OBJECTIVE： To investigate the role orientation of pharmacists in China， and to provide legislative suggestions for the formulation of pharmacist law in China. METHODS： Through literature study， the career and evolution process of pharmacists at home and abroad were traced. The obstacles of the role change of pharmacists in China were analyzed to put forward the enlightenment to the legislation of pharmacist law in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS： Pharmacists in the world had generally entered the stage of “taking medication safety of patients as the center” pharmaceutical care， but pharmacists in China were still in the transition stage from “taking drugs as the center” traditional pharmacy to “taking safe medication as the center” clinical pharmacy. The role cognition of pharmacists needed to be improved. Pharmaceutical care should be taken as the role orientation， and the scope of pharmacist law adjustment should be defined； the qualification admittance threshold of pharmacists should be improved with the goal of pharmaceutical care-oriented talents； Taking pharmaceutical care as the content， the rights and obligations of pharmacists should be defined. The legislation of pharmacists should be conducted in China to speed up the transformation of pharmacist’s role into pharmaceutical care.