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Health System (Clinical Practice)

Clinical pharmacists in hospitals and health systems provide direct patient care, manage complex therapies, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams. Responsibilities include medication therapy management and patient counseling, supporting transitions of care, ensuring medication safety, and contributing to evidence-based practice. These roles provide opportunities to improve outcomes for both acutely and chronically ill patients while enhancing pharmacy services within high-impact clinical settings.

Meet the Pharmacist

Mrs. Catherine Avery
Chief of Clinical Pharmacist, Seattle Pharmacy Group

Mrs. Avery is a board-certified clinical pharmacist with over 28 years of experience in managing complex medication therapies. She is passionate about patient education and leveraging technology to improve health outcomes.
At Wellness Pharmacy Group, he leads a team of dedicated pharmacists committed to providing personalized care and expert advice.

Mr. John Doe, PharmaD
Lead Clinical Pharmacist, Wellness Pharmacy Group

Dr. Chen is a board-certified clinical pharmacist with over 12 years of experience in managing complex medication therapies. He is passionate about patient education and leveraging technology to improve health outcomes.
At Wellness Pharmacy Group, he leads a team of dedicated pharmacists committed to providing personalized care and expert advice.

Table of Contents

  • Background
  • Characteristics
  • Insider’s perspective
  • Most appealing aspects
  • Least appealing aspects
  • Advice
  • Critical factor ratings
  • Critical factors
  • References/resources
  • Professional organizations

Background

Clinical pharmacists who work in institutional settings, such as a hospital or health system, have the opportunity to impact individual patients. Their responsibilities extend beyond traditional dispensing roles, encompassing direct patient care, medication therapy management, optimizing medication use, improving patient outcomes and collaboration with other health care professionals. Many are in a practice that leverages evidenced-based guidelines and practice recommendations.

Key roles and responsibilities include:

  • Direct patient care
  • Disease state management
  • Medication therapy management (MTM)
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Patient education and counseling
  • Drug information and research
  • Specialized areas
  • Medication safety
  • Transitions of care
  • Committee involvement
  • Education and training

Characteristics

A total of 163 clinical pharmacists in health system practice responded to the 2024–2025 APhA Career Pathways Program Survey. Fifty-three percent of the respondents completed a residency and 2.0 % completed fellowship. Two percent also completed both a fellowship and residency. Eleven percent received additional degrees such as MS (3.7%), MBA (1.8%), one respondent received an MPH, and another received a PhD. Another 3.1% received more than one graduate degree.

Information provided indicated that pharmacists in this profile have an average age of 42 years old. The median salary for health system clinical pharmacists falls between $118,000 and $157,000 annually. The median total pay is around $130,403. Total pay can include bonuses dependent on the specific position and the company.

Health system clinical pharmacists work a variety of shifts including 8 to 12 hours per day as well as work weeks that can be 7-days on, 7-days off. The average time worked varies as well from 36 to 48 hours with an average of about 40 hours per week. The number of hours can depend on the specific type of position. Those where the pharmacy is open 24 hours have shift work options as well. Thirteen percent indicated that they travel for work. Another 61.2% indicated that they work nights and weekends.

A total of 131 pharmacists responded directly to a question about what they felt was an important skill for their role. The group provided numerous responses to the open-ended question. Four skills stood out the most: communication (16.0%), clinical skills (12.2%), adaptability (6.12%), and flexibility (5.90%).

One respondent from Georgia stated, “Flexibility and clinical knowledge. Patients are not black and white; there is a lot of gray. You learn to treat the gray by experience, such as a residency.” Another from California added, “Communication skills, specifically diplomacy and conflict resolution.”

A pharmacist from North Carolina indicated, “Clinical experience and good communication.” A pharmacist from Connecticut added, “Ability to work with an interdisciplinary team, drive to continue developing clinical knowledge.”

Insider’s perspective

Respondents listed the following critical factors as those being the most important to them. Please note that a factor can rank high based on wanting the factor or wanting to avoid the factor. As an example, some may rank repetitive activities as a top factor as this is something that they want or look to avoid in their practice. The factors listed below are based on the number of respondents that indicated these would be the top five factors they would like to have in a role. Note that there are 25 total critical factors to select from.

