Pharmacists are partners on healthcare teams by dispensing prescription medications to patients and offering their expertise in the safe use of prescriptions. Pharmacists hold a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. A degree in pharmacy can be applied toward direct work in a retail pharmacy environment, but many pharmacists now work in hospitals, healthcare facilities, research environments and in teaching. Currently 58% of all pharmacists are working in a retail environment and 26% work in hospitals. In the U.S. the American Pharmacists Association is the main organization supporting individuals in pharmacy.
Prerequisites: The academic requirements for admission to pharmacy school generally include courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, anatomy/physiology, microbiology, physics, calculus, psychology or sociology, and statistics. A complete list of course prerequisites by school can be found at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy website.

Major: Students who are interested in going to pharmacy school typically will pursue Biology Option C-4, Pre-Pharmacy or Chemistry Option C, Biochemistry as their undergraduate major.

Admission to pharmacy school also requires the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). The PCAT has the following sections: Writing, Biological Processes, Chemical Processes, Critical Reading, Quantitative Reasoning. Not all schools require the PCAT, so you will need to consult a specific program for its admissions requirement.

Pre-pharmacy students will apply through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). Currently there are 9 colleges and schools of pharmacy in Texas, as listed on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. Programs outside of Texas are listed on the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

To be considered for admission students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. Competitive scores for the PCAT are 40 or higher, with a PCAT writing score of 3.0 or greater.