May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications. You also work with patients to make sure they understand the proper application of their medication, and dosages are correct. There is a great responsibility on the shoulders of pharmacists to make sure patients get the right medication.
A Typical Day
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
- 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.
- Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal. Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
Recommended Credentials
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Degree
Education & Training
Regional employers often hire graduates of these programs.
Northwest Lower Michigan
Take Pre-Pharmacy classes at Northwestern Michigan College.
Check out their Transfer Guide to Ferris State University.
Elsewhere in Michigan
Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences
— University of Michigan
Bachelor of Science, Pre-Pharmacy Concentration or Doctor of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy
— Ferris State University
Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD
— Wayne State University
Explore This Career
Try it before you buy it!
Ask to do a job shadow at a local retail pharmacy or at a hospital.
Tour the Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) Career Tech Center - Health Sciences
The Local Advantage Learning Pathway
Pathway 1
Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) Career Tech Center - Health Sciences Program
Look into AP Chemistry or Biology Classes to get college credit.
Pathway 2
Start your journey at NMC's Pre-Pharmacy program before you transfer to a 4-year school to complete your degree.
Pathway 3
Apply to a Doctor of Pharmacy program, like those listed above.
Sample Employers in Our Region
Click the logos below to learn more.
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TIP
Contact one of these companies and ask for an informational interview, to see if you can job shadow, or to find out if they hire interns.
Sample Job Titles...
- Clinical Pharmacist
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Outpatient Pharmacy Manager
- Pharmacy Informaticist
- Registered Pharmacist
- Staff Pharmacist