Pharmacy Degree Requirements

Pharmacists provide prescription drugs to customers, usually in a retail store setting, but also in hospital stores. They also make sure customers understand appropriate uses and dosages of prescriptions, along with possible side effects and drug interactions. A pharmacy career pays an excellent salary and offers a promising employment outlook. People interested in becoming a pharmacist must complete at least 6 years of post-secondary education.

Entry to Pharm.D

To become a pharmacist, an individual must complete a doctorate of pharmacy, called Pharm.D. Some of these programs require a bachelor's degree for entry, while others require a 2-year pre-pharmacy major.

Prerequisites

Schools that require a bachelor's degree usually allow any major as long as specific prerequisites are met. Typical requirements include biology, microbiology, anatomy and physics, four semesters of chemistry and two semesters of calculus.

Time Frame

The Pharm.D degree is a 4-year program, with the first 3 years consisting mainly of classroom work, and the fourth year of full-time professional experience.

Curriculum

Curriculum includes biopharmacy, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacy law, pharmacy management and other pertinent courses.

Types

Coursework includes lectures, case study workshops and laboratory work.

Legal Requirements

Pharmacists are not allowed to have any drug or pharmacy-related convictions on their legal records.