Occupation AtlasPharmacists
O*NET · 29-1051.00
Pharmacists
Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Also called Apothecary · Clinical Pharmacist · Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) · Community Pharmacist · CPS · Druggist · Floater Pharmacist · Hospital Pharmacist
13 more
Industrial Pharmacist · Inpatient Pharmacist · Outpatient Pharmacist · Pharm D · Pharm D (Pharmacy Doctor) · Pharmacy Informaticist · Pharmacy Resident · Pharmacy Services Clinical Coordinator · Prescriptionist · Radiopharmacist · Registered Pharmacist · Retail Pharmacist · Travel Pharmacist
Compare with another occupationCompare with Physician Assistants
Job Zone
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Zone 5: Extensive Preparation Needed
Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree, with extensive skill, knowledge and experience — many of these occupations expect more than five years of experience.
Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.
Occupational interest profile
ISCInvestigative · Social · Conventional — the three strongest interests, in order
- I Investigative5.67
- S Social4.88
- C Conventional4.56
- R Realistic2.82
- E Enterprising2.62
- A Artistic1.48
RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.
Education and experience
The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.
- Related work experience
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (25%)
- On-site or in-plant training
- Up to and including 1 month (32%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (39%)
Typically associated skills
All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.
- Reading ComprehensionbasicImportance 4.0Level 5.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
- Active ListeningbasicImportance 4.0Level 4.1Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
- SpeakingbasicImportance 4.0Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
- MonitoringbasicImportance 3.9Level 4.4Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
- Critical ThinkingbasicImportance 3.9Level 4.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
- Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.9Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
- Service OrientationImportance 3.9Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
- Social PerceptivenessImportance 3.9Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
- WritingbasicImportance 3.9Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
- Complex Problem SolvingImportance 3.9Level 3.9Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
- Time ManagementImportance 3.9Level 3.8Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
- Active LearningbasicImportance 3.6Level 3.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
Show the other 23
- CoordinationImportance 3.4Level 3.6Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
- SciencebasicImportance 3.1Level 3.6Level 4 looks like: Conduct product tests to ensure safety standards are met
- MathematicsbasicImportance 3.1Level 3.3Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
- Learning StrategiesbasicImportance 3.1Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
- Management of Personnel ResourcesImportance 3.1Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Direct the activities of a road repair crew with minimal disruption of traffic flow
- InstructingImportance 3.0Level 3.5Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
- Systems EvaluationImportance 3.0Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
- Systems AnalysisImportance 3.0Level 3.0Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
- NegotiationImportance 2.9Level 3.0Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
- PersuasionImportance 2.9Level 3.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
- Management of Material ResourcesImportance 2.6Level 2.6Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
- Operations AnalysisImportance 2.6Level 2.6Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
- Quality Control AnalysisImportance 2.6Level 2.5Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
- Management of Financial ResourcesImportance 2.1Level 2.0Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
- Operations MonitoringImportance 2.0Level 1.9Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
- TroubleshootingImportance 1.9Level 0.9
- Technology DesignImportance 1.8Level 0.8
- ProgrammingImportance 1.5Level 0.5
- Operation and ControlImportance 1.4Level 0.4
- Equipment SelectionImportance 1.1Level —
- Equipment MaintenanceImportance 1.0Level —
- InstallationImportance 1.0Level —
- RepairingImportance 1.0Level —
Tasks
20 core · 1 supplementalWhat people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.Importance 4.9
- Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.Importance 4.8
- Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.Importance 4.8
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.Importance 4.5
- Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.Importance 4.5
- Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.Importance 4.4
- Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.Importance 4.2
- Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities.Importance 4.1
- Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes.Importance 4.1
- Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.Importance 4.1
- Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.Importance 4.1
- Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate.Importance 3.6
Show the other 9
- Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure.Importance 3.6
- Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.Importance 3.5
- Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise.Importance 3.5
- Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies.Importance 3.4
- Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients.Importance 3.4
- Assay radiopharmaceuticals, verify rates of disintegration, and calculate the volume required to produce the desired results, to ensure proper dosages.Importance 3.3
- Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors.Importance 3.3
- Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases.Importance 3.2
- Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues.Importance 3.5
Knowledge
Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.
