Pharmacists are on the front lines of health care as medicines revolutionize the way we treat and manage diseases and other conditions. As the number of powerful and complex medications available increases, physicians and patients increasingly turn to pharmacists as the drug-information experts.

The demand for well-educated pharmacists has exploded in recent years thanks to the rapid growth of the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Pharmacists earn good salaries, and Americans consider them to be among the most trusted and respected of all professionals.

What does it take to be a pharmacist? Watch this video and Let our students and alumni tell you about their profession and their education.

If you have an aptitude for science and math and a desire to help people get well, we can help you start your career as a pharmacist. Our professional education program offers the doctor of pharmacy, or PharmD, degree. The PharmD is neither an undergraduate degree (such as a BS or BA) nor a graduate degree (such as an MS, MBA, or PhD). The doctor of pharmacy is a professional degree for pharmacists similar to the doctor of medicine (MD) for physicians or a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) for dentists. The PharmD program requires four years to complete along with an additional two years of prerequisite coursework.

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy boasts one of the nation’s leading PharmD programs, combining rigorous coursework with applied learning opportunities from drug discovery to patient care. Practice experiences, coordinated through the Professional Experience Program ensures that each student develops the technical skills, communication skills, professional judgment, and clinical competency required of professional pharmacists.