Want to know how to become a pharmacist? Pursuing a pharmacist degree is a serious commitment, but a pharmacy career pays well and is quite rewarding. You'll need to follow these steps to become a pharmacist:
Start Early
It's best to begin preparing for your pharmacy degree in high school if possible. Take plenty of science, math and health courses while in high school, and get advice from your guidance or career counselor.
Apply To Pharmacy Schools
You need to apply to accredited schools of pharmacy or to a college that is accredited in your state. How do you find those schools? Go to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Web site at www.aacp.org, and use the school locator service to find an accredited college near you.
Find Out If You Qualify
You will need a high GPA to get into a pharmacy college or a pharmacy program at a good college. In addition to good grades, you will also need to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and at least one other college entrance exam, either the SAT or the ACT. Your scores on these tests will affect your chances of getting into pharmacy school. A limited number of slots are available each year for this program of study; you may have to apply several years in a row and work on your grades while waiting.
Complete Your Schooling
Pharmacy school takes six years to complete. There are two routes you can take to become a pharmacist: You can either pursue a six-year pharmacy degree from an official school of pharmacy, or you can pursue a four-year and two-year combination degree, often termed a Pharm-D degree, from an accredited college.
Work Or Intern At A Pharmacy
You can either get your pharmacy technician certificate while you are in school for pharmacy and work as a pharmacy technician, or you can intern or work for a pharmacist for a year after you complete your pharmacy degree. In either case, you typically need both the degree and the experience to be considered for pharmacist positions. Try to get experience in the environment in which you'd like to work. For example, if you'd like to be a hospital pharmacist, try to intern or work in a hospital pharmacy during your training period.
Pass Your Licensing Exams
You will need to pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) no matter where you live, but you may also need to take a second test, the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE), if you live in particular states. Check with your local school of pharmacy to see if you will need to take both of the tests.
What If You Decide To Become A Pharmacist Later In Life?
If you didn't know you wanted to become a pharmacist when you were in high school and did not get good grades in high school, you'll need to prove you're serious by getting excellent grades as you take those required math, science and health classes at a college. Then you'll want to take the PCAT and ACT and apply just like a high school student would.
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