Is a pharmacist a doctor?

Question

Here's a question for those in the medical field-
Is a pharmacist a doctor? I heard they do not go through all of the training a doctor would but they still go to med school. My friend says a pharmacist IS a doctor, but I think she is wrong. What is the right answer???

Answer 1

A Pharmacist is NOT a medical doctor..but a Pharmacist can get a PhD and get the title of "Doctor"...A pharmacist is well versed in diseases and the different types of drugs their interactions etc...so in a way they know quite a bit....or they're supposed to.

Answer 2

hmmm well im studying pharmacy and yes i hate it. i hate it so much that its the one thing that made me change my mind about the word 'regret' lol enama when you come to think of it, its not that bad. its the studying in this country thats bad. well if you want to study for the rest of your life (and you really do have to) then become a doctor. medicine is always changing and re-newing, so you'll always need to study and catch up. Its a very serious job so if you're not that big on stress, then its not a good idea. Pharmacy is awesome if you want to be a doctor but want to go through all the stress and insane hours. The pay is great as well. im shocked your pharmacist said that, because its quite well known that pharmacists are big on money, in the US and Canada at least... The studying is horrible and it drives you crazy enama in the end its not that bad. you get to learn a lot of the things you'd learn in medicine but then you start concentrating on the drugs themseleves that do all the work and how they work aslan. now that's coool! and you dont have to just sell medicine. my dad used to make fun of me when i first started and said that i'll end up being a medical ba2ala (medical grocer) but thats definately not what im planning on doing with my life. I beleive a pharmacist's job is to find cures, find new drugs good for use and discover more interactions between drugs, so you can work at some pharmaceutical company in research or something, (my plan). last but definately not least, check out the schools you are thinking of going to. which is better for medicine and pharmacy? check your options and pray estekhara. and asking around is a great idea. i wish i had one that before i started my studies. ask more doctors and pharmacists, they have way more experience than anyone else here here on Y!A and will probably open your eyes to things we dont even know yet

Answer 3

No, although an actual pharmacist not a pharmacist assistant has to go to school for 6 years too. He does not have a degree in Medicine. He cannot give medical advice, especially with HIPPA law in effect. A good pharmacist, knows his customers and mine always checks any new drugs prescribed to me against my medical history, to make sure I won't have a diabetic reaction to it. They must pass a State Board Certification Test and they have to take chemistry and biology along with the courses to be a pharmicist...interesting thing though the pharmacist has to renew his certification (in Texas every 5 years) every so often but a doctor doesn't...I always found that odd. He also has to take a course on medical transcriptions so he can read the Doctors RX's. They get paid well, and it's a busy job so I imagine the day goes quickly. Rather be a teacher though, if I make a mistake, I'm just embarrassed for a few days, he makes a mistake someone could die. Too stressful for me.
Your friend is wrong. 6 years of school yes, but they don't have 3 years internship, 4 years as a resident, before they can practice on their own. If she really thinks this...why does she pay the doctor and then pay the pharmacist when she gives him the prescription that she paid the doctor for??? Kinda an oxymoron isn't it.

Tell her to go here for the studies and qualifications for a pharmacist http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm and then on the same site go to this page to see the difference between a Doctor of Medicine and a Pharmacist. Or she could ask her Doctor, I'm sure he (in between, bouts of laughter) would explain the world to her. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm I know it says Physicians and Surgeons but don't let the Ph at the beginning fool her.

Answer 4

A pharmacist is a doctor in that they have a degree giving them a doctorate. This means they have taken additional education to enable them to provide a very specialized service to people. They cannot prescribe medication. They cannot diagnose patients diseases or injuries. They are very simply put, highly trained professionals who have a doctorate degree. The same as many professors in colleges or universities have degrees in there areas of expertise.

Answer 5

a 'doctor' is synonymous with a Doctorate of Medicine.....which a Pharmacist is not. Most pharmacy graduates have a PharmD (doctor of Pharmacy) degree, but there are still many that have a bachelor's in Pharmacy.

Some pharmacists in academia and hospital settings like to be called 'doctor' as is their right I suppose. The Pharmacists I work with (myself included) go by first names.

Answer 6

A pharmacist is not a physician, but many pharmacists, particularly those working in hospitals, hold terminal degrees in their field. Although pharmacists do not diagnose or treat patients the way physicians do, they are the medical experts on medications and their interactions and management.

Answer 7

A "doctor" is a person who has earned a Doctorate at a university. So they could be a Doctor of Philosophy - which really means a "Doctor of Learning" so that coveres all the different academic subjects like history, biology, English, French, etc. Most college professors are PhDs

Also, they could have a Doctor of Science degree in some specialized science, or a Juris Doctor - that is a doctor of legal studies, -- many attorneys are JDs. or a Doctor of Dental Medicine, or a Doctor of Podiatry - dentist or foot doctor.

Pharmacists in the USA earn Doctor of Pharmacy or PharmD degrees - it takes the same length of studies as to be a Doctor of Medicine or MD - what we would call a "physician" or "surgeon".

So, yes, Pharmacists are "Doctors" but they are not "physicians."

Answer 8

The term doctor is a general term for anyone who has a doctorate. A doctor can be a person with a PhD, PharmD, DDS, MD, JD, DPT, doctor of nursing, etc.
Most pharmacists with PharmDs do not like to be called doctor. You'll see PharmDs being called doctor in academia.
Some physicians would like you to think they have a monopoly on the title doctor.

Answer 9

the pharmacist and the doctor are two different jobs but in many countries the pharmacist has the title doctor
the pharmacist know more than the doctor about drugs
and the pharmacist could answer a lot of questions about your health

Answer 10

A Pharmacist has a Degree to dispense and prepare medical drugs, while a Doctor is some who has a Degree which qualifies him to attend to someone's medical needs,identify an illness, and prescribe medication when necessary.