What is a Pharmacist?
Pharmacists are medication experts who are involved in all aspects of medicine delivery to patients. They dispense prescriptions, ensure medicines are correct, prevent harmful drug interactions, and counsel patients on the appropriate use of their medications.
They are responsible for advising patients about medicines, including how to take them, what reactions may occur, and answering questions leading to the best results and quality of life for a particular patient.
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Pharmacist Career Paths
A pharmacy career is a diverse profession, with numerous opportunities for patient care, scientific research, and innovation. A Pharmacist can work in a variety of medical, retail, administrative, and academic platforms. Those might include:
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Supply Chain Manager
- Pharmacist In-Charge
Skills & Qualifications for Pharmacist
A Pharmacist requires life-long learning to keep up to date with new drugs and treatments. They also need to have a strong knowledge of legislation and professional codes of practice.
Here are the skills and qualifications required to become a Pharmacist:
- A pharmacist must have enough knowledge regarding their subject to dispense and manage medications, educate patients on the correct usage of drugs and potential drug side effects.
- They must have analytical skills and a keen researcher in pharmacy to stay up-to-date about information regarding the drugs they are dispensing.
- They must be skilled at communicating safety instructions, potential side effects, and giving general advice.
- Pharmacists should follow ethical practice. They should be confidential about patient information.
Pharmacist Duties and Responsibilities
For performing duties and responsibilities, a pharmacist must have a degree in Pharmacy which provides them with an understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of drugs, drug uses, therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters.
Pharmacist duties and responsibilities include:
- Maintaining the quality of medicines supplied to patients.
- Making sure that the supply of drugs is within the law.
- Giving the right advice for medicine prescribed to patients are suitable.
- Consulting patients about intake of medicine, what reactions may occur, and answering patients’ questions.
- Supervising the medicines supply chain and ensure pharmacy premises and systems are fit for the purpose.
Average Pharmacist Salary in India
The average Pharmacist salary in India is ₹256,524, based on their experience, skills, gender, or location.
Parameters Affects Pharmacist Salary in India
Pharmacists play a significant role in getting the best results from their medications given their familiarity with the medicinal ingredients and cautions. In addition to filling prescriptions from doctors, pharmacists they give appropriate suggestion for each patient and identify any errors by physicians in prescribing medication to patients.
Here are a few key parameters which affects the Pharmacist salaries in India:
1. Experience Affects Pharmacist Salaries in India
Yes, experience level is the prominent factor in determining the salary. More years of experience means higher wages.
An entry-level Pharmacist with less than 02 years of experience can expect to earn an average of ₹21,900/month. A pharmacist with 2-5 years of experience earns an average total compensation of ₹30,200/month.
A mid-career Pharmacist with 5-10 years of experience earns an average total compensation of ₹43,000/month. An experienced Pharmacist with 15-20+ years of experience can earn ranging from ₹50,000-60,000/month in India.
2. Skills Affects Pharmacist Salaries in India
Pharmacists should possess skills like Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to plan, monitor, review, and evaluate patient effectiveness. A pharmacist is skilled enough in recommending drug therapy changes when needed. They are qualified to perform simple healthcare procedures like taking your blood pressure and temperature, testing your blood sugar levels, and checking your cholesterol.
Here are the lists of skills that can affect your salary-
- Clinical Research
- Pharmacotherapy
- Oncology
- Operations Management
- Long Term Care
- Pharmaceutical Production
- Inventory Management
- Patient Counseling
- Mail Order Pharmacy
- Oral/Verbal Communication
3. Location Affects Pharmacist Salaries in India
A pharmacist working in New Delhi tops the list in earnings when compared to the National average. The average earning of Pharmacist in New Delhi is 16.1% more followed by Pune, Maharashtra with 12.5 % more, and Bangalore, Karnataka with 11.4% more.
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (15.4% less), and Chennai, Tamil Nadu (0.9% less) bags the lowest spot in earning.