Top 5 – first tier

Of interest is that this group listed several more factors that were about 10%

  • Ongoing coworker/client relationships (19.6%)
  • Leisure and family time (18.4%)
  • Application of knowledge (clinical or scientific) (17.8%)
  • Collaborating with health professionals (16.6%)
  • Problem solving (14.7%)

In addition to the top 5 factors, the second tier of critical factors are listed below. Note that three of the factors, ongoing coworker/client relationships, collaborating with health professionals, and problem solving, are listed in both areas. This can be interpreted to mean that for some these factors are in their top five list while for others are a close second.

Top 5 – second tier

  • Collaborating with health professionals (24.5%)
  • Problem solving (15.3%)
  • Compensation (12.9%)
  • Ongoing coworker/client relationships (11.0%)
  • Innovative thinking (8.59%)

One respondent from Georgia wrote about the importance of ongoing coworker/client relationships indicating that they, “Strive to have a positive and enjoyable workplace. Coworker relationships can make or break a job.” A different respondent also from Georgia supported this when they stated, “This is who you spend most of your day with, so it is great when you enjoy these people. We spend more time with each other than our families.”

Regarding the ranking of collaborating with health professionals, a respondent from Connecticut indicated, “This is what keeps work bearable. Small opportunities for levity.” Another respondent from Michigan added, “Participation in team rounds allows me to interact with other health care professionals and helps optimize treatment plans.”

When looking at compensation, a few pharmacists had additional comments. One from North Carolina stated, “I want to feel like I am being paid what I am worth in the role.” Another respondent from Georgia added, “Pay is great, but it's really important to feel satisfied with what you do in a day.”

There are many rewarding and challenging experiences in being a clinical pharmacist in a health system setting. Thirty-six percent of the respondents indicated that a rewarding and challenging aspect is supporting patients in various areas. Another area highlighted was helping others at 7.98%. Numerous other areas were highlighted by the respondents.

A respondent from Ohio stated it is rewarding, “Helping audiences (patients, nursing, physicians) understand drug regimens/reasoning at their level.” Another respondent from California added, “Improving patient outcomes through clinical interventions.”

A couple of additional rewarding and challenging statements from respondents include one from the North Carolina, “Most rewarding would be seeing the improvement in patient functional status. Most challenging is optimizing therapies in patients with low health literacy or limited access to care.”

A respondent from Illinois discussed both the rewards and challenges when they stated, “Being appreciated by patients and providers. A challenge would be the amount of patients.”

Twenty-three percent indicated that work schedule is an additional factor that is important to them. In addition, the following factors were also listed as important factors to consider pressure/stress (16.6%), self-worth (12.9%), and job security (10.2%).

The clinical pharmacists in the health system setting listed a variety of responses that they consider highlights of their career and where they see the future of the role. Several of the responses are listed below.

  • “Becoming BCPS certified and serving as a preceptor for the residency program and for APPE students.”
  • “Presenting at a national conference with National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), very few, if any, pharmacists were in attendance. I felt the enthusiasm and support for our work from the greater health care community was invigorating.”
  • “Seeing so many students develop into amazing pharmacists.”
  • “Being selected by my boss and administrative team as clinical coordinator. I enjoy being an advocate for my clinical team.”
  • “Implementation of new clinical services - including e-ICU and pharmacy heart transplant services.”
  • “The long-term relationships I have built with some patients and watching them grow older and achieve life's milestones, such as starting to speak and graduating high school.”
  • “Leading an innovative, cutting edge, collaborative team clinical practice.”
  • “Optimized patient care through strong collaboration with other healthcare professionals.”
  • “The acute care setting continues to grow, with the creation of new specialties and patient care areas.”
  • “More pharmacists working with provider teams so that patients can receive the best transitions of care when they leave the hospital.”
  • “Probably increased automation as AI and technology improves allowing more interaction with patients and the need to develop skills in decentralizing and improving patient care.”
  • “I see outpatient oncology pharmacy services expanding to encompass more pharmacist driven medication management through oral chemotherapy clinics.”
  • “Expanding transition of care management.”

Most appealing aspects

What aspects of the role are most appealing?

