I have a question about the education that a pharmacist must receive?

Question

I am a student whose major is pharmacy in China Pharmaceutical university , I want to be a pharmicist in the U.S.A in the future so I am preparing GRE and try to get a master's degree,but recently I hear about that students who graduate after 2004 as with a B.S degree can not enter the pharmacist license exam , only those who have the Pharm.D degree can , is that true ? If i transfer to a pharmacy school of United states and get a B.s of pharmacy here , can i take the pharmacist license exam ? thank you !!!

Answer 1

Pharmacy schools in the United States stopped granting BS degrees about 10 years ago. Now all Colleges of Pharmacy in the USA grant the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. THis degree takes four years of study, including many hours - usually 1500 hours -- of internship under the direct supervision of a Registered Pharmacist. After the degree is granted and the internship is completed, then the students must take a difficulty licensing exam which tests both their technical knowledge of biochemical science, their familiarity with US drugs and their knowledge of the US drug laws.

The laws for licensing are different for each ofthe 50 states, so it might be possible to sit for a licensing exam in some states with only an accredited BS. But you would have to comply with all aspects of the law.

Start by looking at the website of the Association of American Colleges of Pharmacy. They have a lot of information and links to all the accredited pharm schools in the USA. You can check with the pharm schools in the states where you were thinking of living, and see whether they can suggest a plan.

Answer 2

If you graduated with a foreign 4 year BS pharmacy degree after January 2003, the degree is not equivalent, and you will not be allowed to sit for any exams. Pharmacy majors take the PCAT, not the GRE. You can only take that exam in the U.S. or Canada. The B.S. pharmacy degree has not been offered for several years. You have to get a PharmD.