Pharmacist
Also known as: Hospital Pharmacist · Retail Pharmacist · Community Pharmacist
Dispenses medicines and advises patients in a hospital or retail pharmacy as a registered pharmacist.
What you’d do
A pharmacist dispenses prescribed medicines, checks prescriptions for errors and advises patients on correct use. Hospitals, retail and chain pharmacies, and government health services hire pharmacists. A typical day is dispensing, stock and expiry checks, and patient counselling.
- Check prescriptions and dispense medicines
- Advise patients on dose and side effects
- Manage stock, storage and expiry dates
- Keep records required by drug rules
How you get in
After the course, register with the State Pharmacy Council. Freshers join hospital or retail pharmacies as pharmacists; government pharmacist posts come through state health department and staff selection notices.
Salary in India
Fresher salary over the years
middle of the 0–1 yr range, ₹ lakh a year
Fewer than two years of fresher data so far — the trend shows once there are two.
Skills you’ll use
From our guide · a curated list is coming
- Reading and checking prescriptions
- Knowledge of drug interactions and dosing
- Patient counselling
- Inventory and record keeping
About this field · for freshers
Job openings by year
Is demand growing?
Not added yet.
Competition3
How many graduates enter each year?
B.Pharm graduates in 2023-24 at institutions that reported to AISHE — everyone finishing that degree, not only those entering this role.
Who hires
IT firms, banks, government, startups?
Not added yet.
Where the jobs are
Which cities?
Not added yet.
Women in the field3
Is it diverse?
Share of women among B.Pharm graduates in 2023-24 — the entry degree, not people already working in this role.
At a glance
- Retail pharmacy pay is often modest; hospital and clinical roles may offer more growth.
- A registered pharmacist is required to run a licensed pharmacy, which allows opening one's own.
- An M.Pharm or Pharm.D opens clinical, industry and teaching roles.
Stay safe
No legitimate employer ever asks you to pay to get a job.