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Updated
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How How long did it takes you to get into Pharmacy?
I wanna know how long will it take to get into this field.
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5 answers
Updated
Christopher’s Answer
A person interested in a pharmacy career can get a start by completing training in a pharmacy technician program ( usually 12-18 months) and take the PTCB exam ( national certification test for technicians). Pharmacy tech programs usually include pharmacy calculations, medical terminology, top 200 brand/generic drugs, introductory pharmacology, and usually a externship where student is placed in actual pharmacy practice settings to gain entry level experience. Jobs available after completion range from retail, hospital, specialty, closed door mail order, it really comes down to your experience and learning to network within the pharmacy community to land the better jobs. If a person wants to pursue a pharmacy degree they will have to complete a undergraduate degree. In some cases they may be able skip finishing a B.A. degree and instead complete pharmacy school pre-requisite course work ( most pharmacy schools require ( Inorganic chemistry w/lab 2 semester, Organic chemistry w/ lab 2 semesters, Biology, Micro-Biology w/ labs, Anatomy & Physiology w/ labs, Physics, Calculus, English composition and possibly others based on admissions critera).Most pharmacy schools will also require the PCAT entrance exam with undergrad pre-requisite course work. The Doctor of Pharmacy has become the entry level pharmacy degree and most schools are 4 year programs and some 3 year programs with not many breaks in between. After graduating pharmacy school you must take the NAPLEX and pharmacy law exam to become a licensed pharmacist or in most states a registered pharmacist. More and more you are seeing students complete additional training or residencies post pharmacy school adding 1-2 more years and sitting for additional pharmacy board certification exams for designated specialty areas of pharmacy practice. The answer is it can take 6-8 years depending on the route you choose. Hopefully, this will help answer your question and give you an idea of time frames.
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Nathan’s Answer
It depends on what you want to do, but at the very minimum, if you’re wanting to start and work your way up, you could be a customer service clerk who only rings people out at the register. The next thing you could do is become a technician in training. This allows you time to work as a technician and learn hands on training. You could also study and take your test and pass and then start in the pharmacy. If you’re wanting to become a pharmacist, you will have to go to college for 6-8 years.
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Kalkidan’s Answer
Depending on where you are and the level of your study it will take a minimum - maximum of 4-8 years.
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Mehak’s Answer
After graduating high school, you can complete a bachelor's in pre-pharmacy or biology/chemistry major. Some pharmacy schools require a bachelor's degree, and some don't (you can meet the prerequisites that take about 2-3 years). Once you get into the pharmacy school, it will take four years to become a pharmacist. Some people do residency or fellowships after PharmD (depending on the specialty area of pharmacy practice), which can take about 1-2 years.
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Dinah’s Answer
It can take around 6-8 years of school to become a pharmacist, if that is what you want to do. You can do your pre-reqs for two years and then apply to pharmacy school or do your undergraduate (4 years) and then pharmacy school (3 to 4 years). You can start by applying to become a pharmacy technician and get the feel about pharmacy. After pharmacy school, you can do a pharmacy residency or fellowship, which can be another 1 to 2 years after all that schooling. So if you factor in residency or fellowship, it can be 9-10 years all together.