Have you ever considered becoming a pharmacist? The COVID-19 pandemic is driving the demand for pharmacists as society sees their importance on the healthcare teams and beyond.
Now is a great time to become a pharmacist
You might have the wrong idea about what pharmacists can do and what opportunities exist. A New York Times article published January 2021 indicates a booming job market for pharmacists. The article, “With Vaccines in More Drugstores, Pharmacies Go on Hiring Sprees,” states that the job market for pharmacists and support staff is booming. Concordia University School of Pharmacy is seeing this play out for current pharmacy students.
“Employers reach out routinely and want to hire our students and graduates. We have current students who have already committed to pharmacist positions after they graduate in May. And we have students who are working as pharmacy technicians or interns while they are in school,” said Dr. Melissa Theesfeld, Director of Experiential Education. She added, “Continued efforts to vaccinate patients and expand pharmacists’ roles means that employment options will also continue to grow.”
The demand for pharmacists is increasing
With the demand of pharmacists increasing, now is a great time to pursue a career in pharmacy. The roles of a pharmacist continue to change and evolve. More patient interaction and higher demand in hospitals has been evident.
“Back in 2019 the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a slight decline in all pharmacists’ roles in 2019-2029, but a lot has shifted since then so that may be changing. They also projected an increased demand of pharmacists in certain settings such as hospitals and clinics which we are seeing. I think the demand of pharmacists will continue to grow in the profession as roles evolve and people understand the impact pharmacists have on public health and on healthcare teams. I believe this is just the beginning of the upswing in pharmacy.” said Kaylan Gaines, Director of Recruitment & Admissions at the school of pharmacy.
Interested in applying? Concordia School of Pharmacy’s application deadline is June 1.
The path to pharmacy school is straightforward
Did you know that you don’t need a bachelor’s degree to become a pharmacist? Concordia requires only 64 credits of pre-requisites to begin pharmacy school. “Most of our students completed their pre-pharmacy coursework in 2 or 3 years of undergraduate study” said admissions director Kaylan Gaines, “With our manageable 4-year PharmD program, we believe balance & flexibility are the key to success.
We’ve made it convenient for students to get all the classwork and fieldwork done efficiently while still having time for them to build their pharmacy network. We are proud to see our students graduate with a strong career and a nice salary.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a median wage for pharmacists over $125,000.
Are you feeling inspired?
Would you like more information? Contact admissions at pharmacy@cuw.edu. Learn more by exploring our pharmacy info page here.
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