Best Pharmacy Schools in the United States

Pharmacy is not only a rewarding and high paying career, but also a demanding one. Until a few years ago, the job of a pharmacy technician included just dealing with the preparation, collection and dispensing of prescription drugs. But, of late, these jobs are mostly handled by assistants and pharmacists are mostly involved in a more demanding front line tasks like advising patients to manage high or low blood pressure, advising on dangers of drug interactions, teaching diabetic patients to safely inject insulin, etc. But still monitoring patient drug records and any interactions and side effects with drugs remains the main priority of a pharmacist. There are various career options in pharmacy like working in hospitals, clinics, online pharmacies, universities, research organizations, pharmaceutical companies, public health services, all over USA. Due to this demand, there are about 100 pharmacy colleges, some public and some private, that take the opportunity to educate students to fill in this void. It is really very tricky to name few of the best pharmacy schools in the US, as they are ranked in several ways.

Prerequisites for Pharmacy School

Job stability is what attracts most to this job, other than the salary. The median salary of a pharmacist in US is said to be $111,231 and they need a license to practice pharmacy in USA. The prerequisites for pharmacy school is 1 to 2 years of pre-pharmacy at college level. But all the finest pharmacy schools within the US require you to take the PCAT to obtain a seat in college. Most programs offer 6 year PharmD curriculum, and the final step in obtaining a license involves internship under licensed pharmacist, graduation from an accredited pharmacy school and passing a state examination. Though you would be allowed to practice in more than one state, some states require you to appear for test for every license renewal.

Top 5 Pharmacy Schools in the U.S.

United States is known for its top colleges in numerous fields. No doubt there are students from several countries flocking these universities to complete their education. Even in the field of pharmacy, USA has some of the finest schools, but it is hard to name one as the best pharmacy school in USA. Many try to reason that there is no such thing as the top university, it all depends on your requirement and goals. It is not just about finding the awesome, but the best pharmacy school for you. And in many cases, whatever is listed as the best school in 2010 may not be in your home town. So leaving home to attend one among the top pharmacy schools is a big decision! Scholarships provided by these schools also play a major role in your decision. If you are from Florida, it would be wiser to look for the reputed institutes in Florida, rather than the whole of US. But if you have made up your mind and want to study only in one of the three best pharmacy schools in the US, then here is the list as per U.S. News and World Report in 2008.

1. University of California - San Francisco
1700 Fourth Street San Francisco, CA 94143
Phone: (415) 476-1947
UCSF School of Pharmacy offers the top ranked PharmD program in US. It receives the highest funding among pharmacy schools since 1979. Their main focus is on research, theory and practical training and along with Doctor of Philosophy and several degree programs it also offers fellowships, clinical training and residences to postdoctoral students.

2. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
CB #7360 Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Phone: (919) 966-9429
UNC Eshelman School of pharmacy is also considered to offer the best PhD program in United States. The PharmD program aims at preparing the student on problem solving skill and critical thinking to be successful professionals.

3. University of Minnesota
308 Harvard Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: (612) 624-9490
The college of pharmacy at the University of Minnesota offers both PhD and PharmD programs. It is considered to boast of excellent faculty, with expertise in drug therapy, delivery, policy and drug design. It has a vacancy of about 640 for PharmD program and 103 for graduate program.

4. University of Texas - Austin
1 University Station A1900 Austin, TX 78712-0120
Phone : (512) 471-1737
College of pharmacy at the University of Texas offers both PharmD and PhD programs. This college strives for excellence by emphasizing more on problem based approach for management of diseases. Even the internship under this college is said to be one of the best under experienced faculty supervision.

5. Ohio State University
217 Parks Hall Columbus, OH 43210
Phone : (614) 292-2266
This college of pharmacy offers outstanding PharmD and graduate programs along with the residency programs. They have an excellent faculty involved in national communities and the college also boasts of successful researches by students and staff.

List of Other Top Pharmacy Schools In the U.S.

These are some other top ranking pharmacy colleges in US:

• University of Kentucky
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• University of Washington
• Purdue University
• University of Arizona
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois - Chicago
• University of Maryland - Baltimore
• University of Wisconsin - Madison

Though these are the best schools in pharmacy, what matters most is your need. The best way to find the best pharmacy graduate school is to consider factors like cost, location, reputation, scholarships, placements, internship opportunities and finally your likelihood of being admitted. Rankings should be used just as information, and should not be the only criteria in your selection.