Pharmacists are licensed health professionals who specialize in
the practice of preparing and dispensing both prescription and nonprescription
medications. They are knowledgeable about medication action, use, dosage, side
effects, and interaction with other substances.
Pharmacists work with people of all ages and may be employed by a
hospital, community organization, or retail outlet. To promote public health,
pharmacists may provide education and information about medications to
individuals and develop and manage systems to control and distribute
medications.
A pharmacist may hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree
in pharmacy. All pharmacists must graduate from an accredited program and
successfully pass a board-certified licensing examination. A pharmacist must
hold a current license in the state or province in which he or she practices.
Licensing requirements are managed by individual state or provincial boards of
pharmacy.
