Some combine pharmaceutical and legal training in jobs as patent lawyers or consultants on pharmaceutical and drug laws. Pharmacy can be mentally demanding, in part because of the thousands of drugs that are in the medical arsenal, and in part because of the need to keep current on the hundreds of new drugs introduced every year. Pharmacists spend a lot of time on their feet. According to a recent survey, Pharmacists average 40 hours a week in their primary work setting. A small percentage of Pharmacists work in a secondary setting where they average 15 hours a week, often as a consultant to a nursing home or other facility.
Pharmacies often are open in the evenings and on weekends.
Self-employed Pharmacists average about 48 hours per week. The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division. The employment outlook for Pharmacists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2005. The demand for Pharmacists will be stimulated by population growth and the aging of the population, which will boost demand for pharmaceutical services. Moreover, community pharmacies are expected to hire more Pharmacists because of a trend towards shorter working hours.