Video:Career Profile of a Pharmacist

Transcript:Career Profile of a Pharmacist

Working as a pharmacist day in and day out means working with a vast variety of professionals in order to deliver maximum care to the general public. Being a pharmacist does not only entail dispensing prescriptions; a pharmacist also maintains patients' records, offers professional advice, and makes sure patients get the treatment that best suits their own personal needs.

Education Required to Become a Pharmacist

To become a Pharmacist, you must first endure a hard and extensive 6-year training to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. This degree is not easily obtainable, but if you are passionate about everything that entails the profession, six years of professional course work will turn a novice into a professional in the field.

Check Prescriptions First as a Pharmacist

First things first, as we settle in to work, we check our leftover or unfilled prescriptions and appointments for the day. These may include meetings with sales reps, or scheduled meetings with doctors to discuss any pending issue on the patient's prescription. As patients come into the pharmacy, they often have questions regarding pricing and possible side effects regarding their prescribed drug.

A good pharmacist is always able to fit the patients income-related needs by finding alternative generic medicine if authorized by the primary physician. A great amount of understanding of different illnesses and also chemistry is needed to answer any side-effect questions relating to the patients prescription.

Pharmacists Must Be Able to Offer Advice to Patients

Pharmacists don't just deal with prescribed medications -- many patients come to a pharmacy hoping for advice in taking over-the-counter medicine for a specific treatment. When this happens, a pharmacist should be prepared to suggest different medications and their possible benefits.

Therefore a good pharmacist must have superior knowledge of the drugs being discussed, as well as the patients' health background before sharing any concrete advice that may possibly harm the well-being of a patient. A pharmacist must also keep up with the latest drugs released in the market. Very often, the primary physician will contact a pharmacist to ask about new drugs, and the typical treatment or dosage used to cure a certain illness.

Other Daily Tasks of a Pharmacist

Throughout the day, the pharmacist must update computerized records of patients. These records are not just a means of keeping track of the drugs a patient has received: the pharmacist must use them to check that a patient is not taking the wrong combination of drugs, and is following the right dosage. If there are any problems, the pharmacist may then have to contact the patient and the doctor.A day in the life of a pharmacist is another day to learn and become better at the profession, but it’s also a way to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

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