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What is a director of pharmacist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Chasity Shelton PharmD, FCCP, FNAP, BCPS, BCPPS
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A director of pharmacist oversees the pharmacy department of a healthcare organization. They manage staff, ensure regulatory compliance, develop policies, and supervise the dispensation of medications. They work with healthcare professionals to ensure patients receive safe and effective medications. A director of pharmacist also manages budgets and resources and implements initiatives to improve patient outcomes. They have leadership skills, extensive knowledge of pharmacy practice, and the ability to keep up with changing regulations and technology.

What general advice would you give to a director of pharmacist?

Chasity Shelton PharmD, FCCP, FNAP, BCPS, BCPPSChasity Shelton PharmD, FCCP, FNAP, BCPS, BCPPS LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Professor, Website

To maximize your salary potential when starting your career in pharmacy, I would advise someone to start by exploring salary trends within the various career paths for pharmacy. Some geographic locations offer more competitive salaries, and some specialized areas of pharmacy can also increase your earning potential. Staying abreast of the evolving pharmacy healthcare environment can inform you of the need to seek out advanced education or additional certifications. Continuously upgrading your skills and knowledge can make you more valuable to employers which can command a higher salary. Also, building and leveraging your professional network will help you identify hidden job opportunities.
ScoreDirector Of PharmacistUS Average
Salary
6.9

Avg. Salary $88,811

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 12.69%

Black or African American 6.61%

Hispanic or Latino 9.93%

Unknown 5.19%

White 65.37%

Gender

female 36.87%

male 63.13%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a director of pharmacist?

Pros

  • Opportunity for career advancement

  • Flexible work schedule

  • Job stability

  • Continuing education opportunities

  • Ability to work in a variety of settings

Cons

  • Long hours

  • Significant responsibility and accountability

  • Difficult personnel decisions

  • Potential for legal liability issues

  • Requires advanced education and training

Director of pharmacist career paths

Key steps to become a director of pharmacist

  1. Explore director of pharmacist education requirements

    Most common director of pharmacist degrees

    Bachelor's

    62.3 %

    Doctorate

    21.3 %

    Master's

    11.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of pharmacist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients17.16%
    Patient Care8.47%
    Hospital Pharmacy5.89%
    Oversight5.60%
    Health System4.11%
  3. Complete relevant director of pharmacist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of pharmacist learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of pharmacist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of pharmacist resumes.
  4. Gain additional director of pharmacist certifications

    Director of pharmacist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific director of pharmacist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for directors of pharmacist include Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research director of pharmacist duties and responsibilities

    • Store and secure third party and Medicaid prescriptions and manage adjudication reviews.
    • Provide clinical pharmacy and outcomes methodology support to state Medicaid programs, PBMS and manage care organizations.
    • Manage average-sized independent pharmacy and provide marketing and professional support to staff leading to quality growth in RX & dollar volume.
    • Establish a pharmacy automate dispensing system (PYXIS) in the facility which are previously utilizing a manual cart filling system.
  6. Get director of pharmacist experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a director of pharmacist. The most common roles before becoming a director of pharmacist include staff pharmacist, pharmacist team lead and pharmacist manager.
  7. Prepare your director of pharmacist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of pharmacist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of pharmacist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director of pharmacist resume templates

    Build a professional director of pharmacist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of pharmacist resume.
    Director Of Pharmacist Resume
    Director Of Pharmacist Resume
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    Director Of Pharmacist Resume
  8. Apply for director of pharmacist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of pharmacist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first director of pharmacist job

Zippi

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Average director of pharmacist salary

The average director of pharmacist salary in the United States is $88,811 per year or $43 per hour. Director of pharmacist salaries range between $54,000 and $143,000 per year.

Average director of pharmacist salary
$88,811 Yearly
$42.70 hourly

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Director of pharmacist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Cons

Typical pharmacist complaints like tired legs, stress, etc. Terrible work-life balance. You make a good amount of money, sure, but there's a point where money doesn't bring happiness like it used to.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Cons

i like everything. theres nothing i dont like.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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