side effects, and drug interactions

2. Negotiate your job offer

When you’re offered a retail pharmacist job, don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary. Be prepared to talk about your experience and what you think you’re worth, and try to get the company to meet you in the middle. With a little bit of haggling, you could end up with a higher salary than you originally expected.

3. Know Your Value

When it comes to negotiating a salary, retail pharmacists need to know their worth. In order to do this, research the average salary for your position in your area, and be prepared to discuss your findings with your boss. It’s also important to be able to back up your request with examples of how you’ve contributed to the company.

Article Sources

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed July 2, 2022.

2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291051.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.

3. Payscale. “Retail Pharmacist Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Retail_Pharmacist/Hourly_Rate.” Accessed July 2, 2022.

4. Ziprecruiter. “Retail Pharmacist Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Retail-Pharmacist-Salary. ” Accessed July 2, 2022.

5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed July 2, 2022.

6. Salary.com. “Pharmacist – Retail Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/pharmacist-retail-salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.

7. Glassdoor. “Retail Pharmacist Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/retail-pharmacist-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.

Staff Pharmacist Retail-Satellite Salary the United States

Average Base Salary

Average Hourly Rate

$65.81 (USD)/hr

Average Bonus

$3,285 (USD)/yr

Compensation Data Based on Experience

The average staff pharmacist retail-satellite gross salary in United States is $136,875 or an equivalent hourly rate of $66. In addition, they earn an average bonus of $3,285. Salary estimates based on salary survey data collected directly from employers and anonymous employees in United States. An entry level staff pharmacist retail-satellite (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of $94,408. On the other end, a senior level staff pharmacist retail-satellite (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of $174,614.

Quickly search for salaries in other careers and locations in our salary database.

Job Title

City, State, Country or US Zip Code

This page is a promotion for SalaryExpert’s Assessor Series and is not intended for professional use.

Professionals should subscribe to SalaryExpert’s Assessor Platform.

ERI’s compensation data are based on salary surveys conducted and researched by ERI. Cost of labor data in the Assessor Series are based on actual housing sales data from commercially available sources, plus rental rates, gasoline prices, consumables, medical care premium costs, property taxes, effective income tax rates, etc.

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Estimated Salary in 2027:

$152,608 (USD)

5 Year Change:

11 %

Based on our compensation data, the estimated salary potential for Staff Pharmacist Retail-Satellite will increase 11 % over 5 years.

Advises physicians

100%

Provides drug

100%

Provides support

100%

Reviews prescriptions

100%

Education data not available for this job

• Toronto

  
  
  22. 3 %

• New York-Manhattan

  
  
  16.9 %

• Orlando

  
  
  2.4 %

• California

  
  
  14. 5 %

• Connecticut

  
  
  9.4 %

• Wisconsin

  
  
  0.5 %

• Bahamas

  
  
  50. 9 %

• Canada

  
  
  32 %

• China

  
  
  160.9 %

• Hong Kong SAR

  
  
  32. 7 %

• Switzerland

  
  
  4.6 %

the United States

Cost of living is calculated based on accumulating the cost of food, transportation, health services, rent, utilities, taxes, and miscellaneous.

View Cost of Living Page

The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a transcontinental country located primarily in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine minor outlying islands, and 326 Indian reservations. It is the third-largest country by total area. The United States shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south. It has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba…

Sourced from Wikipedia

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Dispenses and compounds prescribed medications, drugs, and other pharmaceuticals for patient care, according to professional standards and State and Federal legal requirements in a retail or satellite pharmacy.
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account_balance Lewis Drug

location_on Watertown

Staff Pharmacist Reports to: Chief Pharmacist, Regional Manager, Senior Vice President of … Works in a retail, healthcare or closed door setting, compounds and dispenses prescribed . ..

account_balance Albertsons Companies

location_on Flagstaff

Are you the Pharmacist who knows your patients by name? Do they ask for you because you build … We have a new vision: forging a retail winner that is admired for national strength with deep local …

account_balance Nexus HR Services

location_on Oakland

Works with supervisory staff to continually develop and implement ideas for delivering high quality … Qualifications: * 2+ years as a licensed pharmacist in the state of California in a retail or …

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Quickly search for salaries in other careers and locations in our salary database.

Job Title

City, State, Country or US Zip Code

This page is a promotion for SalaryExpert’s Assessor Series and is not intended for professional use.

Professionals should subscribe to SalaryExpert’s Assessor Platform.

ERI’s compensation data are based on salary surveys conducted and researched by ERI. Cost of labor data in the Assessor Series are based on actual housing sales data from commercially available sources, plus rental rates, gasoline prices, consumables, medical care premium costs, property taxes, effective income tax rates, etc.

Advises physicians

100%

Provides drug

100%

Provides support

100%

Reviews prescriptions

100%

See how skills can impact your salary

• Toronto

  
  
  22. 3 %

• New York-Manhattan

  
  
  16.9 %

• Orlando

  
  
  2.4 %

• California

  
  
  14. 5 %

• Connecticut

  
  
  9.4 %

• Wisconsin

  
  
  0.5 %

• Bahamas

  
  
  50. 9 %

• Canada

  
  
  32 %

• China

  
  
  160.9 %

• Hong Kong SAR

  
  
  32. 7 %

• Switzerland

  
  
  4.6 %

Learn About Our Products

SalaryExpert, powered by ERI, provides verified salary and cost of living data to the public with a comprehensive platform for evaluating compensation, career, relocation, and education decisions.

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United States Pharmacist Salary And Pharmacist Workforce Review

In this article current pharmacist salary and pharmacist workforce data are reviewed. Summaries and links to data sources are provided.

Authored By: Timothy P. Gauthier, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID

[Last Updated 8-20-2017]

How much does a pharmacist make? What is the outlook for the pharmacist workforce? These are two questions that come up frequently. This article is here to help answer these questions.

There are a number of data sources for identifying how much pharmacists make and how difficult it may be to get a job as a pharmacist. Here, I review some of the existing data and provide links to the data sources. A summary of all pharmacist salary and workforce data is also provided.

SUMMARY OF ALL DATA

This section of the article cuts directly to the chase and provides key data points. Note that the validity of this summary data is dependent upon the source that has provided it.  You can read more detailed information below or through the links provided to the original sources.

