- O*NET-SOC code
- 29-1051.00
Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.090
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.33
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only21 rated tasks · 15 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (71.4%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.29-1051.00 | 0.023633.4 |
Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.29-1051.00 | 0.020328.8 |
Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.29-1051.00 | 0.010614.9 |
Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities.29-1051.00 | 0.010214.4 |
Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.29-1051.00 | 0.00304.2 |
Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients.29-1051.00 | 0.00304.2 |
| Not observed on any surface — 14 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | |
Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. | —0 |
Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly. | —0 |
Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs. | —0 |
Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. | —0 |
Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies. | —0 |
Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics. | —0 |
Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate. | —0 |
Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise. | —0 |
Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure. | —0 |
Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors. | —0 |
Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues. | —0 |
Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes. | —0 |
Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy. | —0 |
Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases. | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure.O*NET Task ID 1825 | 1.0 |
Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients.O*NET Task ID 1826 | 1.0 |
Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases.O*NET Task ID 20406 | 1.0 |
Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.O*NET Task ID 1808 | 0.5 |
Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.O*NET Task ID 1809 | 0.5 |
Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.O*NET Task ID 1810 | 0.5 |
Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.O*NET Task ID 1811 | 0.5 |
Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.O*NET Task ID 1812 | 0.5 |
Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.O*NET Task ID 1813 | 0.5 |
Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies.O*NET Task ID 1814 | 0.5 |
Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.O*NET Task ID 1815 | 0.5 |
Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate.O*NET Task ID 1818 | 0.5 |
Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise.O*NET Task ID 1822 | 0.5 |
Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.O*NET Task ID 1823 | 0.5 |
Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues.O*NET Task ID 20405 | 0.5 |
Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities.O*NET Task ID 1816 | 0.0 |
Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes.O*NET Task ID 1819 | 0.0 |
Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.O*NET Task ID 1820 | 0.0 |
Assay radiopharmaceuticals, verify rates of disintegration, and calculate the volume required to produce the desired results, to ensure proper dosages.O*NET Task ID 1821 | 0.0 |
Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.O*NET Task ID 1824 | 0.0 |
Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors.O*NET Task ID 20404 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (21)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. | Core |
| Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage. | Core |
| Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions. | Core |
| Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly. | Core |
| Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs. | Core |
| Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. | Core |
| Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies. | Core |
| Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics. | Core |
| Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities. | Core |
| Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate. | Core |
| Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes. | Core |
| Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal. | Core |
| Assay radiopharmaceuticals, verify rates of disintegration, and calculate the volume required to produce the desired results, to ensure proper dosages. | Core |
| Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise. | Core |
| Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy. | Core |
| Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications. | Core |
| Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure. | Core |
| Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients. | Core |
| Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors. | Core |
| Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases. | Core |
| Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues. | Supplemental |
0.31/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities. | E2 structured facilities |
| Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications. | E2 structured facilities |
| Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 325K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 342K
- Change (2025–35)
- +5.2%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $140,910
- Typical education needed for entry
- Doctoral or professional degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24311 | 전문 약사 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 24312 | 일반 약사 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2262Pharmacists
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Pharmacists store, preserve, compound, and dispense medicinal products and counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of drugs and medicines following prescriptions issued by medical doctors and other health professionals. They contribute to researching, testing, preparing, prescribing and monitoring medicinal therapies for optimizing human health.
Tasks
- (a) receiving prescriptions for medicinal products from medical doctors and other health professionals, checking patients' medicine histories, and ensuring proper dosage and methods of administration and drug compatibility before dispensing;
- (b) preparing or supervising the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines, ointments, powders, tablets and other medications to fill prescriptions;
- (c) providing information and advice to prescribers and clients regarding drug interactions, incompatibility and contraindications, side effects, dosage and proper medication storage;
- (d) collaborating with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the medicine therapy of individual patients, and the effectiveness of particular drugs or therapies;
- (e) maintaining prescription files and recording issue of narcotics, poisons and habit-forming drugs in accordance with legal and professional requirements;
- (f) storing and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs subject to deterioration;
- (g) advising clients on and supplying non-prescription medicines and diagnostic and therapeutic aids for common conditions;
- (h) supervising and coordinating the work of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy interns and pharmacy sales assistants;
- (i) conducting research to develop and improve pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related chemical products;
- (j) conferring with chemists, engineering professionals and other professionals about manufacturing techniques and ingredients;
- (k) testing and analysing drugs to determine their identity, purity and strength in relation to specified standards;
- (l) evaluating labels, packaging and advertising of drug products;
- (m) developing information and risks of particular drugs.
Example occupations
Dispensing chemist · Hospital pharmacist · Industrial pharmacist · Retail pharmacist
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- pharmacistESCO 2262.1This occupation is broader
Pharmacists prepare, dispense, and provide prescriptions for, over the counter medication. They offer clinical information on medicines, report suspected adverse reactions, and provide personalised support to patients. Pharmacists formulate and test medications in laboratories, and store, preserve, and distribute them.
- specialist pharmacistESCO 2262.1.2This occupation is broader
Specialist pharmacists provide specialist services for companies in the pharmacy industry and in hospital pharmacies. The role of the specialist pharmacist varies throughout Europe, subject to national rules and training.
- hospital pharmacistESCO 2262.1.2.1Overlapping, not the same
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.
- industrial pharmacistESCO 2262.1.2.2Overlapping, not the same
Industrial pharmacists are involved in the research and creation of medications. They develop new medicines, perform tests, assure quality and ensure that medication complies with regulations.
- pharmaceutical quality specialistESCO 2262.1.1Overlapping, not the same
Pharmaceutical quality specialists perform inspections and precision measurements in order to test and ensure the quality of pharmaceutical products. They are involved in the whole development phase of a pharmaceutical product until it is ready for the market. This includes the process of acquiring clinical trial licences, advising the pharmaceutical development staff on regulatory requirements and evaluating the content of the package leaflet and other documentation on the product. Moreover, pharmaceutical quality specialists collect and evaluate information on side effects of the product and communicate this knowledge both internally and to the relevant authorities.
- pharmacy assistantESCO 3213.1Overlapping, not the same
Pharmacy assistants perform general duties, such as stock management, serving at the cash desk, or performing administrative duties. They deal with the inventory within the pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist.
- pharmacy technicianESCO 3213.2Overlapping, not the same
Pharmacy technicians, under the supervision of a pharmacist, check incoming goods, control stock, handle and store pharmaceuticals properly. Where permitted by national rules, they dispense medication and provide advice on their appropriate use.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| J1202 | Pharmacien / Pharmacienne | Same scopeprovisional |
| H1513 | Responsable de pharmacovigilance en industrie pharmaceutique | Related, not a match |
| J1307 | Préparateur / Préparatrice en pharmacie | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2140 | Farmacéuticos | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 81804 | Apotheker/innen, Pharmazeuten/Pharmazeutinnen - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 124 | 薬剤師 | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources