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What is a pharmacist consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Antoine Al-Achi Ph.D.
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Consultant pharmacists are the most senior pharmacists at a hospital or drug store. They advise patients on their medication use, prescribe drugs as needed, and oversee other pharmacists' activities in the workplace. Consultant pharmacists may consult with pharmacists in different locations like hospitals and clinics.

As a consultant pharmacist, you may choose to specialize in geriatrics, pediatrics, or other medical fields. However, your duties will often overlap, and you can attend to patients with conditions that aren't your specialty.

Since consultant pharmacists have to consult with many different professionals, they often need a broad understanding. Thus, advanced degrees, certifications, and years of experience are requirements for landing a consultant pharmacist position. These professionals need analytical, technical, and leadership skills to perform their jobs effectively.

What general advice would you give to a pharmacist consultant?

Antoine Al-Achi Ph.D.Antoine Al-Achi Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Pharmaceutics and Biomedical Sciences Track-Head/Industrial Pharmacy (Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences), Campbell University

The premise behind biomedical science is to provide knowledge and applications in areas that directly affect people's health and life. Thus, keeping that in their mind while doing their daily tasks is of utmost importance.
ScorePharmacist ConsultantUS Average
Salary
6.3

Avg. Salary $80,637

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 19.66%

Black or African American 7.69%

Hispanic or Latino 5.80%

Unknown 4.02%

White 62.65%

Gender

female 54.30%

male 45.70%

Age - 40
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 - 40
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Pharmacist consultant career paths

Key steps to become a pharmacist consultant

  1. Explore pharmacist consultant education requirements

    Most common pharmacist consultant degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.4 %

    Doctorate

    28.6 %

    Master's

    6.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific pharmacist consultant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients15.03%
    Therapy Management7.92%
    Federal Regulations4.94%
    Drug Therapy4.61%
    Patient Care4.28%
  3. Complete relevant pharmacist consultant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pharmacist consultants 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 pharmacist consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pharmacist consultant resumes.
  4. Research pharmacist consultant duties and responsibilities

    • Review and manage the medication regimens of long term care facility and assist living facility patients.
    • Dose and manage all Vancomycin and Aminoglycoside antibiotics throughout the entire hospital including overseeing, evaluating, and ordering antibiotic labs.
    • Identify adverse effects, including allergies and drug interactions.
    • Provide consultant pharmacist services for ltc assist living residential subacute group homes etc.
  5. Prepare your pharmacist consultant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pharmacist consultant 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 pharmacist consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable pharmacist consultant resume templates

    Build a professional pharmacist consultant 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 pharmacist consultant resume.
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    Pharmacist Consultant Resume
    Pharmacist Consultant Resume
    Pharmacist Consultant Resume
  6. Apply for pharmacist consultant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a pharmacist consultant 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 pharmacist consultant job

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Average pharmacist consultant salary

The average pharmacist consultant salary in the United States is $80,637 per year or $39 per hour. Pharmacist consultant salaries range between $45,000 and $141,000 per year.

Average pharmacist consultant salary
$80,637 Yearly
$38.77 hourly

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How do pharmacist consultants rate their job?

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Pharmacist consultant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Cons

It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Pay is fair for a starting pharmacist (CVS). The technicians are alright. 401K Helping people (and I really mean it).

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
Pros

it helps a lot. i really needed this.

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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