Salary Data Summary

• Median pharmacist salary: $122,230 per year or $58.77 per hour
• The most significant factors impacting pharmacist salary: geographic location and pharmacist type
  • Highest paying region: western/central United States
  • Lowest paying region: northeastern United States
  • Highest paying state: California
  • Lowest paying state: South Dakota
  • Highest paying cities: San Francisco, CA and Watsonville, CA
  • Lowest paying city: Miami, FL
• Upper-level pharmacist managers are among the highest paid
• Lower-level pharmacist academicians are among the lowest paid

Workforce Data Summary

• Number of pharmacist jobs: ~300,000
• Job outlook 2014-2024: 3%, slower than average
• Pharmacist unemployment rate: 1.7%
• Best city for pharmacists: Huntington, WV
• Pharmacist ranks as #36 among the top 100 jobs
• Number of colleges and schools of pharmacy: 142
• New pharmacist degrees conferred in 2015-16: 14,556
• Average debt for new pharmacists: $114,422

SALARY DATA

When it comes to pharmacist salaries, some of the major factors that can influence pay include:

• Geographic location
• Organization type (e. g., private versus government, large chain versus single store)
• Practice setting (e.g., community versus hospital versus industry)
• Position type (e.g., generalist versus specialist, administrative versus non-administrative)
• Years of experience and additional certifications or training

Here are some sources for pharmacist salary data and some of the key information provided by each source…

1. United States Department of Labor, Bueareau of Labor Statistics – pharmacist salary data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a component of the U.S. Department of Labor. It’ mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making. BLS is an independent statistical agency that serves a diverse user communitiy by providing products and services that are objective, timely, accurate, and relevant. The information provided by BLS is free and easy to access. It is an excellent resource.

Here are pharmacist data from BLS current to the time of this article:

• 2016 median pharmacist salary: $122,230 per year, $58.77 per hour
  • The lowest 10% of pharmacists earned below $87,120 per year
  • The highest 10% earned above $157,950 per year
  • Median salary for department store pharmacists: $124,450 per year
  • Median salary for hospital pharmacists: $122,850 per year
  • Median salary for grocery store pharmacist: $122,670 per year
  • Median salary for pharmacists in pharmacies and drug stores: $121,730 per year

You can access the full BLS data here.

2. Mercer / PharmacyWeek U.S. Pharmacy Compensation Survey

The U.S. Pharmacy Compensation Survey provides all the details on salary ranges, pay practices, and trends that are happening in the pharmacy industry today. It is produced by Mercer LLC / PharmacyWeek. The 2017 survey results include assessment of 53 unique pharmacy positions with 326 participating organizations pulling data from 318,945 employee observations. There is a great deal of information available and it has been analyzed by industry specialization, geographic area, and size. Datasets from this survey can be purchased for between $1,350 to $7,650 USD.  Details on purchasing and data points can be found here. A list of companies participating in this survey can be found here.

Some of the data from the 2017 survey results are available free on the PharmacyWeek website. Here are some highlights from that data:

• National annualized base pay weighted mean by position:
  • $148,900 – Pharmacy team manager
  • $136,900 – Nuclear pharmacist
  • $131,500 – Clinical pharmacist
  • $131,500 – Staff pharmacist (healthcare retail/satellite)
  • $129,800 – Staff pharmacist (hospital)
  • $125,200 – Staff pharmacist (mail order / PBM)
  • $124,400 – Staff pharmacist (retail)
• National annualized base pay weighted mean by region and position:
  • Pharmacy team manager: WC > SC > SE > NC > NE
    • WC = $166,700
    • NE = $138,800
  • Staff pharmacist (all): WC > SC > SE > NC > NE
    • WC = $146,800
    • NE = $121,700
• State-level annualized base pay weighted mean – top 5 states for combined pharmacist positions
  1. California – $151,800
  2. Arkansas – $136,600
  3. Nevada – $134,400
  4. Vermont – $131,100
  5. Kentucky – $131,00
• State-level annualized base pay weighted mean – bottom 5 states for combined pharmacist positions
  1. Puerto Rico – $99,900
  2. South Dakota – $114,500
  3. Iowa – $115,200
  4. Nebraska – $115,700
  5. Oklahoma – $116,400

The free data form PharmacyWeek is here.

Abbreviations: NE = north-east, NC = north-central, SC = south-central, SE = south-east, WC = west-central; PBM = prescription benefits manager.

3. Payscale’s pharmacist salary survey data

The people at Payscale utilize crowdsourcing and big data technologies to compile salary profiles for various job types. For the pharmacist salary information presented they report the source of their information is their own salary questionnaire. The survey design is not provided in detail, however they do identify data to be from United States pharmacists, currency is presented in USD, and 3,202 individuals participated in the survey. Given there are ~300,000 pharmacists in the United States per BLS, the Payscale survey only represents about 1% of all pharmacists. In turn, the data should be interpreted with a degree of caution.

Using the information they have from their survey Payscale has composed a detailed resource that includes a neat search function which allows the user to search by city, experience, skill, employer, and job. Here are some of the highlights from the data presented on this site, which is listed as last updated July 25th, 2017:

• Median pharmacist salary: $110,727 (approx. range $83,000 – $136,000)
• Bonuses and profit sharing can increase annual income
• Geography is the most influential factor of pay rate
  • Highest pay: San Fransisco, CA – 5% above national average
  • Lowest pay: Miami, FL – 8% below national average
• Pay increases as experience level increases

You can access the Payscale data here.

4. Drug Topics list of 25 cities with the highest paid pharmacist salaries

Drug Topics is a newsmagazine that reports on all facets of the profession of pharmacy. This publication took data from ValuePenguin (discussed below), but the original source of the data used was the BLS in 2014. Drug Topics provides a list of the top 25 cities with the highest paid pharmacist salaries. Here are the top ten:

1. $164,850: Watsonville, CA
2. $155,940: Gadsden, AL
3. $143,980: Fresno, CA
4. $142, 380: Chico, CA
5. $140,830: Anniston – Oxford, AL
6. $140,110: Goleta, CA
7. $140, 020: Modesto, CA
8. $139,810: Harlingen, TX
9. $139,500: Dalton, GA
10. $139,330: Santa Clara, CA

You can access the other 15 on the list from Drug Topics here.

5. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s pharmacy faculty salary data

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) website provides data on pharmacy faculty demographics and salaries. The 2016-17 average full-time pharmacy faculty annual salaries are provided as follows:

• Instructor: $85,800
  • Standard deviation: $24,974
• Lecturer: $100,500
  • Standard deviation: $32,861
• Assistant professor: $106,900
  • Standard deviation: $16,311
• Associate professor: $121,100
  • Standard deviation: $18,618
• Full professor: $166,600
  • Standard deviation: $43,399
• Assistant dean: $133,600
  • Standard deviation: $25,792
• Associate dean: $174,700
  • Standard deviation: $37,789
• Dean: $260,300
  • Standard deviation: $62,768
• Provost: $295,900
  • Standard deviation: $70,842

You can access this AACP data here. Membership with AACP is necessary to access the full information or it can be purchased individually.

WORKFORCE DATA

The pharmacist workforce is always changing. With an explosion in the number of pharmacy schools and existing pharmacy schools increasing enrollment in recent years, many pharmacists wonder what the future job market will look like. Here are several data sources and highlights on the current pharmacist workforce to help get an idea what the future may hold.

