In this article, we take a look at the complete list of pharmacy schools in Georgia, their entry requirements, and every helpful detail that can aid you in your choice to become a pharmacist.
It is important to study information about each school listed here to understand the one that best suits you.
Why Study Pharmacy?
Whether you reside in a smaller city or the capital of your country, you’ve surely already observed that pharmacies or pharmacy stores are everywhere.
You cannot go for a long without stumbling upon one. These are a few of the explanations for why you ought to think about joining them.
1. Encourage health maintenance
Pharmacists give patients the medicines they need to be healthy, whether they are OTC or prescription medications.
Drugstore technicians occasionally use a small laboratory located inside the pharmacy or drug store to immediately produce medications.
2. Engage in direct human contact
Studying for a pharmacy degree is a wise choice if you enjoy interacting with people.
You get to interact with a variety of people who open up to you about their issues so you can provide them with the appropriate counsel and treatment.
3. Flexible work schedules
Pharmacists have a simpler schedule than other medical professionals like doctors or nurses.
They typically don’t handle crises and have the freedom to work shifts, part-time, while also continuing their education.
How To Become A Licensed Pharmacist In Georgia
The Governor appoints the eight-member Georgia State Board of Pharmacy, which is responsible for safeguarding the public’s health, safety, and welfare. The Board is made up of one consumer member in addition to seven licensed professional pharmacists.
They are in charge of regulating Georgia’s pharmacies and pharmacists. The Board evaluates applications, conducts exams, grants licenses to deserving candidates, and oversees licensees’ activities across the state.
- Send the Pharmacist Online Application Supplement Packet and a completed application for licensure to the Board’s office at 2 Peachtree Street, 6th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303, together with the appropriate fee.
- Submit documentation proving your graduation from a pharmacy school or college recognized by ACPE.
- Candidates who wish to be licensed through examination must complete 1500 hours of pharmacy internship or the Board’s equivalent.
- A certification stating that the applicant has met the requirement of 1500 hours of pharmacy practice experience, which must include practice experience in both a retail and hospital practice setting, must be submitted to the Board by an applicant for licensure by examination.
- An applicant for an examination must submit the certification on a form recognized by the Board, in writing, and signed under oath by an authorized representative of their pharmacy school or college.
How Much Do Pharmacists In Georgia Earn?
Georgia pharmacists earn $57.16 per hour, $9,910 per month, and $118,900 per year, which is 5.23% less than the national average.
Georgia, the eighth most populous state in the country, always needs highly skilled pharmacists to meet the medical needs of its residents.
Georgia is anticipated to employ pharmacists at a growth rate of 12.14 percent by the year 2028, providing more than 630 jobs annually to aspiring pharmacists.
Top organizations in the healthcare sector like Anthem Inc., Behavioral Health Groups, Piedmont Healthcare, Walmart, and many others will actively hire pharmacists all around the state to fill this need for pharmacists in Georgia.
The List of Best Pharmacy Schools In Georgia
For those who aspire to become pharmacists or certified pharmacy technicians, there are four pharmacy schools in Georgia; Mercer University, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, South University, and The University of Georgia are among the approved universities.
Both Mercer University and the University of Georgia have a doctor of pharmacy programs.
Advanced pharmacy programs, such as the PhD in Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, are offered by the University of Georgia. For more information, keep reading.
# Mercer University
One of the most diverse pharmacy schools in the US is Mercer University College of Pharmacy, which is situated in the energetic Atlanta metropolitan area.
Through a vast network of healthcare professionals, they give students access to a full educational experience.
They have been preparing students to lead the pharmacy profession and meet the difficulties of a changing healthcare environment for more than a century.
Without a prior bachelor’s degree, Pharm.D. students who successfully complete the program’s two years will be awarded a B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences from Mercer University.
U.S. News & World Report ranked them as the top private pharmacy school in the Southeast in 2016 and 2020.
Your skill development is supported by their kind professors as you advance in pharmacy.
As you investigate the various career options that pharmacy has to offer, the faculty offers guidance.
Beyond neighborhood pharmacies, there are numerous hospitals, government organizations, and pharmaceutical firms in the metro Atlanta area where you might pursue a career in pharmacy.
The College of Pharmacy was the first pharmacy program in the region to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy degree as its only professional degree, setting the standard for pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences in the Southeast.