Respondents listed several different aspects that are appealing. Patient care was listed most often by respondents at 16.6%. This was followed by: clinical focus (11.0%), flexibility (8.00%), variety (6.75%), and autonomy (4.30%).

A respondent from Connecticut stated, “Ability to see patients, impact their care, work in an excellent collaborative environment.” Another from Texas added, “Working at the top of my license, helping patients and other health care providers.”

A clinical pharmacist from Washington, DC, indicated, “Bedside clinical practice with high autonomy, extremely acute and critically ill patients, and trusting physicians.” Another from North Carolina supported this when they stated, “The ability to advance practice and work at an advanced clinical level.”

One respondent from Georgia highlighted two areas, “flexibility and autonomy.” A different pharmacist from Georgia added, “Autonomy in practice and opportunities to develop stewardship initiatives and other projects how I see fit.”

Least appealing aspects

What aspects of the role are least appealing?

Respondents listed several different aspects that are least appealing. Two distinct areas were listed as least appealing roles including workload (13.5%) and administrative tasks (7.36%).

One respondent from Minnesota stated, “The least appealing aspect of my role is that the extensive administrative tasks involved in coordinating experiential activities are not accurately reflected in my workload.” Another respondent from Georgia added the least appealing aspect to them was, “Working weekends. Finding it difficult at times to balance clinical, administrative, and precepting responsibilities, all while maintaining a healthy work/life balance.”

A clinical health system pharmacist from Washington, DC, indicated their concern, “Requirements for meetings, committees, etc., that occur on days off, with no compensation and no time provided to work on projects on the clock.” Another from Georgia agreed and stated, “High workload and staffing issues.” One additional respondent from Michigan added, “Getting caught up in bureaucratic requirements, leading to projects moving slowly or issues not being addressed in a timely manner.”

Advice

What advice should student pharmacists and practitioners consider when selecting a health system clinical practice position?

Respondents provided advice for students across several areas. Seventeen percent of the respondents listed the importance of a residency. In contrast a few individuals also indicated that a residency was not needed. Eight percent advice is to look at the clinical career options that are available today. Seven percent reminded students to be open-minded about the field.

A respondent from Florida stated, “Complete a residency. Look for the position that best balances professional and personal experiences.” Another from Massachusetts added, “Community-based residency, especially those based in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or health center are really the best steppingstone to ambulatory care. Do not overlook them simply because the academic community etc. may look down upon community-based programs.” In contrast a respondent from Georgia stated: You do not have to have a residency to work in health system pharmacy. If you are interested, go for it! There are many fantastic clinical pharmacists that have never had a residency.”

One pharmacist from North Carolina stated, “Explore all clinical career options and consider not only the day-to-day clinical responsibilities but other things that come with the role of a clinical specialist. Consider personal goals and how much or little they want to engage in research and ‘extracurricular’ work activities.” Another pharmacist from Georgia added, “Pharmacy is a great profession and evolving. The advancement in medical technology, coupled with the push in restructuring the role of clinical pharmacist in health care students have ample opportunity to advance their career to the fullest.”

The following list provides a partial sample of the open-ended comments from participants:

  • “As you go through pharmacy school, take opportunities to learn financial and leadership skills also.”
  • “It is a rewarding field being able to help patients, but it is not easy and requires a lot of time and training; there is no such thing as work life balance but rather it is more of an ebb and flow in responsibilities.”
  • “Be aware of areas that you enjoy doing rather than the general job responsibilities.”
  • “Work on communication skills. Practicing medicine does not happen in a vacuum; it happens when lots of people, with unique skills, come together to create positive changes for patients.”
  • “Practice your problem-solving skills as much as you can. If you become adept at that, you can become invaluable to the team you work with!”
  • “Find an area of the profession that you love and feel challenged by–it will sustain you through the difficulties/burnout that I suspect many people experience regardless of their field of work.”
  • “Develop strong communication skills, stay organized and detail-oriented, be adaptable and open to innovation, build strong personal relationships, and commit to lifelong learning!”
  • “Persevere. I got my residency spot in the scramble. If I did not keep trying and putting myself out there, I would not have the career I have today.”