1. United States Department of Labor, Bueareau of Labor Statistics: pharmacist workforce data

As stated above, the information provided by BLS is free and easy to access. Here are pharmacist data from BLS current to the time of this article was composed:

• Number of U.S. pharmacist jobs in 2014: 297,100
  • Job outlook 2014-2014: 3% (slower than average)
  • Employment change 2014-2024: 9,100
  • 1 in 5 pharmacists work part-time

You can access the full BLS data here.

2. ValuePenguin top 100 cities for pharmacists in the United States

ValuePenguin seeks to identify the very best cities for pharmacists to work in, considering four categories that all pharmacists care about: (1) number of jobs, (2) the demand for their services, (3) their annual average salary and (4) the cost of living. It seems these folks used data from BLS and some type of ranking system to identify the 100 top cities for pharmacists in the United States. Average paycheck was the chief factor in their scoring system, but they also took into account cost of living and location quotient.

You may wonder what a location quotient is. This measures the concentration of pharmacists in an area as a percentage of all occupations, then compares it to the national average. In general the higher the location quotient, the higher the demand for the service.

They report using May 2014 data from 396 cities from over 290,000 pharmacists, which seems all derived from BLS.  This report overlaps workforce and salary data, but it was placed in the workforce section because the data more closely aligns with workforce considerations. Here are the data on the top 10 cities identified:

Rank	City	Average Salary	Jobs	Location Quotient	Cost of Living	Score
1	Huntington, WV	$126,290	470	2.04	85	101
2	Modesto, CA	$140,020	450	1.29	101	102
3	Stockton, CA	$130,840	630	1.42	103	104
4	Florence, SC	$130,050	250	1. 44	96	120
5	Sebastian, FL	$133,650	140	1.43	95	120
6	Chico, CA	$142,380	190	1.26	118	130
7	Gadsden, AL	$155,940	100	1.28	82	132
8	Roanoke, VA	$125,430	510	1.58	89	133
9	La Crosse, WI	$127,190	240	1.53	94	137
10	Greenville, NC	$125,210	280	1.68	92	142

You can access the ValuePenguin data here.

3. U.S. News & World Report’s pharmacist description webpage

U.S. News & World Report is a multi-platform publisher of news and information. They have a webpage that presents data about pharmacists. They also produce lists that rank pharmacists among other professions.

Information on workforce and salary is provided, but since the salary data is limited and does not add to what is mentioned above, only workforce-related information is presented here. It seems data is current to 2017, but it is unclear when the page was last updated. Data sources are not identified. Here are some highlights from this resource.

• Overall job score = 6.5/10
• #20 on a list of “2017 Best Paying Jobs”
• #23 on list of “2017 Best Healthcare Jobs”
• #36 on list of “2017 The 100 Best Jobs”
• Unemployment rate = 1.7%
• Number of jobs = 9,100
• Job market score = 4/10
• Future growth score = 4/10
• Stress score = 4/10
• Work-life balance score = 4/10
• Job satisfaction, upward mobility = Above Average
• Job satisfaction, flexibility = Below Average
• Job satisfaction, stress level = Above Average

The U. S. News & World Report pharmacist webpage is here.

4. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy: workforce data

AACP provides data on pharmacy schools enrollment, attrition, degrees conferred, and more. Here are some of the highlights from the available data.

• 142 colleges and schools of pharmacy will will offer a doctor of pharmacy degree in fall 2017
  • Eight colleges and schools of pharmacy will offer a doctor of pharmacy degree as a post-bachelor’s of science degree in fall 2017
  • There were less than 100 colleges and schools of pharmacy in 2005
• Attrition estimates from colleges and schools of pharmacy average 11% per class
• In 2015-16 there were 14,556 first professional degrees in pharmacy awarded
  • There were also 326 post-bachelor’s of science doctorate of pharmacy degrees awarded

You can access this AACP data here.

5. Study by Dr. Jeff Cain and colleagues: Pharmacy student debt and return on investment of a pharmacy education

This work was published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE) in 2014. AJPE is the official publication of AACP and is a respected pharmacy journal.

The researchers had the objective of describing the current landscape within the pharmacy profession in regards to student tuition, indebtedness, salaries and job potential. Here are some of the highlights from their results:

• Average pharmacy school tuition increased 54% from 2004-2012
• The number of pharmacist jobs rose from 215,000 in 2003 to 275,000 in 2010
• In 2011 the average pharmacy student graduated with $114,422 in debt

The article can be found here.

Final Note

If you have read through the information provided and want to learn about how much pharmacy school costs, tuition information can be found on individual school websites and historical data can be found here from AACP.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

How Much Do Pharmacists Make?

Thinking about becoming a pharmacist? Or maybe you’re just wondering how much the person filling your prescriptions is making? How much does a pharmacist make?

We have all answer all of your questions about pharmacist pay! In this guide, we go over average pharmacist salary overall and in each of the 50 states. To help put these numbers into context, we also explain what factors affect pharmacist salary, why pharmacists make so much, what work they do, and how you can become a pharmacist yourself.

What Is the Average Pharmacist Salary?

How much does a pharmacist make each year? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pharmacist in the US earned an annual salary of $120,270 in 2016, or about $57.82 an hour. The chart below (from the US Dept of Labor) shows the percentile wage estimates for pharmacists in 2016 so you can get a better idea of the range of pharmacist salaries.

There are several factors that determine how much a specific pharmacist makes.

• Experience: Pharmacists who have worked in the profession longer make more money than pharmacists just starting out, since more experienced pharmacists typically have more responsibilities and expertise.

• Geographic Location: Some parts of the country have a higher average pharmacist salary than others. We discuss this more in the next section.

• Employer Type: The type of pharmacy job you have will also affect your pay. Pharmacists at mail-order pharmacies had the lowest annual salary (average salary $117,000) while clinical pharmacists were, on average the highest paid ($128,000). Retail pharmacists generally earn less than pharmacists working in hospitals or other clinical settings.

How Much Do Pharmacists Make a Year in Each State?

Depending on which part of the country you live in, you might be making more or less than the national pharmacist salary. Below is a chart showing the average annual salary for pharmacists in each of the 50 states, as well as Washington D. C. This data comes from the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment Statistics for 2016.

You can use this chart to get a better idea of what the average pharmacist salary is in the state where you live or would like to live.

