Pharmacists are health care professionals who dispense prescription medications to patients, translate the doctor’s orders and instructions on how to properly take these medications, and provide additional safety information.
They can also provide immunizations, oversee medications and history, provide advice on health and well-being, and conduct screenings.
Additionally, they are employed by hospitals, drugstores, and pharmacies. Some pharmacists own independent businesses, or they manage chain locations and perform business management activities like administration and inventory.
Many deals with standard and generic drug brands provided by pharmaceutical companies, while others use pharmaceutical compounding methods to create unique, personally-tailored prescription medications for individual patients. (For additional information about this type of specialized pharmacy, learn more at MEDS Pharmacy and see their example suite of services.)
Typical Job Duties And Required Tasks Include:
- Filling prescriptions.
- Verifying physician and doctor instructions.
- Checking for adverse reactions and interactions with a patient’s other medications.
- Instructing on proper dosage and how to take or apply the prescribed medicine.
- Moreover, reviewing potential side effects and how to mitigate them, where possible.
- Suggesting alternate, better-suited brands or medications to health practitioners.
- Additionally, compounding medications creates unique formulas for specific patient needs.
- Managing and supervising pharmacy technicians and trainees/interns.
- Providing flu shots and other vaccinations.
- Answering general health and wellness queries from patients.
- Suggesting recommendations on equipment or supplies.
- Teaching healthcare practitioners about medications and treatments.
- Filling out insurance paperwork and forms, and collaborating with insurance companies.
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
- Recordkeeping and administrative duties.
- Inventory and ordering.
- Working with other health professionals to review patient care plans and evaluate needs.
Pharmacists must take several years of schooling to earn an accredited Doctor of Pharmacy degree that includes Undergrad coursework and professional education, and internships. Coursework includes topics like pharmacology, chemistry, toxicology, biology, and pharmacy administration.
How To Become A Pharmacist After 12th
Before starting your journey as a pharmacist, you need to understand that the preparation for this career option requires tedious efforts. So, you will need to start your preparation and have a mindset ready right after passing your 10th grade.
For your school-level preparation, you need to enroll in a science stream with biology as your additional subject. And, you have to make sure that your grades or scores are above the average of 70% to qualify for the medical exams.
After you have passed your 12th grade, you will need to sit for a medical exam that evaluates your understanding of all the main subjects of the Science stream. Moreover, you need to pass this medical exam to show your basic understanding of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
If you are applying for UG courses, you need to look for colleges and universities that provide internships, training, and placement options. Additionally, most colleges will conduct an entrance exam that you need to take before enrolling.
After you have successfully passed the exam, you can start your graduation with pharmacy courses. However, if you are looking to enroll in post-graduation courses, you will need to complete your graduation in medical college with above-average scores.
With the master’s degree or post-graduation pharmacy courses, you level up your skill set. Moreover, this upskilling and leveling up can become an added benefit for your career options.
Pharmacists Need A Wide Variety Of Skill Sets And Attributes.
- Careful reading and comprehension are required to ensure no mistakes are made with prescriptions, dosages, and doctor’s notes.
- Active listening with patients is essential to understand their questions, concerns, and to ascertain their full understanding of instructions and requirements.
- Additionally, excellent communication skills with doctors, co-workers, patients, caregivers, and the general public, both verbally and in writing.
- Moreover, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are needed to deal with conflicts, reviews, and revisions to care plans.
- Professional and friendly customer service skills and the ability to translate technical and medical jargon to lay people.
- Additionally, extremely detail-oriented thinking and careful practice are required when dealing with drugs that can endanger patients.
- The stamina and capacity to work in a busy, high-volume environment with frequent standing.
Being a pharmacist is a rewarding job with lucrative pay, but it is hard work with many responsibilities and accountabilities. Moreover, it requires a blend of medical, technical, administrative, and people skills to help patients with the best possible healthcare outcomes.
It’s vital to stay up-to-date with the latest research and be committed to lifelong learning, as the field of pharmaceuticals and medicine is constantly changing when new research and innovations emerge.
Moreover, learning specialties like pharmaceutical compounding and how to manage one’s own business are professional development opportunities that can lead to ongoing success.
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