Critical factor ratings

Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]

Respondents indicated that they are mid-range in their response to opportunities for advancement with a rating of 6.39.

One respondent from Georgia indicated, “My work has many opportunities for advancements (board certification, conferences, teaching, precepting) but it is challenging at times to take full advantage due to the demanding requirements from the intensive care unit (ICU).” A different respondent from Georgia added, “There's lots of opportunity for lateral movement (covering a different area or getting involved with different projects). For advancement in job title/responsibilities, I would have to transition to more of a manager role.”

One respondent from Alabama had a different perspective and stated, “Very limited in the state of Alabama. My opportunities were much greater 20 years ago in another southern state than they are today in AL.” Another respondent from Wisconsin added, “I would need to look outside my institution if I were going to ‘advance’ at all other than my own personal advancement in knowledge base and credentials.”

A pharmacist from Massachusetts is employed by a group that is forward looking and stated, “My practice site is always looking to innovate and utilize the pharmacy team to the top of our licenses. We have implemented three collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) in the past several years with plans for expansion. We are currently researching feasibility of pharmacist-led point of care A1C testing to complement our CPA for diabetes management.”

6.39
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little advancement opportunities 10 = Great opportunities for advancement

Leadership development/professional involvement
[To what extent does your work allow for the development of leadership skills and professional involvement in the pharmacy profession?]

Respondents rated this factor mid-range with a score of 7.35.

One pharmacist from North Carolina stated that, “My job allows me ample time to be involved in several pharmacy organizations.” Another respondent from Georgia feels that the employer provides, “Membership to my national organization. Many opportunities to lead stewardship initiatives, work on a multidisciplinary team, precept residents/student pharmacists, and collaborate with other professionals and disciplines.”

A respondent from Massachusetts felt that they were supported as they are, “given a budget for continuing pharmacy education (CPE) and conference spending. I am also allowed to utilize a bank of CPE or conference time to attend or speak at conferences as a paid day that does not subtract from my vacation time.” A different practitioner from Massachusetts supported this when they added, “I have been given the opportunity to conduct grant work which has connected me to a wider community of practitioners providing care to the underserved. Via this connection I present nationally once or twice annually.

7.35
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little development of leadership skills and professional involvement 10 = Great opportunities for leadership development and professional involvement

Community impact
[How much impact does your work have in terms of serving the community?]

Respondents rated community impact in the mid-range with a score of 7.25.

One respondent from Missouri stated, “I work within a safety net institution, so the vast majority of patients I see experience health disparities, including often being un- and under-insured. I also serve as the only pharmacist on our interprofessional LGBTQ+ care team, and our clinic is the only of its kind within the region.” Another pharmacist from Wisconsin serves their community as they indicated, “I work in an HIV clinic with some of the lowest level of health literacy and inequities. Challenges arise every day to overcome.”

A respondent from South Carolina said, “Disease state management and medication access clinic, huge impact on the community.” Another respondent grom Georgia added, “We offer various services that are not really available anywhere else in our area.”

7.25
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little impact 10 = High level of impact

Autonomy
[To what extent does your work allow for autonomy in decision making?]

Respondents were in the mid-range in response to autonomy with a rating of 7.59.

A respondent from Maryland stated, “My current practice site allows for high degree of autonomy, with robust protocol and provider partnerships which allow for independent practice.” This was followed up by another practitioner from Georgia who indicated, “My training has allowed me to become an independent practitioner, and I have been able to use my knowledge very autonomously in my career.” Both statements were supported by a respondent from Massachusetts who added, “The clinical team makes decisions jointly and have a very open and direct line of communication to our pharmacy director. Changes or other implementations we would like to propose are considered and implemented swiftly.”

On the other side of the spectrum a respondent from Louisiana stated they have “Low autonomy in decision making. Most things are decided for us, and we are not involved in those decisions.”

7.59
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Very little low autonomy 10 = High level of autonomy

Focus
[To what extent does your work allow you to be focused on the future versus a focus only on immediate tasks?]

Pharmacists indicated that they are mid-range in where their focus is with a score of 5.62, a very slight lean toward the future.

One respondent from Georgia stated, “We stay very busy, and it is hard to concentrate on future things, but is encouraged.” Another from North Carolina put it bluntly, “We are so busy putting out fires for immediate tasks (high patient load and drug shortages) that we don't have time to think about the future.”