State	Average Annual Salary in 2016
Alabama	$120,000
Alaska	$138,000
Arizona	$119,000
Arkansas	$117,000
California	$136,000
Colorado	$118,000
Connecticut	$121,000
Delaware	$118,000
Florida	$118,000
Georgia	$116,000
Hawaii	$115,000
Idaho	$116,000
Illinois	$117,000
Indiana	$117,000
Iowa	$110,000
Kansas	$119,000
Kentucky	$122,000
Louisiana	$113,000
Maine	$123,000
Maryland	$120,000
Massachusetts	$131,000
Michigan	$115,000
Minnesota	$123,000
Mississippi	$121,000
Missouri	$121,000
Montana	$112,000
Nebraska	$109,000
Nevada	$123,000
New Hampshire	$129,000
New Jersey	$117,000
New Mexico	$120,000
New York	$119,000
North Carolina	$121,000
North Dakota	$113,000
Ohio	$115,000
Oklahoma	$121,000
Oregon	$123,000
Pennsylvania	$114,000
Rhode Island	$112,000
South Carolina	$123,000
South Dakota	$112,000
Tennessee	$120,000
Texas	$124,000
Utah	$113,000
Vermont	$128,000
Virginia	$119,000
Washington	$124,000
Washington D. C.	$121,000
West Virginia	$118,000
Wisconsin	$124,000
Wyoming	$116,000

As you can see from the chart, the average annual salary for pharmacists ranges from $109,000 (Nebraska) to $138,000 (Alaska). Differences among states in average pharmacist salaries can be due to multiple factors, including cost of living, demand for pharmacists, and where the pharmacists are employed.

Why Are Pharmacist Salaries So High?

Now you know that most pharmacists are bringing in six figures a year. Why is pharmacist pay so high? There are three main reasons:

Lots of Schooling Required

As you’ll see in the next section, you can’t wake up one day and decide to start applying to pharmacist jobs. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree as well as a PharmD degree. For most people, this means eight years of university and graduate-level schooling, and the high level of education required for pharmacists contributes to the high salary.

Requires Specialized Knowledge and Attention to Detail

To be a pharmacist, you must have a lot of knowledge specific to the field, and you must also have a high attention to detail. Pharmacists spend much of their time preparing and dispensing medication, and if they make a mistake, it can literally affect other people’s lives. Therefore, they must always be careful when they are working.

Additionally, many pharmacists are balancing multiple duties and many clients/customers which can cause a hectic work schedule. Because the work pharmacists do is so important, and because they are the only ones who can do it, they have a high average salary.

High Demand for Pharmacists

Another reason pharmacists make so much is that there is a high demand for pharmacists in many parts of the country. As the population gets older and healthcare expands, more people need the services pharmacists provide, which drives up demand. The number of pharmacists in the country is fairly small, so some employers will often offer higher salaries in order to entice pharmacists to work for them.

What Do Pharmacists Do?

So, what exactly do pharmacists do? It’s far more than just dispensing pills. A pharmacist’s work depends a lot on the specific field they’re in, although all pharmacist jobs involve understanding the impacts and potential risks of different medications. There are three main types of pharmacists:

Retail pharmacists spend a majority of their time processing and filling prescriptions, interacting with customers, and watching for potential side effects and interactions of the drugs they prescribe.

Clinical pharmacists typically work in hospitals or other medical settings, and a lot of their duties involve working directly with medical professionals and patients, either by choosing which medications to prescribe for a patient, monitoring patients, and other additional duties.

Research pharmacists usually work for drug companies, although they can also work for government agencies or universities. They spend the majority of their time developing new medications and conducting drug studies.

How Can You Become a Pharmacist?

In order to become a pharmacist and start making the big bucks, it’ll take several years of schooling and hard work. Below are the four main steps you need to complete to become a pharmacist.

#1: Take the PCAT

To begin your applications and get the ball rolling, you’ll need to take the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test), a standardized test for pharmacy school admissions, and submit your scores as part of your application. Not every pharmacy school requires PCAT scores, but most of them do.

#2: Get Admitted to a PharmD Program

The next step to becoming a pharmacist is being accepted into a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. You’ll need a Bachelor’s degree to apply. Most of the time, your degree doesn’t need to be in a specific field, but you’ll need to have certain prerequisite classes (usually two years worth) completed before you’ll be admitted, and you have a better chance of already having taken them if you majored in a science as an undergrad.

The prerequisites required vary by program, but often include chemistry, biology, physics, and statistics. It’s also possible to get accepted into an accelerated PharmD program while you’re in high school. In this case, you’ll complete your undergraduate degree and PharmD degree in a total of six years. It’s worth noting though, that these programs are not very common, and they’re very competitive to get into.

#3: Complete the PharmD Program

It typically takes four years to complete PharmD school, which means most people are in school for eight years to become a pharmacist (four years of undergraduate + four years of PharmD school). A few pharmacy schools do have accelerated programs that allow you to complete PharmD school in three years.

Even if you already have a graduate degree, even one in the sciences it’ll likely still take you four years to complete PharmD school since the course requirements are very specific to the program. At PharmD school, you’ll take courses that will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a pharmacist. Many programs also allow you to specialize in a specific area of pharmaceutical sciences such as clinical pharmacology or rural pharmacy services. You’ll also get hands-on experience through internships, rotations, and/or work placements during your time in PharmD school.

#4: Get Licensed as a Pharmacist

After you’ve completed PharmD school, you still need to get licensed before you can work as a pharmacist. Licenses are issued by individual states, so each state has its own requirements. However, most of them are follow the same basic set of guidelines. In every state, you’ll need to pass the NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination), and most states require you to pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) as well.

Your state may also have additional requirements, such as other tests you must pass, a certain number of practical hours you need to complete and/or consenting to a criminal background check. Once you’ve completed all of your state’s requirements, you’re able to begin working as a pharmacist!

Review: How Much Do Pharmacists Make, Really?

So, how much does a pharmacist make? The average pharmacist salary in the US is $120,270. A pharmacist’s salary depends on multiple factors, such as where they live, the type of pharmacy work they do, and how many years of experience they have. Pharmacists living in different parts of the country have different average salaries.

Pharmacist pay is so high because pharmacists must attend fours years of PharmD school in addition to undergrad coursework, the profession requires specific expertise and a variety of skills, and because demand for pharmacists is growing.

In order to become a pharmacist, you’ll need to:

• Have a Bachelor degree
• Complete the necessary prereqs for the program(s) you’re applying to
• Take the PCAT
• Complete (typically four years of) PharmD school
• Become certified (usually by passing the NAPLEX and MPJE exams)

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About the Author

U.

S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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• Summary
• What They Do
• Work Environment
• How to Become One
• Pay
• Job Outlook
• State & Area Data
• Similar Occupations
• More Info

Summary

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Video transcript available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ploFnvE1770.

What Pharmacists Do

Pharmacists dispense prescription medications to patients and offer expertise in the safe use of prescriptions.

Work Environment

Pharmacists work in pharmacies, including those in drug, general merchandise, and grocery stores. They also work in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

How to Become a Pharmacist

Pharmacists must have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), a 4-year professional degree. They must also be licensed, which requires passing two exams.

Pay

The median annual wage for pharmacists was $128,570 in May 2021.

Job Outlook

Employment of pharmacists is projected to grow 2 percent from 2021 to 2031, slower than the average for all occupations.

