Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship with a length of 3 or 4 years are the most common ones. The certificate awarded after successfully completing a 3 or 4-year apprenticeship is called "Certificat Fédérale de Capacité" (), "Eidgenössisches Fähigkeitszeugnis" (EFZ) or "Attestato federale di capacità" (AFC).
Pharmacy school
A new pharmacy graduate may choose to complete an optional post-graduate residency (one to three years) rather than entering directly into pharmacy practice. A pharmacy residency consists of one to two years of general residency and one to two years of specialized residency. Residencies allow graduates to further hone their clinical skills in a structured environment. The first year of residency training is a general practice year and is referred to as post-graduate year one or "PGY1." The second year of residency training, which is referred to as post-graduate year two or "PGY2," is typically geared toward specialization in a specific therapeutic area, such as cardiology, pediatrics, infectious disease, etc. Residency programs may be accredited by the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP). A list of accredited programs can be accessed via ASHP's website as well as ACCP’s website.In Zimbabwe pharmacists are trained at two Universities, namely the University of Zimbabwe (which has been training pharmacists since the 1970s) and the Harare Institute of Technology. Both universities offer a four-year (Honours)undergraduate degree. After qualification, the graduates then undertake a one-year pre-registration training under the auspices of the Pharmacists Council of Zimbabwe. They are then expected to do a year of community service at designated health institutions. Only after these two years do pharmacists in Zimbabwe get an open practising certificate.