As I mentioned earlier, the College is the top-ranked private pharmacy school in the Southeast and provides both the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in pharmaceutical sciences.
The College also offers four combined degree programs: a Pharm.D./Ph.D. program, a Pharm.D./M.B.A. program, a Pharm.D./M.P.H. program, and a Pharm.D./M.S. in Health Informatics program.
Click here for more information.
Admission: The Office of Admissions provides assistance to potential students and program applicants.
# Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
A thorough curriculum is provided by the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at PCOM Georgia in Suwanee, Georgia, in order to create a highly skilled pharmacist capable of working in a variety of healthcare settings.
Students spent the first three years of the curriculum alternating between classroom instruction and introductory practical experiences in various pharmacy fields.
PharmD students participate in eight, five-week clinical rotations in their fourth year, exposing them to a variety of pharmacy specialty areas and practices.
Students participate in this career-focused education in cutting-edge classrooms and teaching laboratories, including a sterile goods lab, a compounding lab, and a practice pharmacy lab.
In order to prepare sterile products using aseptic procedures like intravenous solutions, other cutting-edge tools include a Pyxis automated dispensing machine and laminar flow hoods.
The program also has a cadaver anatomy lab and a clinical learning and assessment laboratory with simulated patients.
Click here for more information.
Admission: The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at PCOM Georgia is created to give students the general education and training they need to work in a variety of pharmacy specialties.
All PharmD program applications go through a comprehensive assessment procedure where all the credentials submitted by applicants are carefully taken into account.
It is necessary to successfully complete the prerequisite coursework at an authorized institution or university.
Admission to the PCOM School of Pharmacy at PCOM Georgia does not require a baccalaureate degree (or graduate or other professional degrees), but those with prior degrees will be given increased attention.
Competitive PharmD applicants must have successfully completed the necessary curriculum (see here) with a grade of “C-“ or higher prior to matriculation.
Standardized exam results from the PCAT, MCAT, DAT, OAT, or GRE are NOT required as part of the application for the PCOM School of Pharmacy. PCAT or another standardized graduate or professional admissions test should be submitted by applicants with GPAs below 3.0, nonetheless.
Candidates may also submit their test results directly to the PCOM Office of Admissions if they have passed the MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE, or other comparable graduate or professional admissions exams.
To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program at PCOM Georgia, a virtual or in-person interview is necessary. Candidates for the PharmD program are also assessed for their readiness for the workplace, motivation, ability to make decisions, and verbal and written communication abilities.
For candidates applying to colleges and schools of pharmacy, PCOM School of Pharmacy participates in the centralized Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS).
All undergraduate and graduate courses, official transcripts, and three letters of recommendation must be submitted with the PharmCAS application.
# South University
The pharmacy program at South University welcomes students into a learning environment that promotes critical thinking and the development of problem-solving abilities while offering the most recent technologies and courses available in the field.
Your position as a pharmacist in the medical area will change to fulfill the needs of the profession and society with quality postgraduate education for the profession’s future practitioners.
The doctor of pharmacy degree at South University Savannah equips graduates to succeed in the pharmacy practice environment of their choice. In order to meet the expectations of the profession and society, pharmacists’ roles in the medical area are evolving and changing.
South University, Savannah’s pharmacy program is designed to generate graduates who can adapt to changes in the field while upholding the highest standards of pharmacy practice.
Graduates from the South thrive in business, the pharmaceutical sector, residency training, community practice, and hospitals. With this program, students can complete four years of education in just three.
Graduates of the program acquire the skills necessary to give those they serve great care.
Additionally, a student’s business skills may be improved by enrolling in their PharmD Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program.
Click here for more information
Admission: The pharmacy program at South University will only accept applications made through PharmCAS, which can be accessed at www.pharmcas.org.
Each June, applications are opened for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program.
Prospective candidates are advised to submit a comprehensive application to PharmCAS as early as possible for the best chance of consideration during an admissions cycle.
South University will not accept direct applications. Applications must be postmarked by March 1 of each year in order to be considered for admission, which is competitive and offered on a rolling basis.
Those who wish to apply for admission to the doctor of the pharmacy degree program must:
- Obtain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 and a recommended GPA of 2.80 on a 4.0 scale. (A 3.0 GPA or higher in science is advised.)