A pharmacist from Washington, DC, added, “Part of expectation to be involved in many committees and system councils to advance care and quality but no protected time is provided.” This was supported by a pharmacist from Arizona who indicated, “My position was created in order to be the workhorse of our pharmacy team in terms of meeting patients and optimizing their therapies. Pharmacy leads are currently more focused on projects and initiatives.”

5.62
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Immediate tasks only 10 = Tasks focused on the future

Prestige
[To what extent does your work provide professional prestige?]

Respondents were mid-range with a rating of 6.07 related to prestige of their work.

One respondent from Illinois summed this up when they stated, “Pharmacy is viewed as a member of the healthcare team, but we don't receive any particular bells and whistles or recognitions.” Another respondent from Oklahoma added, “Our pharmacy celebrates itself on professional prestige, and do it well, but the hospital itself does not.”

A respondent from South Carolina had a different perspective and indicated that they have a, “High level of prestige being involved in this practice setting at this institution.” This was supported by a respondent from Florida who added, “I feel I am highly respected by physicians and nurses as well as other professional staff.”

6.07
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Provides low prestige 10 = Provides high prestige

Creating value/positive outcomes
[To what extent does your work allow for personal fulfillment through the creation of value and positive outcomes?]

Pharmacists rated this factor at 7.18, which is a mid-range response.

A respondent from Georgia provided a very positive look at their role when they stated, “Helping children beat and fight through terminal illnesses is extremely fulfilling.” Respondent from Wisconsin has mixed feelings about this factor when they indicated, “I would rank this higher from a personal perspective in that I am very happy with what I do and the outcomes I get for patients, I rank this extremely low if it is feeling fulfilled by the institution I work for.”

Another respondent from South Carolina stated, “The impact on the community it undeniable, which leads to personal fulfillment/value.” Another from Georgia added, “I am fulfilled by helping patients get pain relief. This brings tremendous value to the care they received while admitted to our hospital.” One additional respondent from Pennsylvania indicated, “It is a rewarding experience when your knowledge and experience on drug and disease management has improved quality of life for patients in the community.”

7.18
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little extent 10 = High extent

Patient relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with patients?]

Respondents related patient relationships in the low range with a 3.60 rating.

One respondent from Oklahoma looked broadly at the relationships they have and indicated that, “All of these relationships are long-term, and we become invested in our patients and coworkers’ successes.” On the other side, a different respondent from Oklahoma stated, “We are not direct patient facing. We want to do more patient care, but we need the infrastructure developed for it.”

A respondent from Missouri provided a different perspective, “I work in a clinic, so I usually see my patients for months or years. I also work with the same group of providers in the clinic.”

3.60
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships 10 = All are long-term relationships

Coworker/client relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with coworkers or clients?]

Coworker/Client relationships were rated as the second highest critical factor by the group at 8.03, an upper-range response.

One respondent from Illinois stated, “Our clients are the physicians and nurses. We get to know them very well. Many of them have been at the hospital for many years.” Another respondent from North Carolina indicated, “Working in a relatively small community hospital setting, we develop relationships with our coworkers and our providers that build solid trust. Our providers depend on us for medication expertise.”

A nuclear pharmacist from Michigan added, “Nuclear pharmacists have little interaction with patients, and it is often limited when they do. Nuclear pharmacists will work very closely with pharmacy technicians, nuclear medical technologists, and physicians.”

8.03
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships 10 = All are long-term relationships

Writing/conducting research
[How often do you engage in writing and/or conducting research?]

Respondents rated this factor in the lower range with a 3.01 rating.

A pharmacist from North Carolina indicated that, “resident trainees research is an annual expectation, but no additional time is given for review of protocols or manuscript.” A pharmacist from Georgia stated, “I think this is an important piece of pharmacy work that needs dedicated work time, as much as possible to be able to complete.”

A respondent from Wisconsin has a different viewpoint and stated, “Personal preference, I do not enjoy writing, so I choose not to do that. I am better at teaching/precepting.” A different respondent from Georgia added, “No opportunities for any research nor evaluation of your work.”

