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Pharmacist

A pharmacist is an expert in medicines. They know what a drug is made of, how it acts on the body, what it must not be combined with and how to store it properly. Pharmacists advise customers in pharmacies and make and test medicines in factories and labs. If you like chemistry and biology and you are careful with details, take a closer look at this career.

Pharmacist

Many people picture a pharmacist only behind a pharmacy counter, but that is just one part of the job. Some develop new forms of medicines, control quality at factories, register drugs, work in hospital pharmacies or promote medicines for pharmaceutical companies. Precision matters everywhere: a mistake in dosage or storage can harm someone's health.

What the job involves

  • Advises customers and dispenses medicines, including prescription drugs
  • Explains how to take a medicine and what not to mix it with
  • Monitors storage conditions and expiry dates
  • Tests the quality of medicines in the lab
  • Takes part in producing and developing medicines

Skills you need

  • Chemistry and biology

    Without them you cannot understand how a medicine is built and how it works in the body.

  • Accuracy

    Milligrams, dates and storage conditions call for precision.

  • Responsibility

    A person's health depends on the right advice.

  • Explaining clearly

    You need to tell people in plain words how to take a medicine.

  • Willingness to learn

    New medicines and rules appear all the time.

Who it suits

Personality types

Strong intelligences

  • Logical-mathematical
  • Naturalistic
  • Interpersonal

UNT subjects to take

State grants 2026

  • Pharmacy B085

    46 grants, passing score from 107, median 112 (Ministry of Health order)

Main competition, full-time study. Quotas and separate state orders can have lower scores. Check your chances

Where to study

To become a pharmacist with a university degree you need a bachelor's in Pharmacy (group B085). The UNT profile pair is biology and chemistry. Pharmacy belongs to healthcare, so the minimum score is higher: in 2026 it was 70 points. At Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, for example, the programme takes 5 years. Pharmacists are also trained at Astana Medical University, Karaganda Medical University and South Kazakhstan Medical Academy.

Students learn pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, drug technology and pharmaceutical analysis, with placements in pharmacies and factories. There is another route too: after grade 9 or 11 you can study Pharmacy at a medical college, qualify there as a pharmacist and continue at university later.

Outlook

In Kazakhstan, pharmacists work in pharmacies and pharmacy chains, hospital pharmacies, pharmaceutical factories, drug distributors, quality control labs and companies that register and promote medicines. Pharmacies operate all over the country, from big cities to villages. Experienced specialists become pharmacy managers, run production or go into research.

Frequently asked questions

Which UNT subjects do I need to become a pharmacist?

For the Pharmacy programme (group B085) the profile pair is biology and chemistry. It is a healthcare field, so the minimum score is higher than usual: 70 points in 2026. You also take the compulsory subjects, including the history of Kazakhstan.

What is the difference between a pharmacist and a doctor?

A doctor diagnoses illnesses and prescribes treatment. A pharmacist does not diagnose, but knows medicines best: their ingredients, doses, interactions and storage. They can explain how to take the medicine a doctor has prescribed.

Is pharmacy right for me if I do not want to work with people?

Yes. Not every pharmacist stands behind a counter: you can work in a quality control lab, in drug production or in a drug registration department, where there is little contact with customers.

Is this career right for you?

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