Despite limited employment growth, about 13,600 openings for pharmacists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

State & Area Data

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for pharmacists.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of pharmacists with similar occupations.

More Information, Including Links to O*NET

Learn more about pharmacists by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

Pharmacists review the accuracy of each filled prescription before it is given to the customer.

Pharmacists dispense prescription medications to patients and offer expertise in the safe use of prescriptions. They also may conduct health and wellness screenings, provide immunizations, oversee the medications given to patients, and provide advice on healthy lifestyles.

Duties

Pharmacists typically do the following:

• Fill prescriptions, verifying instructions from physicians on the proper amounts of medication to give to patients
• Check whether prescriptions will interact negatively with other drugs that a patient is taking or any medical conditions the patient has
• Instruct patients on how and when to take a prescribed medicine and inform them about potential side effects from taking the medicine
• Give flu shots and, in most states, other vaccinations
• Advise patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, and managing stress, and on other issues, such as what equipment or supplies would be best to treat a health problem
• Complete insurance forms and work with insurance companies to ensure that patients get the medicines they need
• Oversee the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists in training (interns)
• Keep records and do other administrative tasks
• Teach other healthcare practitioners about proper medication therapies for patients

Some pharmacists who own their pharmacy or manage a chain pharmacy spend time on business activities, such as inventory management. With most drugs, pharmacists use standard dosages from pharmaceutical companies. However, some pharmacists create customized medications by mixing ingredients themselves, a process known as compounding.

The following are examples of types of pharmacists:

Community pharmacists work in retail stores such as chain drug stores or independently owned pharmacies. They dispense medications to patients and answer any questions that patients may have about prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, or any health concerns that the patient may have. They also may provide some primary care services such as giving flu shots.

Clinical pharmacists work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. They spend little time dispensing prescriptions. Instead, they are involved in direct patient care. Clinical pharmacists may go on rounds in a hospital with a physician or healthcare team. They recommend medications to give to patients and oversee the dosage and timing of the delivery of those medications. They also may conduct some medical tests and offer advice to patients. For example, pharmacists working in a diabetes clinic may counsel patients on how and when to take medications, suggest healthy food choices, and monitor patients’ blood sugar.

Consultant pharmacists advise healthcare facilities or insurance providers on patient medication use or improving pharmacy services. They also may give advice directly to patients, such as helping seniors manage their prescriptions.

Pharmaceutical industry pharmacists work in areas such as marketing, sales, or research and development. They may design or conduct clinical drug trials and help to develop new drugs. They may also help to establish safety regulations and ensure quality control for drugs.

Some pharmacists work as college professors. They may teach pharmacy students or conduct research. For more information, see the profile on postsecondary teachers.

Pharmacists may consult with physicians if they have questions concerning a patient’s prescription.

Pharmacists held about 323,500 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of pharmacists were as follows:

Some pharmacists work for the government and the military. In most settings, they spend much of the workday on their feet.

Work Schedules

Most pharmacists work full time. Because many pharmacies are open at all hours, some pharmacists work nights and weekends.

Pharmacists must pay attention to detail, ensuring the accuracy of the prescriptions they fill.

Pharmacists must have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from an accredited pharmacy program. They must also be licensed, which requires passing licensure and law exams.

Education

Pharmacists typically need a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree that includes healthcare and related courses, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. Programs are accredited by an organization such as the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

Admissions requirements vary by program, however, all Pharm.D. programs require applicants to take postsecondary courses such as chemistry, biology, and physics. Most programs require at least 2 years of undergraduate study, although some require a bachelor’s degree. Most programs also require applicants to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT).

Pharm.D. programs usually take 4 years to finish, although some programs offer a 3-year option. Some schools admit high school graduates into a 6-year program. A Pharm.D. program includes courses in chemistry, pharmacology, and medical ethics. Students also complete supervised work experiences, sometimes referred to as internships, in different settings such as hospitals and retail pharmacies.

Some pharmacists who own their own pharmacy may choose to get a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) in addition to their Pharm.D. degree. Others may get a degree in public health.

Pharmacists also must take continuing education courses throughout their career to keep up with the latest advances in pharmacological science.

Training

Following graduation from a Pharm.D. program, pharmacists seeking an advanced position, such as a clinical pharmacy or research job, may need to complete a 1- to 2-year residency. Pharmacists who choose to complete the 2-year residency option receive additional training in a specialty area such as internal medicine or geriatric care.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

All states license pharmacists. After they finish the Pharm.D. program, prospective pharmacists must pass two exams to get a license. The North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) tests pharmacy skills and knowledge. The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) or a state-specific test on pharmacy law is also required. Applicants also must complete a number of hours as an intern, which varies by state.

Pharmacists who administer vaccinations and immunizations need to be certified in most states. States typically use the American Pharmacists Association’s Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program as a qualification for certification.

Pharmacists also may choose to earn a certification to show their advanced level of knowledge in a certain area. For instance, a pharmacist may become a Certified Diabetes Educator, a qualification offered by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators, or earn certification in a specialty area, such as nutrition or oncology, from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. Certifications from both organizations require pharmacists to have varying degrees of work experience, to pass an exam, and pay a fee.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Pharmacists must provide safe medications efficiently. To do this, they must be able to evaluate a patient’s needs and the prescriber’s orders, and have extensive knowledge of the effects and appropriate circumstances for giving out a specific medication.

Communication skills. Pharmacists frequently offer advice to patients. They might need to explain how to take medicine, for example, and what its side effects are. They also need to offer clear direction to pharmacy technicians and interns.

Computer skills. Pharmacists need computer skills in order to use any electronic health record (EHR) systems that their organization has adopted.

Detail oriented. Pharmacists are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the prescriptions they fill. They must be able to find the information that they need to make decisions about what medications are appropriate for each patient, because improper use of medication can pose serious health risks.

Managerial skills. Pharmacists—particularly those who run a retail pharmacy—must have good managerial skills, including the ability to manage inventory and oversee a staff.

Pharmacists

Median annual wages, May 2021

Pharmacists

$128,570

Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners

$81,270

Total, all occupations

$45,760

 

The median annual wage for pharmacists was $128,570 in May 2021.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $76,840, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $164,590.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for pharmacists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most pharmacists work full time. Because many pharmacies are open at all hours, some pharmacists work nights and weekends.

Pharmacists

Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31

Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners

Total, all occupations

Pharmacists

 

Employment of pharmacists is projected to grow 2 percent from 2021 to 2031, slower than the average for all occupations.

Despite limited employment growth, about 13,600 openings for pharmacists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Demand is projected to increase for pharmacists in some healthcare settings, such as in hospitals and clinics. As the roles of pharmacists expand beyond traditional drug-dispensing duties, these workers increasingly will be integrated into healthcare teams to provide medication management and other patient care services in these facilities.

