Pharmacist vs. Pharmacologist: What Makes Them Different?
The importance of pharmacists extends beyond dispensing prescription medications to patients of all ages. Pharmacists explain interactions between multiple medications, support public health efforts, and provide preventative care. These services aren’t always available in every community due to staff shortages, with 40% of counties labeled as pharmacy deserts in a 2021 report.
More pharmacists are needed for continued access to lifesaving or life-improving medications. Aspiring pharmacists may need clarification about the difference between pharmacists and pharmacologists while researching degree options. Let’s look at the differences between these two paths and why a career as a pharmacist may be right for you.
What Does a Pharmacist Do?
Pharmacists can work in a variety of settings, including community pharmacies, health systems, outpatient clinics, compounding pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry, and more! In the community setting, the pharmacist’s primary responsibility is the safe distribution of medications to their patients. They consult with physicians and other healthcare providers who have prescriptive authority and review patient records to determine potentially harmful interactions between medications. This information shapes instructions on dosage, timing, and what to avoid while taking prescribed drugs. Knowing what health conditions a patient has and what medications a patient takes also help the pharmacist make safe and effective recommendations regarding self-care and the use of over-the-counter medications.
Pharmacists are also responsible for managing staff and providing community health services. They ensure high-quality service from pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns through hands-on supervision. Depending on the community pharmacy settings, pharmacists can conduct tests such as those for influenza, COVID-19, strep throat, and more, and teams of pharmacy professionals can also provide immunizations and conduct health check-ups in their communities.
Additional responsibilities for pharmacists include records, billing, and inventory management. The pharmacist’s share of these tasks may depend on where they work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that approximately 42% of pharmacists work in a community setting to provide these important services. Look for future posts on the roles of pharmacists in a variety of other settings!
- Learn more with What Can You Do with a Doctor of Pharmacy?
What Does a Pharmacologist Do?
The main distinction between pharmacists and pharmacologists is their place in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (ASCPT) notes that “pharmacologists are physicians, pharmacists, and scientists whose focus is developing and understanding new drug therapies.” In short, pharmacists typically work in public-facing roles and pharmacologists work behind the scenes.
Pharmacologists research how drugs interact with human biology. These studies examine drug effectiveness, side effects, and optimal dosage. Researchers achieve these goals by:
- Overseeing clinical studies of newly developed drugs
- Developing recommendations for drug utilization
- Analyzing aggregated real-world data
- Pursuing grants and institutional support for continued research
- Leading teams of clinical technicians and researchers
The typical workplaces for pharmacologists are laboratories and universities. Pharmaceutical companies and independent clinical labs employ pharmacologists for product development. Pharmacologists may also find roles as lecturers and university researchers as they complete their Ph.D. programs.
Choosing Between Pharmacist and Pharmacologist Careers
The differences in job responsibilities aren’t the only distinctions between pharmacists and pharmacologists. Aspiring professionals need to complete different educational paths and certifications before practice. There are also differences in annual salary and public familiarity with the roles.
Education and Licensure
Aspiring pharmacists complete four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs after completing their undergraduate degrees or pre-professional course work. PharmD graduates must pass the six-hour, 225-question North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) before state licensure. State licensing boards each set requirements for licensure; for example, Ohio also requires applicants to:
- Pass the 120-question Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE)
- Complete 1,500 hours of supervised internship with a licensed pharmacist
- Pass a criminal background check
The clinical research focus of the pharmacologist career path may be obtained through the PharmD degree, but it may also be achieved through the completion of a Ph.D. and a post-doctoral fellowship. Additional education may be necessary for state licensure, especially for professionals overseeing clinical trials. Pharmacologists can pursue certifications through organizations like the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology (ABCP) to build on these educational achievements.
Salary
It is worthwhile to consider potential salary as part of the return on investment in graduate education. The advanced education required for pharmacist and pharmacologist roles translates into above-average salaries compared to other professionals. Pharmacist salaries far exceed those earned by pharmacologists based on BLS data.
The median salary for a pharmacist in 2023 was $136,030. The BLS found that the top 10 percent of earners reported salaries north of $168,650. Pharmacists working within general retail locations reported a median salary of $141,880.
There isn’t standalone salary information about pharmacologists through the BLS. This profession fits within the bureau’s medical scientist category, which featured a $100,890 median salary in 2023. Scientists working in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing earned median salaries of $109,680.
Public Trust
Pharmacists and pharmacologists make major impacts on public health through their work. The general public is more familiar with pharmacists due to frequent interactions with the profession. While pharmacologists don’t come up much in professional rankings as it is a niche role and often rolled into pharmacist statistics, they work in one of the most popular and trusted careers.
U.S. News & World Report ranked pharmacists in its 100 Best Jobs and Best Health Care Jobs for 2023. An annual Gallup poll of the most trusted professions placed pharmacists third behind nurses and medical doctors in 2023. You can break into this esteemed profession with a PharmD from a trusted institution like the University of Findlay.
Earn Your Distance PharmD at the University of Findlay
The University of Findlay’s innovative Distance PharmD prepares students with science or medical backgrounds for careers as pharmacists. Qualified applicants have completed a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 60 undergraduate credit hours. Prerequisite courses ranging from calculus to organic chemistry are required for all applicants, and those without a bachelor’s degree will also be required to complete 18 hours of general education coursework prior to beginning the Distance PharmD program. This full-time program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
Distance PharmD candidates complete virtual and in-person learning over four years. Experienced faculty members lead dynamic online courses and challenge students with project work. Courses like Introduction to Physical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics build the foundations for successful pharmacy careers.
A dedicated placement team helps Distance PharmD students identify experiential learning rotations in their communities. The program’s Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences require 300 hours of supervised training by licensed pharmacists over three years. Additionally, there are 1,440-hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences in the final year of study that covers practice areas including:
- Ambulatory Patient Care
- Community Practice
- Hospital/Health System Pharmacy
- Inpatient General Medicine
The Distance PharmD primarily focuses on training the next generation of pharmacists. Degree candidates can make their degrees more versatile by pursuing dual-degree options. The University of Findlay makes it possible to combine a PharmD with an MBA or MS in Health Informatics.