Pharmacists are not who you think they are. Tell someone you’re a pharmacist, and they will likely picture you behind a busy counter filling prescriptions. They may not even ask questions about your role because people know what pharmacists do. Or at least, they think they do.

Todd Eury, CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network and Heidi Polek, RPh., with DrFirst talk about the transforming roles of pharmacists. 

When I say, “I’m a pharmacist,” to someone I’ve just met, I hope it will spark some curiosity. I want it to be a conversation starter that begins with them imagining that maybe I’m a clinical pharmacist…or a research pharmacist…or a veterinary pharmacist…or any of the more than 100 career paths a pharmacist can take.

Although it’s not well known to those outside the profession, pharmacists have many career options beyond filling prescriptions. We graduated from rigorous pharmacy programs and completed both federal and state licensure examinations, just like lawyers who sit for the bar exam. We became pharmacists to make a difference in healthcare and, most often, for patient care. We’re medication experts, each in our own right. And, just like medical doctors, pharmacists play specialized roles, with many of us completing post-graduate residencies.

You may be surprised to learn we work in hospitals, doctor offices, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, law offices, medical research facilities, federal government agencies, health technology companies, and also, yes—pharmacies.