- Use the website pharmcas.org to submit a completed pharmacy application. Direct-mailed applications to South University won’t be accepted.
- Directly send PharmCas a minimum of two letters of recommendation; three letters are preferred.
- Show the oral and written communication abilities needed of a professional doctoral-level student in order to interact with patients and professional colleagues.
- Complete the on-campus personal interview with faculty and the admissions committee at the South University School of Pharmacy (by invitation only).
- Directly send all transcripts to PharmCAS. All college transcripts must be given because the student’s academic performance on all of their college-level coursework will be assessed.
# University of Georgia
The UGA Office of Undergraduate Admissions is the first step in receiving admission to the B.S. program. Students who wish to pursue a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at The University of Georgia may be admitted directly to the Pharmaceutical Sciences major.
Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and finish all Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English, and Math courses with a grade of C or better in order to receive a bachelor’s degree.
A student must fulfill the prerequisites for pharmacy in order to be accepted into the College of Pharmacy’s professional program.
A minimum of 69 semester hours of academic coursework that counts toward the pharmacy degree must be satisfactorily completed as part of pre-pharmacy education.
The PCAT test is advised but not necessary for the 2022–2023 application cycle. Those who would like to improve their applications can think about taking the PCAT exam. When taking the PCAT for the first time, test dates in the summer or fall are advised.
Prior to completing the College of Pharmacy supplemental application, candidates for the professional program must submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). PharmCAS must receive all transcripts, optional PCAT scores, and letters of recommendation; Sending such documents to the UGA College of Pharmacy will not be accepted.
On July 14, 2022, applications for PharmCAS and the UGA College of Pharmacy become available. After that, applicants may submit their applications at any time. The UGA College of Pharmacy will use a rolling admissions procedure this year.
Prior to starting the College of Pharmacy Supplemental Application online (which opens July 14, 2022), applicants must have started the PharmCAS application.
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FAQs
How many pharmacy schools are in Georgia?
There are 4 accredited pharmacy schools in Georgia.
Can I get into pharmacy school with a 2.5 GPA?
A competitive applicant to the College of Pharmacy needs to have at least a 2.5 overall GPA as well as a 2.5 science GPA.
For applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than or equal to 2.5, the PCAT is necessary. PCAT results can help candidates with GPAs higher than 2.5 stand out in the application process.
What is a degree in pharmacy called?
To become a pharmacist, you must have a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited university. You can practice pharmacy in the US after earning a PharmD and passing the necessary licensing exams.
Can I get a pharmacy degree online?
Udemy and Coursera both offer online pharmacy courses.
What are the requirements to study pharmacy?
A senior certificate or a degree, with at least a D at a higher grade level or a B at a standard grade level in English, mathematics, physical science, and biology Botany and/or physiology applicants will also be taken into consideration.
Who makes more money a nurse or a pharmacist?
There is a chance that working as a pharmacist would pay you more than working as a nurse.
Nurses make an average of $80,335 a year, and pharmacists make an average of $116,855 a year.
Is becoming a pharmacist worth it?
One of the greatest benefits of being a pharmacist is that you can earn a very good livelihood.
The annual salary for the lowest-paid pharmacist is somewhere around $112,000 dollars. A profession as pharmacist typically pays around $128,000 per year.
Can you study pharmacy part-time?
The course can be taken full- or part-time over the period of two or three years.
Students must make sure that any part-time work is completed at a lab that has been authorized by the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.
How many types of pharmacies are there?
Three disciplines can be used to categorize the field of pharmacy: pharmaceutics. Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy.
Can I do pharmacy without Physics?
No, you cannot enroll in the B. Pharmacy program without having taken physics in higher education.
You must have passed the 12th grade with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from an accredited board in order to enroll in the B. Pharmacy program. You must also sit for the medical entrance exam.
Is there a demand for pharmacists?
From 2020 to 2030, there will be a 2% reduction in pharmacist employment.
Despite a decline in employment, pharmacist job opportunities are expected to increase by 11,300 annually on average over the next ten years.
Which is higher RPh or PharmD?
The PharmD degree is obtained through pharmacy studies, while the RPh license is obtained through pharmaceutical practice.
The professional doctorate degree in a pharmacy known as the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) is obtained after several years of study. What are your suggestions about these pharmacy schools in Georgia? Please leave a comment below.