Meanwhile, many pharmacists work in retail pharmacies, which includes independent and chain drug stores as well as supermarket and mass merchandiser pharmacies. Fewer pharmacist jobs are expected in these settings as the industry consolidates and more people fill their prescriptions online or by mail.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

• Pharmacists

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of pharmacists.

For more information about pharmacists, visit

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

National Association of Chain Drug Stores

American Pharmacists Association

American College of Clinical Pharmacy

For information on pharmacy as a career, preprofessional and professional requirements, programs offered by colleges of pharmacy, and student financial aid, visit

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

For more information about accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs, visit

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education

For more information about certification options, visit

Board of Pharmacy Specialties

National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators

CareerOneStop

For a career video on pharmacists, visit

Pharmacists

O*NET

Pharmacists

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Pharmacists,

at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm (visited September 08, 2022).

Last Modified Date:
Thursday, September 8, 2022

Retail Pharmacy Slump, Hospital Boom

Time for an update to the Drug Channels Institute (DCI) annual analysis of pharmacist salaries and employment.

The retail pharmacy shakeout affected 2021 pharmacist employment. We found that retail pharmacies and drugstores employed fewer pharmacists, while hospitals and outpatient centers continued to add positions. As a result, the share of pharmacists who work in non-retail practice settings reached a new high.

What’s more, average base salaries for retail pharmacists dropped for the second year, while salaries continued to rise for pharmacists employed by hospitals, physician offices, and other non-retail settings. Full salary data below for your enjoyment or sorrow.

As expected, the past few years have been highly challenging for retail-employed pharmacists. Expect further declines as the shakeout continues.

TREND TRACKING

The table below profiles overall employment and salaries for U.S. pharmacists in 2021. We rely on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Details on the data and our methodology appear at the bottom of this article.

[Click to Enlarge]

Our observations about the recent employment trends:

• Overall retail pharmacist employment dropped in 2021. Last year, there were 175,320 pharmacists employed at retail outpatient settings: chain drugstores, independent pharmacies, supermarkets, mass merchants, and mail pharmacies.

  Total employment in these settings has declined significantly from its recent peak of about 189,000 people in 2017—and declined by 7,000 in 2021. However, the 2021 net change reflected a shift in the composition of retail employment. Compared with 2020, employment at retail pharmacies and drugstores declined by 9,300 positions, while employment at other retail settings grew by 2,300 positions.

INCOME OUTCOMES

Observations about the recent salary trends:

• The average pharmacist’s salary was unchanged for 2021. Despite the ongoing pandemic, overall average salaries across all industry settings were $125,690—roughly equal to the 2020 figure of $125,460. However, pharmacists who work in hospitals had higher pay (+3.8%; green line in chart below), while those in retail outpatient dispensing formats experienced a second year of lower pay (-0.8% in 2020 and -2.4% in 2021; orange line).

[Click to Enlarge]

• The salary gap between a pharmacy owner and an employed retail pharmacist has grown for the third year. Our analysis of industry survey data indicates that the average pharmacist owning a single pharmacy earned about $158,000 in 2020 (the most recent year for which data are available). Independent pharmacy owner profits improved in 2020 due largely to better expense control, not higher prescription volume. See Five Things to Know About the State of Independent Pharmacy Economics.

  By contrast, U.S. government data show that the average gross base salary for a pharmacist working in a chain, independent, or long-term care setting was about $122,000 for 2020. Owning a pharmacy, with all of its hassles and obligations, remains more remunerative than being an employee. (Note that the table above includes pharmacists employed by an independent pharmacy as well as the paid owners and officers of incorporated independent pharmacies.)

NOTES FOR NERDS

We rely on the 2021 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program (formerly known as the Occupational Employment Statistics program) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS and the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) collaborate on the OEWS survey. BLS funds the survey and dictates its structure, while the SWAs collect most of the data. The OEWS survey categorizes workers by detailed occupations based on the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. For more on these data, see the OEWS FAQ page.

The Pharmacist occupation code is 29-1051. The SOC defines pharmacists’ roles as follows:

“Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.”

Using these data, we identified pharmacists working in various retail and non-retail settings based on the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System).

A few more items of note:

• BLS computes the annual wage data by multiplying an hourly mean wage by a “year-round, full-time” figure of 2,080 hours. These data exclude bonuses and employer costs of nonwage benefits, such as health insurance and contributions to retirement plans.

• Pharmacists employed by an independent pharmacy are included, as are paid owners and officers of incorporated independent pharmacies. However, the data exclude business owners and partners in unincorporated pharmacies.

• The data show the location of employment as a “pharmacist.” They do not specify the duties that the pharmacists perform or the entity that operates the pharmacy.

• The NAICS industry code “446110 Pharmacies and Drug Stores” includes drug stores, pharmacies, and on-site institutional pharmacies. Thus, a pharmacist employed in a hospital’s retail outpatient pharmacy is likely classified as an employee of a retail pharmacy.

• The NAICS industry code “446110 Pharmacies and Drug Stores” includes drug stores, pharmacies, and on-site institutional pharmacies. Thus, a pharmacist employed in a hospital’s retail outpatient pharmacy is likely classified as an employee of a retail pharmacy.

• With the 2021 figures, the OEWS program began using a new estimation methodology. Hardcore nerds can peruse the technical details in Survey Methods and Reliability Statement for the MB3 Research Estimates of OEWS. The 2020 figures do not appear to be materially different from the figures that I reported in last year’s analysis, but I still recommend caution in evaluating the year-over-year changes.

Magazine Aptekar

Every year, the largest US information portal U.S.News & World Report publishes a list of the best professions of the year, which is compiled on the basis of official statistics from the US Department of Labor. This list includes the most demanded and highly paid specialties that provide good employment and career prospects in the next decade. The third place in the list of the best professions in the USA in 2012 is occupied by the profession of a pharmacist. And this is no coincidence.

Occupation in demand

There are over 275,000 pharmacists in the US today. Most of them (65%) work in US retail pharmacies, the rest – in hospital pharmacies, mail order companies, online pharmacies and other healthcare-related institutions. Despite this large number of Pharmacists working, the US Department of Labor and Employment estimates that the need for pharmacists will steadily increase in the coming years. This is due to the fact that before 2016, a large number of older working pharmacists are expected to retire in the country. In this regard, more than 22% of jobs are expected to be released. Another reason for the high demand for pharmacists is the growing number of elderly people in the country and, consequently, the growing need for medicines and patient care items. Today, new pharmacies are regularly opened in all American cities, and existing ones, as a rule, expand and increase turnover.

The US Department of Labor forecasts a 25.4% growth in pharmacist employment from 2010 to 2020, which means more than 69,700 new jobs will be created*. As a result, the US Department of Labor ranked pharmacy as the 3rd best job in the nation in terms of pay and career prospects in 2012. Only registered nurses (1st place) and programmers (2nd place) were ahead of the Pharmacists in this rating.

