In this article, I will deal with the question ” what are the requirements to become a pharmacist? I will be analyzing the most important requirements to become a pharmacist but there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the education requirements for a pharmacist will vary depending on the specific pharmacy profession and location.
However, most pharmacists typically require a college degree in pharmacy, as well as certification from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. And not only education certificate there are also other skills I will be dealing with, firstly who is a pharmacist.
Explanation of a pharmacist
Pharmacists, mostly known as chemists or druggists by some individuals are health professionals who are in charge of controlling formulating, preserving, and dispensing medications, provide advice, and also counsel on how medications should be used to heal a specific disease or achieve maximum benefit, get minimal side effects from the drugs and to avoid drug interactions.
Education Requirements to become a pharmacist
In this explanation of the education requirements to become a pharmacist, I will categorize it into stages. There are three important stages of education while climbing the road for this your desired profession ( a pharmacist ) and they include :
1. Undergraduate stage
2. Pharmacy school
3. Postgraduate stage
Undergraduate stage: This undergraduate stage of being a pharmacist comprises mostly of your secondary school and high school ( called the university in most places ). At this stage, you are to take your science subject very seriously, most especially chemistry. You need the following subjects to become a pharmacist in this stage Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math and statistics, English/communications, and Economics.
Pharmacy school: After you have taken and passed the necessary prerequisite coursework ( that is the undergraduate stage ), you’ll need to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and pass it to apply to a pharmacy school. When choosing a pharmacy school always make sure the pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
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Every pharmacy school has its different requirements to accept a candidate so you to make thorough research and understand all the requirements for the different pharmacy programs respectively. For example, In Nigeria, the current JAMB cut-off mark for pharmacy school is currently 270, and in like manner other countries will also have their requirements for pharmacy schools.
Postgraduate stage: This stage is after you have finished your education and the requirement you need now is your licensing. Normally before you can begin your pharmacy career, you have to complete a formal internship ( or called residency program in some areas ) and experiential learning in a hospital or pharmacy practice setting. The time to finish this solely depends on the state licensing requirements of the given state. Then you have to take two licensure exams, these exams when passed will give you the license to become a pharmacist.
Skills requirements to be a pharmacist
Alert from education requirements there is also another important factor to be taken care of which are skills. The required skills to be pharmacist include:
1. Accuracy
2. Communication Skills
3. Proof Reading
4. Interpersonal Skills
5. Management Skills
6. Multitasking
7. Patient Counseling
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Conclusion
Am sure you have known the requirements to become a pharmacist, so go ahead and chase your dream job with this equipment.
