Post job

Pharmacist vs clinical pharmacist

The differences between pharmacists and clinical pharmacists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pharmacist has an average salary of $118,968, which is higher than the $94,705 average annual salary of a clinical pharmacist.

The top three skills for a pharmacist include patients, customer service and employee development. The most important skills for a clinical pharmacist are patients, patient care, and pharmd.

Pharmacist vs clinical pharmacist overview

PharmacistClinical Pharmacist
Yearly salary$118,968$94,705
Hourly rate$57.20$45.53
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs50,943101,564
Job satisfaction3.67-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Doctoral Degree, 45%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a pharmacist do?

Pharmacists are medical experts who distribute prescribed medications and immunizations to individuals. They are responsible for ensuring the quality of medicines supplied to patients, which should be within the law and prescribing only what is suitable to the condition of the user and provide proper knowledge on how to take them and possible reactions or side effects that may occur. Pharmacists could work in all environments where medications are used, or medication therapy is appraised as part of patients' care plan but most commonly in hospitals, community-based setting, and health systems.

What does a clinical pharmacist do?

A clinical pharmacist is responsible for offering high-quality health care services for the patients, especially on administering effective medications by evaluating the patient's health condition and checking medical history. Clinical pharmacists assist other medical professionals in developing treatment plans and pharmacy programs, educating the patients on appropriate medicine dosages, medicine intake instructions, and other activities that would help patients achieve their healthy lifestyle and wellness. They must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry, including appropriate treatments and procedures, to provide the best treatment options for the patients' needs and patiently respond to their inquiries and concerns.

Pharmacist vs clinical pharmacist salary

Pharmacists and clinical pharmacists have different pay scales, as shown below.

PharmacistClinical Pharmacist
Average salary$118,968$94,705
Salary rangeBetween $93,000 And $151,000Between $58,000 And $152,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CALos Angeles, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companySafewayEast Tennessee Children's Hospital
Best paying industryRetailHealth Care

Differences between pharmacist and clinical pharmacist education

There are a few differences between a pharmacist and a clinical pharmacist in terms of educational background:

PharmacistClinical Pharmacist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Doctoral Degree, 45%
Most common majorPharmacyPharmacy
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Pharmacist vs clinical pharmacist demographics

Here are the differences between pharmacists' and clinical pharmacists' demographics:

PharmacistClinical Pharmacist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 43.2% Female, 56.8%Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.6% Asian, 20.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.8% Asian, 21.4% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between pharmacist and clinical pharmacist duties and responsibilities

Pharmacist example responsibilities.

  • Perform diabetes interviews along with physician collaboration agreement to manage therapy and optimal goals.
  • Dose and manage all Vancomycin and Aminoglycoside antibiotics throughout the entire hospital including overseeing, evaluating, and ordering antibiotic labs.
  • Perform critical care and oncology medication therapy management reviews for all patients assign to both satellite pharmacies.
  • Assist with transition to new computer system pending start of permanent PIC.
  • Deliver approximately 20K prescriptions per day to patients through budgeting Dr. Andy Nguyen, Pharm.
  • Provide small-group formal educational presentations for cardiac rehabilitation patients.
  • Show more

Clinical pharmacist example responsibilities.

  • Train, manage and instruct pharmacy technicians, interns, and PharmD candidates on clinical rotations.
  • Dose and manage all Vancomycin and Aminoglycoside antibiotics throughout the entire hospital including overseeing, evaluating, and ordering antibiotic labs.
  • Receive and verify drug orders from physicians using computerize physician order entry system, including cancer chemotherapy orders.
  • Implement updated pediatric chemotherapy-induce nausea and vomiting (CINV) guidelines and policy for use in all pediatric patients receiving chemotherapy.
  • Provide clinical assistance to the RPh staff in addition to case processing.
  • Maintain sterile product manufacturing processes to comply with federal, state and local regulations and JCAHO standards.
  • Show more

Pharmacist vs clinical pharmacist skills

Common pharmacist skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Employee Development, 8%
  • Allergies, 6%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Drug Therapy, 5%
Common clinical pharmacist skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • PharmD, 7%
  • Medication Orders, 5%
  • Pharmaceutical Care, 4%
  • Drug Therapy, 4%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs