Types of Pharmacist Jobs

In order to work as a pharmacist, you must graduate from a pharmacy school and pass a battery of licensing tests. Pharmacists are paid well but sometimes have to work nights or weekends. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects will continue to improve for pharmacists.
Just about all pharmacists work dispensing medication. However, while some pharmacists are generalists others specialize in different fields in the same way that some doctors are general practitioners and others specialize in plastic surgery or heart surgery.

General Hospital Pharmacist

Hospital pharmacists work with doctors by dispensing medications the doctors prescribe for hospitalized patients. They also warn doctors of potential side effects that medications may have when taken in combination with other medicines. These pharmacists do not work directly with patients. They are generalists and do not specialize in any particular area.

Home Health Care Pharmacists

These pharmacists work primarily with individuals who receive medical treatment in their homes and are unable to travel to regular pharmacies. In addition to filling prescriptions, home care pharmacists will also travel to patients' homes to mix solutions for injections. They will also administer the injections.

Psychiatric Pharmacists

Psychiatric pharmacists specialize in treating mental disorders with drugs. These pharmacists have advanced training that prepares them to work in psychiatric wards where they prescribe more potent drugs for mental disorders than a general pharmacist would be able to.

Nuclear Pharmacists

Nuclear pharmacists use radioactive drugs to diagnose and treat cancer. They typically work in hospitals. They may also help conduct research on the use of radioactive drugs.

Veterinary Pharmacists

Veterinary pharmacists provide medications for pets. In farming areas they may also fill prescriptions for cows, sheep and other livestock. These pharmacists will travel to farms especially when there is an outbreak of disease in a herd or flock.

Community Pharmacist

These pharmacists work in a variety of stores like Walgreens, CVS or Walmart rather than in hospitals. As general pharmacists, they fill the prescriptions given to outpatients by doctors. They are also responsible for advising patients on how to take their medications and on how new medications may interact with any other prescriptions that patients are taking.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Pharmacists
• Pharmacy Careers