In the consistently growing field of work-from-home employment and telecommuting, there are a few positions you might think still require a traditional office structure.
But in the age of digital commerce, even a pharmacist job is available for qualified candidates seeking more flexible hours and the freedom to work at home, away from traffic and retail settings.
The idea of having to purchase prescription medicine in-person has eroded in recent years, as major retail pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, and Duane Reade have increased their online functionality.
In addition, the medical industry has expanded to such a degree that major healthcare providers and pharmaceutical sales companies are in need of qualified doctors of pharmacy for a variety of roles that can be filled from home.
That’s great news if you’re a pharmacist in need of more flexible work hours, looking for a temporary position, or committed to a career in medical care without having to work every day in a demanding retail or hospital work environment.
If you’re looking to work from home as a PharmD, there’s no shortage of positions available for qualified applicants.
In this article, we’ll explore the various job types for work at home pharmacists, including part-time and full-time work.
In addition, it’s possible to work from home in the field of pharmacy without holding a PharmD, and we’ll look at these roles as well.
Qualifications You Need for Work-From-Home Pharmacist Jobs
Because remote jobs often involve working on projects across state lines, the medical field requires particular certifications before you can start working remotely.
In addition to holding a PharmD, be sure to check job postings for the required licensure:
Some states will require you to be a resident with state certification as a licensed pharmacist even if you’re working remotely for a health system or medical provider.
If you’re looking for a new job in remote pharmacy, be sure that your certification is up-to-date.
Where to Find Work-From-Home Pharmacist Jobs
If you’re looking for a position as a remote pharmacist, technician or consultant, you can find plenty of active listings on every major job posting site, including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and Monster.
In addition, there are pharmacy specific job sites like iHirePharmacy built solely for jobs and applicants in the field.
When you’re job hunting, be sure to create profiles listing your previous and current certifications by state, as well as your PharmD information.
Providing that information helps potential employers narrow their search.
Types of Work-From-Home Pharmacist Jobs
Depending on which part of pharmacy you’re interested in or qualified for, there’s a work at home option for you.
Full-time remote work is available, but a considerable amount of work-from-home jobs in pharmacy also offer flexible, part-time hours.
Remote Order Entry
The role of a centralized order entry pharmacist, or “COE pharmacist,” has become increasingly popular with healthcare providers and hospitals in recent years, as it allows a pharmacist to fill a large amount of prescriptions remotely while the active clinical pharmacist at the facility is freed up to interact with patients and review their care.
It’s also a cost-saving measure for employers, and a quick and easy pharmacist job if you’re looking to work from home.
As a remote order entry pharmacist, you’ll work from home for particular shifts (often at night), filling a set number of prescription requests.
This job is ideal for a pharmacist who prefers not to interact with patients or doctors, as you’ll simply review the information provided and assign prescriptions.
As long as you’re okay with limited involvement in the medical process of patient care and consultation, you can work a normal full-time or part-time positions, making money comparable to in-house colleagues, as a COE pharmacist.
Online Retail Pharmacist
The traditional retail pharmacy experience is migrating online.
Just as you can shop for groceries or order a restaurant meal from home, so too can you interact with a “local” pharmacist with questions about your prescription drugs.
Major retail pharmacies are increasing their online divisions, offering customer benefits such as one-on-one, private interactions with pharmacists who have access to their provided medical history and can help answer specific questions the patient has listed on their online profile.
If you’ve worked in retail pharmacy before and enjoyed the interaction with patients, online retail pharmacy provides the same interaction, just performed through a phone call or video chat service.
Pharmacy Benefits Manager
A Pharmacy benefits manager, or PBM, works as a third party with insurance companies and healthcare providers to evaluate and build prescription drug programs for employee programs.
In a PBM, a pharmacist will help develop the company’s formulary, which is a list of essential medicines and approved drugs in a particular healthcare program.
Pharmacists working as PBMs work inside the system and don’t interact with individual patients, doctors, or hospitals.
PBM work is often full-time and involves travel, but the position has also become popular for remote employees looking to work from home.
‘PRN’ Remote Pharmacist
If you’re looking for a part-time position or a job with a temporary time limit, you can work from home as a “PRN” remote pharmacist.
In the medical field, “PRN,” or “pro re nata” (meaning “as the situation demands”) are job listings for temporary, on-call positions.
You’re not guaranteed a set amount of hours per work or a salary.
You’ll only work when a medical provider needs your services.
Just like a full-time pharmacist, PRN pharmacists can telecommute.
As a work-from-home PRN pharmacist, you’ll provide authorization for prescription drugs, manage and maintain pharmacy records, and review treatment guidelines.
The major advantage of PRN work is often the finite amount of time.
Employers look to fill PRN jobs at new hospitals or medical centers in advance of hiring permanent full-time employees.
If you’re looking for new career opportunities in a growing city or you’re a work at home pharmacist trying keep limited hours, PRN listings are a great chance to work with flexible hours.
Consulting
A common way for pharmacists looking to work from home or work part time is to become consultants.
As a consultant, licensed pharmacists often work with major healthcare companies, like UnitedHealth Group, or healthcare staffing companies, like HealthTrust, to evaluate functions and policies related to their field and to provide an analysis.
Pharmacists working as consultants frequently assist medical sales teams, including educating medical sales professionals about particular drugs or treatments.
Consulting positions in pharmacy can often be done part time and from home.
The salary for consultants ranges heavily based on years of experience in clinical service and care management.
While these positions are often work-from-home, communication skills are a must — consultants are sometimes tasked with translating complicated medical language for non-medical professionals who don’t hold pharmacy degrees.
Pharmacy Technician
You don’t have to be a licensed pharmacist to find a home-based position in the field.
Just like at a regular brick-and-mortar pharmacy in a retail outlet or hospital, staff pharmacists rely on pharmacy technicians to assist in dispensing drugs and medical devices to patients, as well as interface with patients and customers.
Pharmacy technicians often interact the most with patients, reviewing prescription requests, contacting doctors’ offices and insurance companies, and arranging for payment with insurance providers.
They also handle administrative work for pharmacists, much like a medical scribe.
Just as the retail pharmacy experience is expanding online, so is the need for “techs” to communicate with patients.
Depending on previous experience (certain positions do not require a bachelor’s degree), pharmacy technicians can make anywhere from $12 to $28 an hour on average according to Glassdoor.
Work-From-Home Pharmacist Jobs Are on the Rise
As online retail continues to expand, you can expect more and more pharmacy jobs to become available in the United States.
Patients growing more familiar with online pharmacies value the privacy and expertise of pharmacists capable of reviewing their entire history during a private consultation.
And as more and more digital integration finds its way into hospitals and health care providers, the need for pharmacists to evaluate prescription requests and order medicines to be dispensed only grows.
Providers value the cost-cutting benefits of remote work, and employees enjoy the flexibility of working from home or working part time outside of medical center and hospital environments.
If you’re an experienced pharmacist or a newly graduated PharmD, remote employment is an emerging field in the profession that’s only going to expand and diversify in the coming years.