- Medicine and DentistryImportance 4.6Level 4.8Level 4 looks like: Fill a tooth cavity
- BiologyImportance 4.4Level 5.3Level 4 looks like: Investigate the effects of pollution on marine plants and animals
- English LanguageImportance 4.4Level 4.9Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
- MathematicsImportance 4.2Level 4.9Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
- ChemistryImportance 4.1Level 5.1Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
- Education and TrainingImportance 3.9Level 5.3Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
- Customer and Personal ServiceImportance 3.7Level 4.7Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
- Law and GovernmentImportance 3.5Level 3.3Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
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- Therapy and CounselingImportance 3.4Level 4.2Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
- AdministrativeImportance 3.2Level 4.4Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
- Computers and ElectronicsImportance 3.1Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
- PsychologyImportance 3.1Level 4.9Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
- Administration and ManagementImportance 2.9Level 4.2Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
- Public Safety and SecurityImportance 2.9Level 2.8
- Communications and MediaImportance 2.6Level 2.5Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
- Personnel and Human ResourcesImportance 2.6Level 3.5Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
- Production and ProcessingImportance 2.5Level 2.9
- Sociology and AnthropologyImportance 2.4Level 2.7
- TelecommunicationsImportance 2.3Level 2.0Level 1 looks like: Send an email
- Economics and AccountingImportance 2.2Level 2.5Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
- Foreign LanguageImportance 2.1Level 2.1Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
- Engineering and TechnologyImportance 1.9Level 1.7Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
- PhysicsImportance 1.8Level 1.8Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
- Sales and MarketingImportance 1.7Level 2.0Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
- DesignImportance 1.5Level 1.3Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
- MechanicalImportance 1.5Level 0.8Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
- Philosophy and TheologyImportance 1.5Level 1.3Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
- TransportationImportance 1.4Level 0.6Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
- Building and ConstructionImportance 1.3Level —
- GeographyImportance 1.3Level 0.8Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
- History and ArcheologyImportance 1.2Level —
- Fine ArtsImportance 1.0Level —
- Food ProductionImportance 1.0Level —
Abilities
Enduring capacities the work calls for.
- Oral ComprehensionImportance 4.1Level 5.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
- Written ComprehensionImportance 4.1Level 5.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
- Deductive ReasoningImportance 4.0Level 4.0Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
- Inductive ReasoningImportance 4.0Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
- Near VisionImportance 4.0Level 4.6Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
- Oral ExpressionImportance 4.0Level 4.8Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
- Problem SensitivityImportance 4.0Level 4.8Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
- Written ExpressionImportance 4.0Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
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- Category FlexibilityImportance 3.9Level 4.0Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
- Information OrderingImportance 3.9Level 4.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
- Speech ClarityImportance 3.9Level 3.9Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
- Speech RecognitionImportance 3.8Level 3.9Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
- Mathematical ReasoningImportance 3.3Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
- Number FacilityImportance 3.1Level 3.6Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
- Selective AttentionImportance 3.1Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
- Visual Color DiscriminationImportance 3.1Level 3.0Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
- Fluency of IdeasImportance 3.0Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
- MemorizationImportance 3.0Level 3.0Level 4 looks like: Recite the first names of the five people you just met
- Perceptual SpeedImportance 3.0Level 3.0Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
- Time SharingImportance 3.0Level 3.1Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
- Far VisionImportance 2.9Level 3.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
- Flexibility of ClosureImportance 2.9Level 3.1Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
- Speed of ClosureImportance 2.8Level 3.0Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
- Manual DexterityImportance 2.6Level 2.4Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
- OriginalityImportance 2.6Level 3.0Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
- Arm-Hand SteadinessImportance 2.5Level 2.5Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
- Finger DexterityImportance 2.5Level 2.6Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
- Trunk StrengthImportance 2.1Level 2.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
- VisualizationImportance 2.1Level 2.4Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
- Auditory AttentionImportance 2.0Level 1.9Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
- Control PrecisionImportance 2.0Level 1.9Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
- Hearing SensitivityImportance 2.0Level 1.1Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
- Depth PerceptionImportance 1.9Level 0.9
- Wrist-Finger SpeedImportance 1.8Level 0.8
- Multilimb CoordinationImportance 1.6Level 1.3Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
- Extent FlexibilityImportance 1.4Level 0.8
- Gross Body CoordinationImportance 1.4Level 0.4
- StaminaImportance 1.4Level 0.4Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
- Static StrengthImportance 1.4Level 0.4Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
- Dynamic StrengthImportance 1.1Level —
- Dynamic FlexibilityImportance 1.0Level —
- Explosive StrengthImportance 1.0Level —
- Glare SensitivityImportance 1.0Level —
- Gross Body EquilibriumImportance 1.0Level —
- Night VisionImportance 1.0Level —
- Peripheral VisionImportance 1.0Level —
- Rate ControlImportance 1.0Level —
- Reaction TimeImportance 1.0Level —
- Response OrientationImportance 1.0Level —
- Sound LocalizationImportance 1.0Level —
- Spatial OrientationImportance 1.0Level —
- Speed of Limb MovementImportance 1.0Level —
Work activities
Kinds of activity the work is made of.
