The Pfizer Guide to Careers in - College of Pharmacy

Did you know?
The National
Association of
Chain Drug
Stores has
served as the
voice for chain
pharmacies
since 1933,
and is the
country’s largest
pharmacy trade
organization.
Rosato was encouraged by her pharmacy district manager and supervisor to
interview for a position in the home office in Woonsocket, Rhode Island as
a Pharmaceutical Buyer. Rosato says that she was very fortunate to have
been chosen for the job and that it really presented a rare opportunity for
her to be promoted up through the ranks of the organization. After a year
as an assistant learning the ropes, she became a full purchasing buyer.
Her responsibilities included purchasing products for the three distribution
centers. “I also worked with the DEA, FDA, EPA, OSHA — all those
government agencies — to ensure that CVS complied with all regulations,”
she explains. Pharmacy buying is a specialty most graduating students don’t
know about, Rosato says. “It is a busy, fast-paced job. I loved it.”
From CVS, Rosato went on to a pharmaceutical company to be a national
sales account manager. After a year and a half, she was promoted to the
business development department where she remained for six years before
moving to NACDS as Vice President of Pharmacy Affairs.
Profiling the job
“In chain store pharmacy, the sky’s the limit if you’re a go-getter. There are
endless opportunities — you can create the career you want,” Rosato says.
“As a pharmacist, you can practically dictate where you want to be — in
the store, the field, or the home office.”
Store-based Pharmacist
Entry-level for graduating pharmacists is generally in a store. Typically, the
next step is a promotion to pharmacy manager. That job entails overseeing
the staff pharmacists, technical help and register help. The pharmacy
manager is responsible for inventory budgets, payroll and scheduling.
Field-based Pharmacist
After some tenure as a pharmacy store manager, there may be opportunities
in the field as pharmacy district managers. At this level, the assigned territory
may include 12 to 14 stores. A district manager generally spends two days
working out of a regional office and the other three days traveling from
store to store. During store visits, the district manager deals with any issues
that come up, including questions about inventory, personnel or general
workflow. District managers also guide and counsel in-store pharmacists.
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