Work and salary

According to the Department of Labor in 2010, the average annual salary of a pharmacist in the United States was about $112,000. At the same time, the top 10% of the highest paid specialists in this industry earned $138,000 each, and the minimum annual salary for specialists was more than $82,000. dollars * The highest salaries are received by specialists in mental health centers, counselors in rehabilitation centers, as well as professionals working in large cities of California.

Beginner Pharmacists in clinics and rehabilitation centers can expect higher hourly wages than retail pharmacists – in such medical institutions, starting salaries of young specialists are about 20% higher. But as experience is gained, the difference in hourly wages gradually disappears, and an experienced specialist working in a retail pharmacy earns almost the same hourly work as an experienced pharmacist in a hospital. However, the average level of wages in retail is lower. This difference is mainly due to different workloads – hospital pharmacists very often have to work overtime, on weekends and without holidays. In addition, the salary level of a pharmacist depends not only on the place of work, length of service and position held, but also on the state in which he works.

How to become a Pharmacist in USA

High salaries and a great need for specialists of this profile make the profession of a pharmacist attractive to many, therefore, there is always a high competition in educational institutions that train future Pharmacists. There are more than 100 such specialized educational institutions in the USA. Every year, more than 96 thousand applicants apply to them, but only 50 thousand students are enrolled.

To obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (and the only way to become an Apothecary in the US with such a diploma), you need to unlearn 2-3 years at a college or university and then complete a 4-year course at a special college of pharmacy. Only accredited educational institutions can train pharmacists. After receiving a basic pharmaceutical education and passing a series of examinations, a specialist is awarded the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy. But in order to work in their specialty, such a certified graduate will still need to complete a one-year or two-year practical course of postgraduate education or postgraduate study. Pharmacists who are going to open their own pharmacies, in most cases, must also receive an MBA degree – masters of business administration.

But that’s not all. To get a job, pharmacists will need a license. To do this, they will have to pass a series of additional exams and tests. The list of exams and tests and the necessary requirements for obtaining a license in different states are different.

Hard work

American pharmacists receive high salaries for a reason – the requirements for pharmacy workers in the USA are very high. Usually pharmacists in retail pharmacies work a 40-hour work week, but very many pharmacists in hospitals also have to work night shifts, weekends and even without holidays. Some pharmacies work around the clock, in which case the pharmacists work in shifts. Thus, about 12% of all pharmacists in the United States work 50 hours a week, but 19% of pharmacists work part-time. Pharmacist consultants sometimes have to travel to remote hospitals to monitor patient care.

Retail pharmacists are responsible for selling or preparing medicines, advising patients on how to take prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and informing patients about general health issues such as diet, exercise, stress management. Pharmacists also advise clients on the use of durable medical equipment and patient care products. In addition to this, US Pharmacists often have to fill out various medical forms, insurances and other official documents. Some retail pharmacies provide additional services to patients, such as special care for patients with asthma, diabetes, or hypertension. In this case, pharmacists are additionally trained to give vaccinations and injections.

The duties of pharmacists in hospitals and other medical and rehabilitation facilities include the preparation of drugs and sterile solutions for intravenous administration. Recently, in the United States, hospital pharmacists have been increasingly involved in individual patient consultations and drug treatment planning. They also advise patients before they are discharged from the hospital.

Some pharmacists specialize in a subspecialty such as oncology, cardiology, infectious diseases or intravenous nutrition, nuclear pharmacy (used in chemotherapy), geriatric or psychiatric pharmacy.

In most cases, pharmacists themselves keep a computerized record of prescriptions for each patient. This allows you to better control the treatment process and avoid side effects, errors and overdoses.

The profession of a pharmacist in the US does not usually involve high levels of stress, but this is largely dependent on the clients. American pharmacists, like Russian ones, spend almost the entire working day on their feet, so they get tired no less than us.

* U.S. News & World Report, February 27, 2012

Olga Zhukova

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Grounding in the Middle Kingdom – Vademecum magazine

The Chinese government has been preparing the reform of the drug circulation system for three years, and on June 1, 2013, the new set of rules came into force. As conceived by officials, it should contribute to the consolidation of the pharmaceutical market and the departure of numerous small players. However, the plan was only partially successful – Chinese entrepreneurs quickly found a way to get around the stringent requirements of the law.

The first Good Supply Practice of Pharmaceutical Products (GSP) was adopted by the PRC in 2000 and was valid for 12 years until the CFDA (Chinese Food and Drug Administration) did not begin to develop a new edition, which was made public in June 2013. In the GSP edition that has just entered into force, the requirements and quality standards for the sale of medicines have been increased, respectively, and the bar for pharmaceutical market participants has been raised. The period of transition to the new rules, as set by the government, will be three years. The main function of the GSP is to regulate the process of selling drugs in wholesale and retail trade, the new rules set out the basic standards for the purchase, marketing, storage and after-sales service of medicinal products.

The new edition of the GSP is likely to have a positive impact only on the profits of large enterprises, and 80% of small ones may even fall out of the market as a result of its adoption. Chinese experts note that in fact this was the main purpose of the adoption of the GSP. Representatives of regulatory authorities have repeatedly stated that the consolidation and increased concentration of enterprises in the market are the expected result of the reform, explaining this by the fact that there are a number of problems hindering the development of the industry, including, for example, a lack of pharmacies in rural areas, a small number of pharmacy chains (about one third of the total number of pharmacies) and the absence of large enterprises.

Li Guoqin, head of the CFDA drug safety department, openly stated that at the moment there are a huge number of drug wholesale companies in China (13 thousand), and thanks to the new GSP, many companies will automatically drop out of the market. According to the plan, there should be from 1 to 3 thousand players who will be able to satisfy the market demand. The same opinion is shared by his colleague, CFDA Drug Safety Department Inspector Liu Xiaoping, who said that the new rules will hit the disorder and confusion in the sale of drugs, and weak companies will leave the market and their market share will go to large companies, which will reduce unhealthy competition.

Not surprisingly, representatives of China’s major pharmaceutical companies and state-owned enterprises greeted the new rules with enthusiasm. Chen Guangyan, Vice President of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, noted that more than 12 years have passed since the adoption of the first GSP, and during this time there have been great changes in the pharmaceutical industry in China, so the new edition is highly expected and necessary. In turn, Li Guangfu, Vice President of the state-owned company Sinopharm, said that since this year, the profitability of the sector has fallen and does not reach 1%, but thanks to the new GSP, market concentration will increase, which is good news for their company.

