Pharmacists

Employers

The majority of pharmacists work in retail pharmacies, which are operated by chain drugstores, supermarkets, and mass merchants. A smaller percentage of pharmacies are independently run. Pharmacists can also be employed at mail-order pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, nursing homes, and at state and federal agencies. Some pharmacists are self-employed and fill-in as "temps" at a number of different community pharmacies. There are 337,700 pharmacists working in the United States.

Starting Out

Once you are ready to graduate from pharmacy school, your college or university should be one source of information about job openings. With the demand for pharmacists, it is not uncommon to have several job offers before graduation.

Internships also provide the opportunity to make professional contacts, and you may hear about an open position through these contacts. A number of placement services involved in the health care field work with pharmacists, placing them in the jobs they want. Once you have become licensed, you may apply directly to a community, hospital, or clinic pharmacy that interests you. Though the level of work is the same for beginning pharmacists as it is for experienced pharmacists, you may have to work long hours, evenings, and weekends until you've gained some seniority with the pharmacy.