4. Pharmacist Salary Comparison by Employer
In India, major community pharmacists work in large retail chains or independent pharmacies of various sizes. Others work at small or medium-sized chain stores, and health centers. We are the largest provider of generic medicines, holding a market share of 20% to worldwide supply by volume and meets virtually 60% of the vaccine requirement globally.
The top recruiters of Pharmaceutical Company in India are- Apollo Group Inc, Medplus, Inc., and Apollo Hospitals. At Medplus Inc, the average pay is ₹255,000. Apollo Group, Inc. pays the lowest at around ₹153,600.
5. Pharmacist Salary Comparison by Education
The salary for pharmacists varies based on their educational qualifications. A highly qualified person will earn more. So here we have differentiated the salaries by the level of education. While holding a Bachelor’s Degree, the average salary of a Pharmacist is 30,200 INR per month, and with a Master’s Degree gets a salary of 55,300 INR per month, 83% more than someone having a Bachelor’s Degree.
6. Pharmacist Salary Comparison by Gender
A gender earnings gap exists across pharmacist professions also. Compared with women, men are earning 14% more than them on average in India. Yes, a wide gender earnings gap exists in the pharmacy profession.
What Are Popular Skills for Pharmacist?
Do you know one of the most underrated yet crucial skills a pharmacist can possess is patient care because, as medical professionals, their top priority is the wellbeing of patients? Pharmacists need to ensure HIPAA compliance to maintain patient privacy. Here are the recommendations that fit your preferences and skillset for becoming a Pharmacist and steps to help you stand out to employers:
- Patient Care
- Pharmacy Service
- Customer Service
- Drug Therapy
- Retail Pharmacy
- Pharmacotherapy
- Hospital Education
- Oral/ Verbal Communication
Why Should You Become a Pharmacist?
Pharmacy career offers many benefits and opportunities and is an excellent earning source, and is consistently ranked as one of the most highly trusted professions due to the care and service pharmacists provide.
Here are top reasons why pharmacy is a rewarding career:
- Trusted profession: Due to patient care and health-related services, it is the most trusted profession. Pharmacy can be a great road for you to explore.
- Excellent earning potential and job security: Pharmacists are consistently in demand in times of economic downturns and COVID-19 pandemic. Thus becomes one of the most financially rewarding careers with a high level of job security.
- Incredible Growth: There is a wide variety of work settings available on this platform like- community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, mail order pharmacy centers, managed care organizations, and government agencies.
Popular Employers for Pharmacist
The pharmaceutical industry is producing numerous lucrative jobs because of the diverse career options available in the field. The work-life balance in the pharmaceutical industry proves the flexibility in the area, adding potential job growth and high salary.
Here is the list of the top five Pharmacy companies hiring in India-
- Apollo Group
- Medplus Inc.
- Cadila Healthcare Ltd (Zydus)
- Cipla Ltd
- Reddys Laboratories Ltd
Pharmacist Salary Distribution in India
Salary Range
The average salary of a Pharmacist ranges from 19000 INR per month to 63.800 INR per month.
Median Salary
Median is the middle salary value. The average median salary in India is 42,800 INR per month which means 50% of people working as pharmacists earn less than 42,800 INR, and the other 50% earn more than 42,800 INR.
Percentiles
The 25% of people are earning less than 27,800 INR, and the remaining 75% are earning more than 27,800 INR. Also, if we check the values in the Salary distribution diagram, 75% of people are earning less than 56,500 INR, and the remaining 25% of pharmacists are earning more than 56,500 INR.
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in India
Indian Pharmaceutical firms are likely to give an average salary hike of 12% in 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9%, granted to employees every 16 months.
Pharmacist Bonus and Incentive Rates in India
Pharmacists are likely to receive moderate bonuses as they are not directly involved in revenue generation, with some exceptions. As per the survey, 59% people working as a pharmacist received bonuses and incentives, leaving other 41% of people, not receiving any incentives.
Average bonus rates range from 2% to 7% of annual salary for 51% of Pharmacists who received bonuses.
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