Description
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.
Interests
- Investigative
- Social
- Conventional
Work Values
- Recognition
- Support
- Relationships
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail
- Concern for Others
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
- Cooperation
Tasks
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
- Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
- Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.
- Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.
Work Activities
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Getting Information
Detailed Work Activities
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Technology Skills
- Medical software
- Presentation software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Label making software
- Analytical or scientific software
Abilities
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
Skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Chemistry
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Board Certified - Advanced Diabetes Management - PharmacistCertifying Organization
Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certification for Specialists in Poison InformationCertifying Organization
American Association of Poison Control Centers
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Specialty PharmacistCertifying Organization
Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Pharmaceutical GMP ProfessionalCertifying Organization
American Society for Quality
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy SpecialistCertifying Organization
Board of Pharmacy Specialties
Type
Specialty
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $91,866 |
| Median (50%) | $131,666 |
| High (90%) | $154,458 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $124,413 |
| Mid Level | $134,793 |
| Senior Level | $144,792 |
| Expert Level | $169,050 |
Employability
There are currently 337,700 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 355,900 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 5%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 5%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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