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Pharmacist

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.

Author Bets Davis, MFA
Editor Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Last Updated August 25, 2008

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: August 25, 2008
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.