The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognised university. In most countries this involves a four-year course to attain a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree.

Qualifications

In Britain, integration with the European Union has resulted in the BPharm course being superseded by a four-year course for the qualification Master of Pharmacy (MPharm). In Australia, apart from the four-year BPharm course, there is the option of a postgraduate 2-year MPharm course for those with undergraduate science degree.

In the United States, pharmacists complete a two-year pre-pharmacy undergraduate program. Following that, the pharmacist will then complete a four year pharmacy program. They will be awarded a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree upon completion of the program. Then a pharmacist will complete an optional post-graduate residency or otherwise enter into the pharmacy practice of their choice, ex. hospital, compounding, nuclear, hospice, community, retail, etc. In the United States, people must pass the Naplex exam and an additional state exam before they can acquire a license to practice pharmacy in that state. It was created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP).

Pharmacists are trained in fields including pharmacology, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy practice (including drug interactions, medicine monitoring, medication management), pharmaceutics, pharmacy law, physiology, anatomy and biochemistry.