Small and medium enterprises have already begun to lose ground. For example, a small Chinese pharmaceutical company Sichuan Dikang Pharmaceutical with a capitalization of 1.9 billion yuan ($306 million) announced on June 24 that it was leaving the retail market due to the unprofitability of its Heping pharmacy chain. She confirmed the information that Heping’s financial situation is very bad and the net loss, which amounted to 887 million yuan ($143 million), is 19 times higher than its annual revenue. A representative of the Guangdong Provincial Pharmacy Association has already spoken about the negative aspects of the new edition of GSP, he said that with the adoption of the new rules, retailers in China have two problems: personnel and an outdated system.

The staff shortage is especially acute: from June 1, 2013, each pharmacy is required to have its own licensed pharmacist on staff. The problem is that the required number of pharmacists simply does not exist in the country. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2011, 85.3 thousand students graduated in biochemical and pharmaceutical areas and another 276.2 thousand in the direction of “Medicine”, while 168.5 thousand are currently studying for a bachelor’s degree. Among the strongest universities that train specialists in the field of “Pharmacy” are China Pharmaceutical University, Peking University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shangdong University, etc.

In order to obtain a pharmacy license in China, you must pass a special examination, after which you can start working in the industry. So far, more than 200,000 people have taken the pharmacist examination, but the number of registered active pharmacists is only about 80,000, while the number of pharmacies in China is 420,000 institutions.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that not all specialists work in pharmacies, some of them are employed in pharmaceutical production or work in wholesale companies, which drastically reduces the number of possible licensed workers employed in drug retail trade. In addition, Chinese experts note that often students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy continue their studies abroad, where they remain to work due to a significant difference in wages.

For example, in France a pharmacist receives an average of 4,000 euros ($5,200) per month, while in China, about 3,000 yuan ($485). However, in anticipation of the entry into force of the new edition of the GSP, especially prudent small entrepreneurs have prepared in advance by taking licenses “for rent”. For a small fee, a licensed specialist is formally listed as working in a pharmacy, although in fact he never appears there.

“Rent” varies from 800 to 1000 yuan ($130-160) per month. Finding pharmacists who want to earn extra money in this way is not at all difficult; Chinese Internet forums are full of advertisements for applicants for an invisible position. As a result, such a scheme is very beneficial for both the employer and the employee, the first one saves several tens of thousands of yuan a year, the other receives additional income of several thousand yuan a year, while not working in the pharmacy where his “crust” works.

There is little risk involved in such a scheme: it is unlikely that the buyer will look at the photo on the license that hangs somewhere in the corner of the pharmacy and compare it with the worker standing in front of him, and checks by the CFDA regulatory body are very infrequent, once or twice in year. When asked where the licensed specialist is, in response you can hear that today he did not go to work. The scheme is applied massively – according to statistics, only one out of 10 Chinese pharmacies has its own licensed pharmacist.

Nevertheless, the retail drug market in China is actively developing, the annual revenue growth of Chinese pharmacies is about 18%, and in 2012 the total revenue was 230 billion yuan ($ 37 billion), the pharmacies of the southern and most economically developed province of Guangdong turned out to be the most profitable , they earned about 40 billion yuan ($6.4 billion). At the same time, it should be noted that Chinese pharmacies sell only 20% of medicines, the rest is the hospital segment.

There are six companies on the market with a network of more than a thousand pharmacies, and five with revenues of more than 3 billion yuan ($485 million). At the same time, according to the Institute of Economic Research of South China under the auspices of the CFDA, the revenue of the TOP100 pharmacy chains in China in 2012 increased by 17.5%, to 87.8 billion yuan ($14.2 billion), and they occupy 38.2% of retail market. There are three provinces with the highest concentration of pharmacies: Guangdong (12.2%), Sichuan (9.8%) and Shandong (7.3%). The largest revenue recorded in 2011 belongs to Tongrentang Pharmacy, which amounted to 311 million yuan ($50 million).

Pharmacies in China are mainly located in residential areas, up to 79% of pharmacies are concentrated here. In addition, they are present near or inside hospitals, in shopping areas and centers, and in supermarkets.

There are several types of pharmacies: pharmacy chains from the manufacturer, social single pharmacies, pharmacy chains operating on a franchise basis and hospital pharmacies.

While China is looking for its own way of organizing a pharmacy business, the examples of France and the United States demonstrate that completely different models can be successful.

In France, the establishment of pharmacy chains is prohibited by law. In order to open a pharmacy in France, you need to follow a number of rules. First, you need to have a diploma in pharmacist and work experience in this field for at least six months. Secondly, you will have to obtain a license from the Regional Health Agency (ARS). This must first be approved by the Pharmacists’ Union and the National Union of Physicians, after which the ARS will make a final decision. The process usually takes about six months.

Competition is strictly limited by the state: the opening of a pharmacy directly depends on the number of inhabitants in the locality. One pharmacy should serve at least 2.5 thousand people. Already 7,000 people are needed to open a second pharmacy. If less than 2. 5 thousand people live in the city, a pharmacy cannot be opened.

The pharmacy must be owned by the pharmacist himself. It is unacceptable for one pharmacist to have several pharmacies, but several pharmacists can open one common pharmacy and work together.

The margin on products is also limited – it should not exceed 25-30%, the trade turnover should be approximately 240 thousand euros per employee per year. The location of the pharmacy, as well as the distance from one pharmacy to another, may be dictated by the ARS.

It is not surprising that under such harsh conditions, few of the graduates of pharmaceutical faculties manage to get a job in their specialty. In 2011, 20% of graduates made this choice, and in 2012 – 26%, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro.

In the United States, which traditionally supports the spirit of entrepreneurship and competition, the situation is fundamentally different – a pharmacy is treated as an ordinary retail store, it is not forbidden to create retail chains. However, each US state has its own rules for opening pharmacies, there are even specialized consulting companies that help those who wish to understand all the nuances and choose the best option.

There are 22,576 registered organizations engaged in the pharmacy business in the country, the total number of pharmacies is 62,000. The industry’s sales revenue is $248 billion a year, since 2008 this figure has been steadily increasing by 1.6% annually. The largest US pharmacy chains are Walgreen Company (8300 pharmacies) and CVS Pharmacy (7400 pharmacies).

Unlike Europe, pharmacists in the US are in high demand. According to various estimates, the country lacks from 7 to 10 thousand specialists. To become a pharmacist, you must have a doctorate in pharmacy, practice under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX).

A pharmacist usually works 40-50 hours a week. The average salary of an American specialist is $9. 9 thousand per month.

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TOP-10 countries with the highest salaries of the pharmacist-prospector

1. 1. The United States of America

The average annual salary of the pharmacist in the United States: $ 133 014

Work of the pharmacist in the USA is very highly paid. The median salary in the US as a whole is $51,960 per year. Salaries in this country vary greatly from state to state, the highest salaries are for pharmacists in Alaska and California, local pioneers receive approximately $ 139880 and $139,690 respectively. The state of Vermont closes the top three with $135,420.

North Dakota offers the lowest average annual salary for pharmacists, local pharmacists can consider themselves the most offended with an annual income of $103,250.