What does a pharmacist do?

Pharmacists know all there is to know about prescription drugs - they are medication experts. The average pharmacist knows much more about drugs than the average physician - it simply is not a physician's field.

There is a lot more to a pharmacist's career than just printing labels and counting pills. Because everyone can make a mistake, a pharmacist will double check and make sure that the medication a physician has prescribed to a patient will not interact with other drugs the patient may be taking. It is not unusual for a pharmacist to call the physician to confirm dosage, as it is easy to write the wrong amount, which will result in a dosage that is either too low or too high. They will make dose adjustments, they will check chemotherapy calculations - they will basically act as a gatekeeper between the patient and harmful drug interactions.

There are also many time-consuming duties that a pharmacist deals with, such as ordering supplies, figuring things out with insurance companies, and handling the many regulatory compliance issues. Physicians are glad there is a division of labour so that they can concentrate on treating their patients.

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One of the biggest advantages of being a pharmacist is that you'll be making significantly more than most careers - more than a teacher, a social worker, or even a nurse.

Job security is another positive - pharmaceutical careers are in demand and are expected to have higher-than-average growth in the future.

Yet another advantage is that pharmacists are often able to provide feedback on a medicine's side effects and/or a medicine's effectiveness - information that can be used in drug engineering and in technological and medical advances.

The job can be somewhat stressful at times, but it is less stressful than other medical professions. If you work in a small community, you will develop relationships with regular customers over a period of time, and see their progress as you work with them.

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One of the best ways to figure out whether pharmacy is the right career path for you, is to volunteer or apply for a job as a pharmacy technician. It's important to have some work experience for your resume, and at the same time, it will expand your understanding of what the career entails.

If you do decide pharmacy is for you, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of school. A couple of fairly obvious pointers are to make sure you go to class and take good notes. Surprisingly, quite a few students don't go to class on a regular basis, and assume they can catch up later. Unfortunately, this will only worsen your study performance, so try and make it a practice to go to all your classes. While you're in class, take thorough, consistent and organized notes. Record the class lecture, if allowed, so you can go back and refer to the lecture if needed. Ask questions if you need clarification on the material. It shows the professor that you're engaged, and keeps you alert in class. If you're on the shy side, write the question down and ask the professor if you can speak to him/her one-on-one, or just communicate by email.

Balance your time. It can be overwhelming to juggle school, assignments, studies, work, and extracurricular activities. Try typing up notes into a study guide, or listening to recorded lectures the day after class etc. Try not to cram for an exam. Rather, study your material on a daily basis. A rule of thumb is that you should be studying two to three hours for every hour in class. Stress in unavoidable, especially in pharmacy school, but try to eat fairly healthy, exercise, take breaks, and keep a regular sleep routine.

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A pharmacist has a doctoral degree - a PharmD, or Doctor of Pharmacy. Many professions require a doctorate (for example, a professor, a phsychologist, etc). However, they are not "doctors" like medical doctors are.

For example, while in a crowded airplane flight, someone yells out "is there a doctor in the house?" would or should a PharmD stand up and approach in the affirmative? Probably not. Clearly here they are referring to a physician that has completed medical school and can take charge in a medical emergency.

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If you are exploring careers and are considering becoming a pharmacist, make sure you gather as much information as possible beforehand in order to make an informed and educated decision. Like any other profession, there are both positives and negatives to this career:

PROS

Flexibility
There are a number of different job opportunities available in this profession. Pharmacists can work in a variety of settings, which gives individuals the flexibility to choose the setting that fits them best and is most appealing. Pharmacists can choose from settings such as retail drug stores, schools, colleges, nursing homes, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.

Salary
The earning potential for pharmacists can range from $81,000.00 to $135,000.00 annually. Pharmacists have the ability to earn a salary that is significantly higher than most careers, including nurses and teachers.

CONS

Education and Training
A pharmacist must complete a high level of education and attain a doctorate degree. Clinical work training is also part of the program and can be very demanding. Some pharmacists will have over $100,000 in student loan debt when they graduate.

Job Security
Changes have been sweeping across America’s healthcare system recently. Medicare has cut funding, which has closed hundreds of hospitals. It’s difficult to predict the future, and the job security of a pharmacist is not the same as it used to be.

Repetitive Work
This profession does involve a lot of redundancy - each day is fairly similar with many repetitive tasks. However, you can change positions throughout your career. For example, you could work a few years at a hospital pharmacy, then teach a few years at a pharmacy school, then work for a pharmaceutical company etc.

Responsibility Level
Responsibility and stress levels vary between the different niches in pharmacy. Overall, however, as a pharmacist your duty is to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of the medication you are dispensing for the patient, ensure that the medication is suitable for the patient’s condition, advise the patient on how to take the medicine, and answer any questions patients may have. There is also the responsibility of leadership, management, corporate mandates, teamwork, etc. People’s lives are in your hands, and living under this kind of stress on a daily basis isn’t for everybody.

Pharmacists rank in the 17th percentile of careers for satisfaction scores. Please note that this number is derived from the data we have collected from our Sokanu members only.

After graduating university, community pharmacy is where a large portion of the students find themselves. Recently, however, the supply of pharmacists has exceeded the demand, pay has decreased, and jobs have become a bit scarce. The bottom line is under pressure due to government cutbacks and big box pharmacies losing their discounts from major drug suppliers. Because of this, hours for technician/assistants has dropped dramatically leaving pharmacists with less technical help to keep things running. This combined with the pressure to bill more clinical services and more prescriptions results in an unhappy atmosphere for both staff and customers.

However, working in a rural area will typically be a more laid back experience where pharmacists aren’t just staff members. They are also part of a community. These pharmacists are most likely be asked to participate in non-pharmacy related committees as they are a respected professional and people look to them for advice on all matters, not just health-related ones.

There are very specific academic requirements involved in becoming a pharmacist. Qualifications and specific training requirements vary from country to country. Generally, an undergraduate degree is required, followed by a postgraduate pharmacy degree. In some countries (for example the UK) the courses may be linked and the full qualification MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) may be obtained after five years of studying pharmacy - four undergraduate years plus one master's year.

In other countries (for example, the USA and Australia) undergraduate studies, or an undergraduate degree in a science subject is required for entry into a postgraduate pharmacy course and then at least two years of postgraduate study are required. In the US this results in a PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) qualification.

After completion of the academic requirements, most countries then require newly qualified pharmacists to work a "pre-registration" year, or an internship, to gain the experience required for the job. The number of hours required varies by country, and even by state within the USA.

After the work experience has been completed, there are usually more exams. These may take the form of a licensing exam, or a registration exam, depending on specific country requirements. Some countries also require that pharmacists participate in continuing professional development (CPD) programmes as they progress through their careers. This ensures that they stay up-to-date on all aspects of the job, including emerging research and new medicines.