1. BY: RICHIE SERRANO Pharmacist

2. Interviews Both pharmacists I interviewed said that they love their job and would recommend it to others Bill, a pharmacist at Kroger, has been a pharmacist for 30 years Melissa, a pharmacist at Wal-Mart, has been a pharmacist for 7 ½ years They are both classified as doctors of Pharmacy

3. What is a Pharmacist The pharmacists I talked to said their main duties were: dispensing prescription medications to patients and offer advice on their safe use. Answer any questions that customers have and explain how to use medications. Re-filling prescriptions

4. Duties Duties of Pharmacists include: Fill prescriptions Check whether the prescription will interact negatively Instruct patients Advise patients on potential side effects Advise patients about general health topics would be best for a health problem Complete insurance forms and work with insurance companies Oversee the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists in training Keep records Teach other healthcare practitioners

5. Education The pharmacist at Kroger, Bill, said that he would recommend attending a Community college first and then transferring to Pharmacy school Melissa said there are about three years worth of course work that needs to be completed. She also said that the last year of pharmacy school is mostly rotating to different pharmacy settings Pharmacy programs require postsecondary courses like chemistry, biology, and anatomy 2-3 years of undergraduate studies Pharm.D. programs usually take 4 years to finish Pharm.D. programs include courses in pharmacology and medical ethics, and supervised work in different settings

6. Licensure/Certification Must pass the IL Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) Must pass the NAPLEX, or North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) Certificate needed 1500 Hours required practice Must have official transcript with official seal submitted by school directly to Board with translation

7. Work Environment There are several different types of work environments including: Pharmacists and drug stores Hospitals Grocery stores Department stores Other general merchandise stores Bill said that there is usually a steady flow of customers throughout the day although there can be periods of down time.

8. SALARY BY STATE SALARY BY EXPERIENCE Melissa Said that Pay can depend on what type of pharmacist you are. Retail Pays higher but the hours are less flexible Starting salary for retail= 90-100k In retail, a full shift is usually 13 hours The expected growth rate is 25% from 2010-2020

9. Skills/ Personal Characteristics After talking with the other pharmacists I learned that the main skills a pharmacist needs are: People skills Like working with people Being able to communicate with others Being able to think critically Making sure everything is 100% accurate PATIENCE!!!

10. Organizations Melissa said that she belonged to the following organizations: The American Pharmacists Association The Illinois Pharmacists Association

11. Works Cited "Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012.. "Pharmacist Salary." - Pharmacist Salaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012..