What Is a Drug Information Specialist?

<h3 id="section---CareerOverview">Career Overview</h3> <p>Drug information specialists are pharmacists who work in drug information service. They provide information on drugs, toxicology, and poisons to the community. Drug information specialists can also work with hospitals, medical providers, and staff to provide information on drugs. Drug information services can be found in many colleges and universities and serve as a residency foundation for pharmacists who wish to specialize in drug information. As a pharmacist, you're required to have the appropriate education and degree, obtain a license (after taking and passing several exams), and attend a residency to work in drug information. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutDrugInformationSpecialists">Important Facts About Drug Information Specialists</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Pharmacy Technician, Medical Scientist, Biochemist, Biophysicist</td></tr> <tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Analytical, communication, and managerial skills</td></tr> <tr><td> Professional Certification </td><td> Available through the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators and Board of Pharmacy Specialties</td></tr> <tr><td> Licensure </td><td> Granted through the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---EducationAndResidency">Education and Residency</h3> <p>To become a drug information specialist, you must first earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, <i>www.bls.gov</i>), in order to be accepted into a Pharm.D. program, you must have completed two years of academic professional study or have completed at least three years in an academic program. In a Pharm.D. program, which will take approximately four years to complete, courses you can expect to take include English, communications, chemistry, calculus, behavioral sciences, biology, and biochemistry. </p> <p>Once you complete your Pharm.D. program, for further training, you can consider a residency program in drug information, which will usually last one year. It's a residency in a clinical setting where you'll get formal training in drug information and drug-related topics. To attend such a residency, in addition to having your degree, some programs may require you to have your license already. Once you are accepted into the residency, you will work at the university or college's drug information service. </p> <h3 id="section---JobOutlookAndSalary">Job Outlook and Salary</h3> <p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (<i>www.bls.gov</i>) indicated in May 2021 the mean annual wage for pharmacists was $125,690. Employment in this field was expected to decline by 2% from 2021-2031.</p>