How Do I Become an Infusion Pharmacist?

An infusion pharmacist prepares medications for use in therapies that require administering medicines through a vein or via the skin. Proper medication preparation and dispensing can have a dramatic outcome on a person’s health, so you typically will need extensive education to prepare for this job. In most jurisdictions, aspiring pharmacists have to spend at least some time in undergraduate school and then earn a graduate-level pharmacy degree. You might also need to complete clinical rotations, which provide on-the-job training, and pass a licensing exam to become an infusion pharmacist.

The educational requirements that you will have to meet to become an infusion pharmacist might depend on the jurisdiction in which you will work. Generally, you will need an undergraduate education to gain admission to pharmacy school. Some schools might require you to earn a bachelor’s degree prior to admission, but others accept students who have completed two years of undergraduate study. You might have the opportunity to choose from a range of undergraduate degree programs, but selecting a pre-pharmacy, science or health major might be a good option. No matter what course of study you choose, however, you typically will have to take courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, anatomy and physics to get into pharmacy school.

In preparation to become an infusion pharmacist, you likely will enroll in a Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. Such a program often requires about four years to complete, although some people need five years to graduate. As part of this program, you likely will learn a good deal about the human body, many different types of drugs, the manner in which various drugs interact and adverse reactions to medications. This type of program also provides instruction in subjects such as dosages and medication preparation. This type of degree program probably won’t focus on infusion medications alone, but you likely will learn about them during your years of study.

You also will need training to become an infusion pharmacist. Usually, this takes the form of clinical rotations as part of pharmacy school. Such training allows you to gain hands-on experience with various types of pharmacy work, under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. You also can participate in a residency, which is post-graduation on-the-job training, in an infusion pharmacy. These programs often last for a year or two.

Licensing requirements for infusion pharmacists might depend on the jurisdiction in which you will work. Usually, however, you will have to pass a general pharmacy exam to gain licensing. The eligibility criteria for taking the exam typically require candidates to have pharmacy doctorate degrees, have clinical experience and submit to background checks.