OBJECTIVE： To introduce the general situation of clinical pharmacy education in the United States， and to discuss the development and practice direction. METHODS： The clinical pharmacy history were summarized over 50 years， and teaching method， training， content and certification were introduced. RESULTS&CONCLUSIONS： Pharmacy education and clinical practice underwent significant change and advancement. Pharm.D. program started in 2000 is the core of pharmacy education reform and only pharmacy degree provided by colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. The training and development of the clinical pharmacy practioner starts with a strong foundation of clinical education， predominantly delivered by advanced trained Pharm.D.’s in academia and practice. Education of the Pharm.D. student is centered on patient care， but is gradually shifting away from the traditional didactic lecture to skill based classroom activities designed to demonstrate of knowledge. Colleges and schools of pharmacy must be able to provide evidence that students have mastered the skills that are outlined in the accreditation standards. Following the Pharm.D. program， the next step in the development of the clinical pharmacist expertise generally requires one or two years of residency. Most of these clinical pharmacists will also pass a clinical board exam to attain a license to practice pharmacy. These same individuals also serve as clinical faculty in pharmacy colleges and schools. In china， development of the clinical pharmacist practioner can refer to the experience of the United states， and a cooperative but concerted effort between colleges and schools of pharmacy and medical centers strengthen clinical training of pharmacists.