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Comment by radicalbyte | Hacker News Reader

It's worth noting that pharmacists in The Netherlands have a doctorate and the same training requirements as MDs (the study last until 24/25 with no skip years). The requirements are considerably lower in other countries (in the UK for example they just need a BSc).

Source: my wife is a pharmacist and could have worked in the UK after only completing 1/3rd of her study.

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In the US it takes:

* 4 years undergrad, of which 90 credit hours must be a specific series of courses * 4 years PharmD, doctorate program * 1800 hours of internship

At this point a student has met all requirements to sit for the two license exams (NAPLEX and MPJE[^1]):).

Many students will elect for an additional period of education due to the competitive nature of pharmacist jobs in the USA. Those two extra opportunities are:

* 2 years of residency; followed by, * 2-3 years of fellowship

Most pharmacists at a common drug store will not have the last 4 or 5 years of study. However most pharmacists in research or synthesis (including at both manufacturers and pharmacies) will have these two final steps of education due to just how competitive these jobs are.

Briefly there was also a 6 year accelerated pharmacy track (BS+) however this is no longer allowed and any practicing pharmacists with these credentials have to take a non-degree PharmD program to meet the new requirements. At this point in time I don't know if any practicing pharmacists still only hold the accelerated credentials.

[^1]: AK, CA, and VA have their own jurisprudence exams and do not accept the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam

12 years of training... does that even make economic sense? Do pharmacists get paid a lot?

I know the pharmacists you see at CVS and other face to Facebook pharmacies make pretty good money. But those are the ones that only need 7-8 years as noted.

Yes. The ones at local pharmacies make probably low six figures, that's the 8 year track. The 12 year guys are probably making high six to low seven. I used to live in Connecticut near Pfizer and that place was densely packed with large salaries. Granted, I think they invented Viagra so lots of money there

It's a 6 year study, but like the study for Medical Doctor, at the end you have a Masters diploma, not a Phd/Doctorate.

Source: apotheek.nl e.a.

That's what I said :)

A doctorate* (nl: doctorandus) which takes 6 years to earn (3-4 years BSc then 1-2 years MSc to use the English terms) followed by a 1 year specialization for public pharmacist. Exactly the same as the MDs (also doctorandus) have to do.

It's not a PhD; although I assume that you'd want to go that route if you're more interested in the research (I'm assuming that a PhD in Pharmacology is a thing). I tried convincing my wife to do it but she feels that she helps others more by being more hands on.

I think the confusion comes because a doctorate and a PhD are different things and different countries and disciplines use different terminology. I just about understand the Dutch system now but I'll never understand the German system.

Here's the correct usage of the terminology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate#Netherlands_and_Flan...

> in the UK for example they just need a BSc

That doesn't seem to be true? This page says you need an MSc, in the UK, to register and be a licensed pharmacist: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/pharmacy/stud...

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