3.01
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Generating new ideas
[To what degree does your work involve generating new ideas?]

Respondents were mid-range with a score of 5.85.

A pharmacist from Florida indicated, “Our institution encourages new ideas and institutionalizes this. I am a key member of our organization innovation group.” Another pharmacist from Wisconsin stated that, “New ideas are welcome. Management prefers when you have an idea on how you would implement that though.” One additional respondent from Virginia put it simply, “Best part of my job!”

One respondent from Florida stated, “Self interest in growth, development and encouraging leadership.” A different respondent from Florida supported this by adding, “Ideas/initiatives are on my own. Employer does not encourage or support.”

5.85
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little innovative thinking 10 = High degree of innovative thinking

Supervision/management
[To what extent do you spend your time organizing, managing, or supervising others and/or business operations?]

Respondents rated their role in supervision/management as mid-range with a 4.31 rating.

One respondent from Missouri stated, “I provide a small amount of support unofficially to the clinic through process quality improvement and resource investigation, but I don't have any official role in this area.” A respondent from Michigan looked at this differently and added, “Supervise residents and student pharmacist on rotation.”

A respondent from Pennsylvania indicated, “I am involved in training new pharmacist, mentoring residents and students (pharmacy and medicine) in pain management.” Another from Arizonia added, “Mainly through technician work is when I am managing others.”

4.31
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Patient interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]

Respondents rated patient interaction with a mid-range score of 4.32. The majority of respondents indicated that they spend little time with patients when looking at the entire day’s activities.

One respondent from South Carolina indicated that they, “Spend almost all of our time interacting with patients. Very little time interacting with the public that are not our patients.” Another from Georgia added, “I interact with patients and/or their families on bedside rounds every day.”

4.32
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Public interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with the public?]

Respondents rated public interaction as the lowest critical factor in the profile with a score of 2.19.

Although the group rated this the lowest factor, one respondent from Wisconsin had a different view of the public when they stated they, “Included patient families as part of the public (pediatric hospital).” A different view was presented by a pharmacist from Michigan who added, “Very little opportunity for interaction with patients or public outside of a hospital nuclear pharmacy position.”

2.19
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Collaboration
[How often do you work or collaborate with other health professionals or educate other professionals in your work?]

Respondents rated collaboration an upper mid-range score of 7.54.

A pharmacist from Maryland stated, “As emergency medicine pharmacists, we have ample opportunities to provide both curbside informal education to other professionals, as well as more formal didactic training to doctors, nurses, and emergency medical service (EMS) providers.” Another respondent from Florida indicated, “Our practice is dependent on referrals from providers, and we practice as patient teams.”

One respondent from Colorado looked at the team they work with and stated, “Round with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapy, dietician, and palliative care every day.” Another from Georgia added, “All aspects of my work involve multi-disciplinary activities.”

7.54
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = None of my time 10 = All my time

Family/leisure time
[How much free time do you have for leisure and family activities in your work?]

Respondents were mid-range with a 5.43 rating for family/leisure time.

One respondent from Pennsylvania stated it is “Important to strike work-life balance! However, I find myself taking projects home to keep up with multiple responsibilities with direct patient care and projects/formulary review.” Another respondent from Georgia was straight forward when they indicated, “Leisure and family time is important for building and maintaining resiliency and avoiding burn out. Too often many of us do not take enough time to do this or ensure our teams are taking time to do this.”

One respondent from Illinois was straight to the point, “7 days on, 7 days off.” A respondent looked at this differently and stated, “I have family and leisure time on the weekends and have never had an instance when a PTO request was rejected.”

5.43
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Little free time 10 = Plenty of time for family and leisure activities

Impact on well-being
[To what degree do you impact the well-being of individuals?]

Respondents feel that they do impact the well-being of individuals with a 7.20 rating.

One pharmacist from Missouri indicated that they “constantly have experiential learners with them (P3s, P4s, pharmacy residents) and my preceptor style impacts their well-being, I impact the well-being of all the patients I interact with.” Another respondent from Georgia has a little more direct impact as they stated, “I coordinate our pharmacists' schedules, so I directly impact well-being through ensuring that time off is approved and coverage is provided when time off is needed for full days or scheduled appointments. I have learned that treating colleagues as people with families and outside-of-work activities pays dividends when it comes to job satisfaction and retention.”

