Hospital Pharmacist
Snapshot
Hospital pharmacists prepare, dispense and provide medication to patients in hospitals. They collaborate with healthcare personnel such as doctors and nurses to treat patients and also offer advice and information on medications.
Hospital pharmacists are essential members of the healthcare team, working within hospitals to manage and dispense medications. Your days will involve verifying prescriptions, preparing medications for administration, and providing expert advice to doctors, nurses, and patients. This role requires a strong understanding of pharmacology, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills. You'll be involved in medication safety initiatives, drug information services, and potentially specialized areas like chemotherapy or nutrition support.
- • Verify prescriptions for accuracy and appropriateness, considering patient history and potential interactions.
- • Prepare and dispense medications, including intravenous solutions and specialized formulations.
- • Provide drug information and counseling to healthcare professionals and patients.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Health professionals — 68 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia and 9 more.
Longest-running shortage: Belgium, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $140,910 2025-05 | +4.6% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | +16.1% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £47,508 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for hospital pharmacist
The outlook for hospital pharmacist is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 75%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could hospital pharmacist change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- manage hospital-acquired infections
- provide anti-cancer medical treatment
- provide specialist pharmaceutical care
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- check information on prescriptions
- maintain adequate medication storage conditions
Tasks most exposed to automation
- obtain healthcare user's medical status information
- maintain pharmacy records
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Healthcare & Human Services
A typical day as a hospital pharmacist
09 09:00 · Morning check information on prescriptions
10 10:30 · Mid-morning accept own accountability
12 12:00 · Midday advise on healthcare users' informed consent
14 14:00 · Afternoon advise on poisoning incidents
15 15:30 · Late afternoon apply context specific clinical competences
17 17:00 · Wrap-up counsel healthcare users on medicines
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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counsel healthcare users on medicines
Discuss and agree with healthcare users on the appropriate use of medicines, providing the healthcare user with sufficient information to assure the safe and proper use of the medicine.
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dispense medicines
Review and dispense medicines and validate prescriptions ensuring that they are authentic, correctly interpreted and in line with legal requirements, selecting the correct medicine, strength and pharmaceutical form in accordance with the prescription, package and label of medicines.
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advise on poisoning incidents
Advise patients or other medical staff on how to handle overdose and poisoning intake in the most efficient manner.
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provide pharmaceutical advice
Provide information and advice on medicinal products such as the appropriate use, the adverse reactions and the interactions with other medications.
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advise on healthcare users' informed consent
Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.
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apply context specific clinical competences
Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.
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monitor patients' medication
Monitor medicines use and patient adherence to ensure positive clinical outcomes are achieved and patient needs are met.
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manage hospital-acquired infections
Diagnose and treat infections developed in a hospital environment.
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provide anti-cancer medical treatment
Determine the cancer treatment appropriate for the patient, considering chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy such as immunotherapy.
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provide specialist pharmaceutical care
Provide specialised personalised support for patients who administer their own medication.
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prepare medication from prescription
Prepare the pharmaceutical form of medicinal products according to the prescription received from the medical doctor.
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ensure the appropriate supply in pharmacy
Guarantee the correct distribution of the pharamacy products.
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manage medical supply chains
Ensure that medicines are stored in appropriate facilities and environmental conditions to ensure stability, quality and safety of the medicinal product over its shelf life, storing medicines in a safe, organised, systematic and secure manner and working with documented policies and procedures to implement an effective stock management and rotation system.
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follow clinical guidelines
Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.
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adhere to organisational guidelines
Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
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check information on prescriptions
Verify the information on prescriptions from patients or from the doctor`s office ensuring that it is complete and accurate.
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obtain healthcare user's medical status information
Gather healthcare user information through various sources such as questioning the healthcare user, caregiver, or healthcare professional to obtain information on the patient`s health and social status, and interpreting records made by other health care professionals when appropriate.
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maintain adequate medication storage conditions
Maintain proper storage and security conditions for medication. Comply with standards and regulations.
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communicate in healthcare
Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.
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ensure pharmacovigilance
Report on the adverse reactions of pharmaceutical products to the competent authorities.
biological chemistry
Biological chemistry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
pharmacognosy
The physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of medicines which have natural sources as an origin.
pharmacotherapy
The application of medicinal drugs used to treat diseases compared to surgical therapy.
applied therapeutics related to medicines
Use of drugs and the method of their administration in the treatment of disease.
- medicines
- pharmacokinetics
- pharmacy law
- toxicology
- physics
Path to become a hospital pharmacist
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
661 programmes in 28 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 35 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy)
University of Galway · Ireland
Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
University College Cork · Ireland
Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy
University College Cork · Ireland
Honours Bachelor of Pharmacy
University College Cork · Ireland
Medication Management (part of the PDC1 Advanced Diploma in Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Singapore
These are 6 of 696.
Sources
- 1. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 2. Source: Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Education), CRICOS, data.gov.au, CC BY 2.5 AU. Data as at 01/09/2026. Adapted by NexPath.
- 3. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does hospital pharmacist fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of training is required to become a hospital pharmacist?
What are the career progression opportunities for hospital pharmacists?
How does this role differ from a community pharmacist?
How much does Hospital Pharmacist pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data