- Getting InformationImportance 4.6Level 5.6
- Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsImportance 4.6Level 5.2Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
- Assisting and Caring for OthersImportance 4.5Level 5.7
- Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeImportance 4.5Level 6.1Level 7 looks like: Learn information related to a complex and rapidly changing technology
- Documenting/Recording InformationImportance 4.4Level 4.6Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsImportance 4.4Level 5.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
- Providing Consultation and Advice to OthersImportance 4.4Level 5.2Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
- Working with ComputersImportance 4.4Level 3.4Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
Show all 41
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsImportance 4.3Level 5.0Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
- Processing InformationImportance 4.3Level 5.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesImportance 4.2Level 5.2Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
- Analyzing Data or InformationImportance 4.1Level 5.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersImportance 4.0Level 4.5Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
- Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicImportance 4.0Level 4.3Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkImportance 3.9Level 5.2Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
- Training and Teaching OthersImportance 3.9Level 5.3Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
- Developing and Building TeamsImportance 3.8Level 4.2Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsImportance 3.8Level 5.2Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsImportance 3.7Level 5.4Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
- Coaching and Developing OthersImportance 3.6Level 4.7Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
- Communicating with People Outside the OrganizationImportance 3.6Level 4.2Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of OthersImportance 3.6Level 3.8Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesImportance 3.5Level 4.7Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleImportance 3.5Level 4.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationImportance 3.3Level 3.5Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersImportance 3.3Level 3.9Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
- Developing Objectives and StrategiesImportance 3.2Level 4.0Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
- Scheduling Work and ActivitiesImportance 3.2Level 4.1Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsImportance 3.1Level 3.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
- Monitoring and Controlling ResourcesImportance 3.1Level 3.5Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
- Thinking CreativelyImportance 3.1Level 3.9Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
- Performing Administrative ActivitiesImportance 2.9Level 3.4Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
- Staffing Organizational UnitsImportance 2.9Level 3.6Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
- Handling and Moving ObjectsImportance 2.3Level 2.5Level 1 looks like: Change settings on copy machines
- Performing General Physical ActivitiesImportance 2.3Level 1.9Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
- Controlling Machines and ProcessesImportance 2.2Level 2.0Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
- Selling or Influencing OthersImportance 2.1Level 2.3Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentImportance 1.6Level 1.3Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentImportance 1.6Level 1.0Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentImportance 1.5Level 0.9Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentImportance 1.2Level —
Work context
The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.
Technology
21 toolsSoftware used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.
Hot (9)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Word
Other tools (12)
- Computer records systems
- Freedom MedTEACH
- Healthprolink MedAtlas
- Insurance claim processing software
- Label-making software
- Multitask software
- Pyxis MedStation software
- Recordkeeping software
- RxKinetics UD Labels for Windows
- TPNassist
- TTP LabTech comPOUND
- Web browser software
Related occupations
O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.
ESCO equivalents
From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.
Closest occupations
Compare any occupation →Other O*NET occupations whose importance ratings on the 35 skills both rate are nearest to this one's, with the biggest differences named. A plain rule, not a hidden score.
Physician Assistants
Average difference 0.2 points · Time Management −0.6, Science +0.5
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
Average difference 0.2 points · Instructing +0.8, Operation and Control +0.6
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
Naturopathic Physicians
Average difference 0.2 points · Time Management −0.8, Operations Analysis −0.7
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
General Internal Medicine Physicians
Average difference 0.2 points · Science +0.9, Time Management −0.8
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
Podiatrists
Average difference 0.2 points · Equipment Selection +1.2, Time Management −0.9
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
Nurse Practitioners
Average difference 0.2 points · Science +0.7, Management of Material Resources −0.6
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
Dietitians and Nutritionists
Average difference 0.2 points · Instructing +0.8, Learning Strategies +0.7
O*NET · Zone 5 · Compare
Landscape Architects
Average difference 0.2 points · Operations Analysis +1.2, Management of Financial Resources +0.8
O*NET · Zone 4 · Compare
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.