A different perspective was provided by a pharmacist from Georgia who stated, “Pain management is a huge part of well-being for our patients.”

7.20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Low degree 10 = High degree

Problem solving
[To what degree do you solve problems with tried-and-true alternatives versus untested alternatives in your work?]

Pharmacists rated problem solving as a mid-range factor with a score of 6.14.

One respondent from South Carolina indicated, “We solve problems with both tried-and-true and untested methods. We do not like to take no for an answer, and we will do whatever we can to help our patients.” Another respondent from Pennsylvania stated:” We practice evidence-based medicine, as do most.”

A respondent from Florida said, “Pediatrics requires less evidence-based decision making and more educated deduction.” Another respondent from Missouri stated, “I am frequently seeking solutions for patients due to language barriers, health literacy concerns, affordability and access issues, and complex disease burden. My clinical service is very much a combination of evidence-based therapy plus the logistical knowledge of the medical system.”

6.14
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Tried and true 10 = Untested alternatives

Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]

Respondents indicated that they lean a little toward being specialized with a rating of 6.67.

One respondent from Minnesota indicated that they “specialized in critical care but there are general topics mixed in.” Another respondent from Maryland added, “Emergency medicine practitioners must be very well versed in general pharmacotherapy, but also highly specialized in advanced life support pharmacotherapy interventions.”

A nuclear pharmacist from Michigan indicated, “Working with radioactive material requires extra training not normally encountered in pharmacy curriculum.” A respondent from Pennsylvania added, “Specialized in pain management/and support for addiction medicine.”

6.67
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Generalized 10 = Specialized

Repetition
[To what degree is your work composed of activities and tasks that are highly repetitive versus highly variable?]

Respondents were mid-range regarding repetition as they rated the factor 5.33.

A pharmacist from Pennsylvania stated, “With the daily task in repetitive, each patient brings a different set of complexities.” Another respondent from Louisiana added, “Should be highly variable but are highly repetitive.”

5.33
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Highly repetitive 10 = Highly variable

Applying scientific knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying scientific knowledge in your work?]

Respondents rated the application of scientific knowledge at 5.79, a mid-range response.

A respondent from Missouri indicated, “I do use my basic science knowledge some, especially when interpreting literature or answering clinical questions. But my clinical knowledge is used every day.”

5.79
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No application 10 = High level of application all the time

Applying clinical knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying clinical knowledge in your work?]

Application of clinical knowledge was rated the highest critical factor at 8.20.

A respondent from Florida stated, “We operate at a high-level using evidence-based medicine.” Another from South Carolina added, “Clinical knowledge is necessary and applied all the time.”

8.20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = No application 10 = High level of application all the time

Parental leave
[To what extent does your work setting offer parental leave opportunities?]

Respondents rated parental leave mid-range with a score of 5.37. The responses vary depending on the age of the pharmacist and if they have a need for the benefit.

One pharmacist from Michigan indicated that, “Our institution offers 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the birth parent and 6 weeks for the non-birth parent.” A respondent from New Hampshire had a different perspective when they stated, “Only short-term disability/PTO — which is the one thing I find very disappointing in hospital setting (likely 70% female employees).”

Another respondent from North Carolina added, “This has improved over time with maternity leave increasing and now offering parental leave for fathers/sig others.”

5.37
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Limited opportunities 10 = Unlimited opportunities

Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]

These respondents were mid-range while looking at compensation with a 6.39 rating.

One pharmacist from Florida simply stated they are, “Adequately compensated.” A different respondent from Florida added, “Compensation is ok but raises continue to be well below cost of living.”

Another respondent from Maryland provided a detailed response, “Until a recent market adjustment (that took effect within the last month) our practice site was undercompensated by as much as 20–30% below the market rate. In addition, a market adjustment was last undertaken 9 years prior, instead of on a regular basis. So, while we now are more than fairly compensated, I am concerned that we will again begin to lag as time goes on.”

6.39
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Not well compensated 10 = Well compensated

Benefit package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]

Respondents rated the overall benefit package a mid-range score of 6.73.

