Careers in Pharmacy

Educational Requirements for Pharmacy Positions

Community Pharmacy
An entry-level pharmacy degree is required; business education is helpful for owners and managers.

Hospital Pharmacy
An entry-level pharmacy degree is required for staff and some clinical positions. A residency in hospitals pharmacy or an advanced degree is helpful in clinical positions. Business education is helpful for positions in administration. Specialty practices, such as nuclear pharmacy, may require board certification and advanced degrees.

Consultant Pharmacy
An entry-level pharmacy degree is required, advanced degrees are beneficial. Pharmacists who are consultants to other pharmacist (i.e., specialty practices) require experience in the specialty practice.

Pharmaceutical Industry
No degree is required for sales representatives, but pharmacy and marketing education are recommended. Completing a National Pharmaceutical Council Internship is beneficial.

Academia
An advanced degree, typically a Master’s or PhD, is required in the area of expertise.

Alternative Careers
No specific degree is required for association work, although an entry-level pharmacy degree and background in business or administration are helpful. Completing a residency in association management is also beneficial. For most positions in the insurance industry, pharmacy practice experience is necessary.