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Patients and customers go to pharmacies for prescriptions, vaccinations, over-the-counter health aides, instructions and advice. We feature the following pharmacy occupations on this site:
Pharmacists
A Pharmacist is an essential member of a patient's health care team. Acting on a prescription, Pharmacists give medications to patients and counsel them on proper use, side-effects, drug interactions and preventative care. In addition, Pharmacists give advice on a wide range of other health topics such as vitamins, nutrition, over-the-counter medications, exercise, stress, high blood pressure and diabetes. They can also administer immunizations and help treat common illnesses, giving patients referrals to other professionals when necessary. Pharmacists educate other health care providers on drugs, collaborate on drug therapies, consult on lab results and assist in monitoring the patient's progress.
As a high school student, I was introduced to the profession of pharmacy by meeting our local drug store pharmacists. They were so helpful and knowledgeable about our health concerns as well as highly respected in our small community. I love to help people, wanted a job in the medical field and saw this as the perfect opportunity.
Being a pharmacist has so many rewards, it really is much more than a job. It's a career filled with a lifetime of opportunity. Best of all it is a job about helping people, providing a service and being a resource.
......................
Cathryn J. Lew, RPh
President, Oregon Board of Pharmacy
Sacred Heart Home Infusion/Hospice Pharmacist
If you consider the description above and Pharmacists you've been in contact with, you'll agree that it's crucial for a Pharmacist to be detail-oriented and conscientious. A Pharmacist's role, depending on work setting, also involves strong management, supervision and teaching abilities.
There is a broad range of career options and settings for Pharmacists. In some environments, Pharmacists delegate to and supervise aides, technicians and interns. Others specialize in cancer treatment, geriatrics, mental disorders, or nutrition, for instance. Nontraditional but increasingly common careers for Pharmacists include sales and marketing, research and development, and work with insurance companies and managed care organizations.
Video Description of Pharmacists
Source: CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)
Where Pharmacists Work
Pharmacists work in a variety of settings, including:
- Retail Stores (such as grocery, drug, department and general merchandise stores)
- Hospitals
- Physician Offices
- Outpatient Clinics
- Nursing Homes
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Government and Public Health
- Research and Development Industry
Educational Requirements
Prerequisites to enter a school of pharmacy include two to three years of post-High School studies with emphasis in the sciences.
The following schools in Oregon offer a degree a Pharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy):
Licensure Requirements
All states require a license in order to practice pharmacy. A candidate must graduate from an approved school of pharmacy, pass exams and complete any other step that a particular state requires to qualify for licensure. See:
Pharmacists Earnings
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) reports that in 2009, the average hourly wage for Pharmacists in Oregon was $51.49 and the average annual salary was $107,088.
Employment Outlook for Pharmacists
The OED estimates that between 2008 and 2018, there will be 1,226 job openings for Pharmacists in Oregon.
The national growth rate for the Pharmacist occupation during this ten-year period is 22%. The development of more drugs, an increase in prescription coverage and the aging of baby-boomers contribute to the demand for Pharmacists.
Occupations with Skills Similar to Pharmacists
Pharmacy technicians and aides have skills that overlap with Pharmacists. Other professions that may work with pharmaceuticals are biological and medical scientists, and chemists. Also, because Pharmacists have an increasing role in caring for the patient (in drug therapies, treatment plans and monitoring, for instance) their skills overlap with other health care providers such as physicians.
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Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy Techs perform routine duties under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. Duties include counting medications and labeling oral prescription containers before handing them over to the pharmacist who verifies the medication and counsels the patient, answering any questions. Pharmacy techs also handle administrative duties such as reception, inventory, billing, payment, data entry and record maintenance. They provide customer service and obtain information from patients and health care providers in order to fulfill their duties.
Different job settings have slightly different responsibilities. In hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities, for instance, Techs might read patient charts and deliver medications to the patient after verification from the pharmacist. Techs might also package 24-hour supplies of medicine for individual patients.
Because Techs work beside pharmacists, they work the same hours, including evening, nights and weekends. The varied hospital and retail settings, however, provide for part-time work schedules. Larger employers are more likely to have opportunities for advancement to supervisory roles and specialty positions as with chemotherapy and nuclear medicine. Some techs work closely with pharmacy aides who help with clerical duties such as answering telephone calls and stocking items.
Video Description of Pharmacy Technicians
Where Pharmacy Technicians Work
Most jobs for Pharmacy Techs are with retail pharmacies, grocery stores, department stores, or mass retailers. Other work venues include hospitals and clinics.
Educational Requirements
Postsecondary training is required to gain the necessary skills for this occupation, but an associate's degree will give you a competitive edge. Many employers prefer to hire Techs with formal training. For educational programs, see the Oregon Employment Department's (OED) page on Pharmacy Technicians and these four community college programs:
Licensure Requirements
There are specific steps to becoming a Certified Pharmacy Technician in Oregon. See:
Pharmacy Technician Earnings
The OED reports that in 2009 in Oregon, Pharmacy Technicians earned an average hourly wage of $15.96 and an average annual salary of $33,206.
Employment Outlook for Pharmacy Technicians
The OED estimates that between 2008 and 2018, there will be 1611 job openings for Pharmacy Technicians in Oregon.
The development of more drugs, an increase in prescription coverage and the aging of baby-boomers contribute to the demand for Pharmacy Techs. The demand on and for pharmacists also will increase the need for Techs. Drug dispensing machines will have some impact on need but are only used for the most common medications, so the effect should be minimal.
Occupations with Skills Similar to Pharmacy Technicians
- Pharmacy Aides
- Pharmacists
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