A respondent from Pennsylvania indicated, “Our health care organization is known for offering good benefits, and one of the top employers in the state.” Another from Oklahoma added, “No complaints on benefits. Aside from having to use the organization (employer) health care facilities for all health care (minus dental) to get the cheapest/lowest costs, it is great.”

A pharmacist from North Caolina stated, “It would be nice to have educational support for board certification maintenance and attendance to educational meetings.”

6.73
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 = Not comprehensive 10 = Very Comprehensive

Advice for students

Respondents provided advice across several areas and what the future brings. No specific trend came across in the comments from these pharmacists. Information from several of the pharmacists is listed below:

  • “Explore all clinical career options and consider not only the day-to-day clinical responsibilities but other things that come with the role of a clinical specialist.”
  • “Seek out opportunities in a variety of fields to learn what areas you might wish to practice in after graduation. Always be open to feedback and developing your skills. Learn to work well with others.”
  • “Be open minded when exploring career opportunities; never stop learning new things.”
  • “Develop strong communication skills, stay organized and detail-oriented, be adaptable and open to innovation, build strong personal relationships, and commit to lifelong learning!”
  • “Learn everything possible in school or residency, it is not good enough to slide by.”
  • “Growth in locations of clinic and practice so that we can better reach all patients in our health system region.”

Critical factors

Opportunities for advancement 6.39
Leadership development/professional involvement 7.35
Community impact 7.25
Autonomy 7.59
Focus 5.62
Prestige 6.07
Creating value/positive outcomes 7.18
Patient relationships 3.60
Coworker/client relationships 8.03
Writing/conducting research 3.01
Generating new ideas 5.85
Supervision/management 4.31
Patient interaction 4.32
Public interaction 2.19
Collaboration 7.54
Family/leisure time 5.43
Impact on well-being 7.20
Problem solving 6.14
Expertise 6.67
Repetition 5.33
Applying scientific knowledge 5.79
Applying clinical knowledge 8.20
Parental leave 5.37
Compensation 6.39
Benefit package 6.73

References/resources

Schommer JC, Sogol EM, Brown LM. Work profile factors identified from the career pathway evaluation program, 2018 pharmacist profile survey. Am J Pharm. 2019;83(10):7480.

Bondi DS, Acquisto NM, Buckley NS, et.al. Rewards, recognition, and advancement for clinical pharmacists. AACP white paper: doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1775 J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2023;6:427–439.

Clinical Pharmacist Salary. ZipRecruiter. Available at:www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Clinical-Pharmacist-Salary Accessed August 1, 2025.

Professional Organizations

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)

675 North Washington Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-2600 | www.amcp.org

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)

190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603-3446
(312) 664-3575 | www.acpe-accredit.org

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)

1400 Crystal Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 739-2330 | www.aacp.org

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)

Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881
(703) 556-0650 | www.aaps.org

American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)

8055 O Street, Suite S113, Lincoln, NE 68510
(402) 476-1677| www.aapp.org

American College of Apothecaries (ACA)

2830 Summer Oaks Drive, Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 383-8119 | www.acainfo.org

American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)

13000 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66215-4530
(913) 492-3311 | www.accp.com

American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE)

11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 360A-105, Fairfax, VA 22030
(571) 404-0471 | www.afpenet.org

American Pharmacists Association (APhA)

2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 628-4410 | www.pharmacist.com

American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)

1240 North Pitt Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-1300 | www.ascp.com

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814
(866) 279-0681 | www.ashp.org

Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS)

2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 946-5026 | www.bpsweb.org

Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA)

555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(877) 467-2791 | www.hoparx.org

National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)

2530 Professional Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23235
(804) 285-4431 | www.naspa.us

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)

1600 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 391-4406 | www.nabp.pharmacy

National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

1776 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 549-3001 | www.nacds.org

National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)

300 New Jersey Ave, NW, #900, Washington, DC 20001
(703) 842.0122 | www.naspnet.org

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8200 | www.ncpa.org

National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA)

10810 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 102-965, Phoenix, AZ 85028
(480) 405-9291 | www.nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

670 Maine Avenue, SW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20024
(202) 835-3400 | www.phrma.org

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