Retail Pharmacist Responsibilities and Career Facts

<h3 id="section---WhatYouNeedToKnow">What You Need to Know</h3> <p>Retail pharmacists typically work in pharmacies or drugstores (individual or larger retailer) dispensing prescription medications and completing necessary insurance documentation in order to fill them. A Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) is required for this job as is continuing education in the field. The outlook for employment of pharmacists in the near future is aligned with the projected job growth for all other occupations. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Job Duties</b></td><td> Dispensing prescription medications, consulting with physicians and patients, completing insurance paperwork, administration duties, supervision of other pharmacy staff, advise patients on drug and other health-related topics</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Education</b></td><td> A Pharm.D is required (4 year professional degree), as is successful completion of the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and continuing education once working</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Career Outlook</b></td><td> 2% job from 2021-2031 with a median annual salary of $128,570*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreTheMainResponsibilitiesOfARetailPharmacist">What Are the Main Responsibilities of a Retail Pharmacist?</h3> <p>Retail pharmacists dispense drugs and provide other clinical services for patients. In rare cases, pharmacists may be required to create drug compounds to fulfill prescriptions. Today, however, pharmaceutical manufacturers rarely distribute drugs in raw form, opting to provide specific dosages and varieties of both generic and brand name drugs. </p> <p>As a retail pharmacist, you will work in an independent pharmacy or a drugstore that is part of a larger retail environment, such as a department or grocery store. Though your main duties include drug dispensing, you will also consult with physicians and their assistants, as well as with patients, to manage a prescription program or provide general health care information. </p> <p>Completing third-party insurance billing paperwork will also occupy your workday. You may also take part in general managerial tasks, including maintaining an office and supervising pharmacy technicians and other employees. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatTypeOfEducationAndLicensureDoINeed">What Type of Education and Licensure Do I Need?</h3> <p>You will need to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from an accredited university before you can work as a pharmacist. Your education will consist of general life sciences courses, with specific coursework in chemistry and medicine. You may take courses in pharmacology, pharmacy legal issues and retail pharmacy management. </p> <p>To become a pharmacist, you are required to successfully complete the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX); also, most states will require you to take the Multi-state Pharmacist Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE). Both exams are issued by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. </p> <p>Continuing training and education is also required in most states. Professional organizations such as the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists offer continuing education options that allow you to maintain licensure. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatIsTheCareerOutlookForPharmacists">What Is the Career Outlook for Pharmacists?</h3> <p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected employment for pharmacists to increase by 2% between 2021 and 2031 (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). </p> <p>A 2009 study entitled the Pharmacy Manpower Project, conducted in partnership by members of several professional associations, determined that pharmacists in general spend 55% of their workday dispensing medications, 16% consulting or providing clinical patient care and another 14% performing administrative or managerial duties (<i>www.aacp.org</i>). In the future, according to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, additional emphasis will be placed on providing clinical care for patients as opposed to traditional medication dispensing (<i>www.nacds.org</i>). </p> <p>Pharmacists earn a median annual salary, according to 2021 BLS data, of $128,570. Due to a recent increase in pharmacy graduates and schools, competition for available positions is said to be greater than average.</p>