4 answers
Taylor
Student
Grundy Center, Iowa
8
Questions
Asked
413 views
What does a pharmacist do (hospital, retail, research, industry, academics etc.)
Basically what does a pharmacist do if someone truly wanted to know. #pharmacist
Login to comment
4 answers
Paul Fina
Clinical Pharmacist / Clinical Assistant Professor
6
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Paul’s Answer
All of the above. There are many career paths.
This website puts out career pathways for pharmacy students that contains much more information and is much more detailed than I can type here. https://aphanet.pharmacist.com/career-option-profiles
This website puts out career pathways for pharmacy students that contains much more information and is much more detailed than I can type here. https://aphanet.pharmacist.com/career-option-profiles
Katie Jeko
Clinical Pharmacist
1
Answer
Lynchburg, Virginia
Updated
Katie’s Answer
Pharmacist's do a wide variety of things depending on what area they practice. I can tell you what a community retail pharmacist's (also called outpatient) day to day duties are. I have held pharmacy jobs in 3 different states. Typically you open and close the pharmacy, verify prescriptions, take care of phone calls (transfer meds to your pharmacy from others, answer patients questions, answer Doctor or office staff questions), enter new prescriptions to fill, educate patients on new meds or over the counter meds (like Tylenol or Motrin), help your technicians count the medications and bag them, order special meds if needed, give shots to patients, conduct a covid test, run a register, etc. I started as a pharmacy technician and moved through positions to finally be a Pharmacy Manager once I was licensed.
My passion is to educate my patients about their meds and why it is important to take them.
I have not worked in other pharmacy industries like hospital, research, or academia.
My passion is to educate my patients about their meds and why it is important to take them.
I have not worked in other pharmacy industries like hospital, research, or academia.
Loved reading this, thanks!
Micah
Sonja Wright
Pharmacist
3
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Sonja’s Answer
From the inpatient pharmacist aspect, you have different opportunities. Mostly you verify orders in most cases, electronically, making sure they are appropriately dosed and entered by the physician correctly. You may be in situation where you can participate in rounding with the doctors, which is a great learning experience. You are responsible for checking the work the technicians do and sometimes help in ordering supplies and medications for the pharmacy if there is no buyer. You are responsible for keeping accurate counts on narcotics as well. I am sure I missed a lot of other duties, but these are some.
Hope this helps
Sonja
Hope this helps
Sonja
Oreoluwa Army
Pharmacist
1
Answer
Manchester, New Hampshire
Updated
Oreoluwa’s Answer
One of a pharmacist's primary duty is filling prescriptions, however before filling any prescription, a pharmacist ensures that it is a legal prescription, written by a licensed prescriber within the scope of his/her practice (for example, a dentist prescribing antipsychotics or CNS stimulants is doing so outside his/her scope of practice- such a prescription would legally not be filled by a pharmacist).
In addition, a pharmacist ensures that any medication being prescribed is appropriate for the patient- appropriate dose, appropriate strength, appropriate route of administration. A pharmacist reviews a patient's medication list to be sure the medications don't interact adversely with each other. If a pharmacist encounters any issues, he/she calls the prescriber to discuss these issues.
A pharmacist counsels patients on what foods, drinks and activities to avoid while on certain medications.
Pharmacists also receive calls from other healthcare practitioners with questions about different drug therapies and they provide recommendations on appropriate treatments for various disease states and appropriate substitutions when the preferred medication is unavailable.
Pharmacists advice patients on the adverse effects of their medications and instruct them on the next steps if/when they experience side effects with their medications.
Pharmacists are often the first point of call for patients when they are ill or wounded; they provide over-the-counter drug recommendations when needed.
Pharmacists administer vaccine when appropriate and also conduct tests such as Covid-19 tests.
In certain states, pharmacists prescribe medications to patients.
Not only have pharmacists prevented many doctors and nurses from killing patients with the wrong prescriptions, pharmacists also advocate for the wellbeing of the patients entrusted into their care.
In addition, a pharmacist ensures that any medication being prescribed is appropriate for the patient- appropriate dose, appropriate strength, appropriate route of administration. A pharmacist reviews a patient's medication list to be sure the medications don't interact adversely with each other. If a pharmacist encounters any issues, he/she calls the prescriber to discuss these issues.
A pharmacist counsels patients on what foods, drinks and activities to avoid while on certain medications.
Pharmacists also receive calls from other healthcare practitioners with questions about different drug therapies and they provide recommendations on appropriate treatments for various disease states and appropriate substitutions when the preferred medication is unavailable.
Pharmacists advice patients on the adverse effects of their medications and instruct them on the next steps if/when they experience side effects with their medications.
Pharmacists are often the first point of call for patients when they are ill or wounded; they provide over-the-counter drug recommendations when needed.
Pharmacists administer vaccine when appropriate and also conduct tests such as Covid-19 tests.
In certain states, pharmacists prescribe medications to patients.
Not only have pharmacists prevented many doctors and nurses from killing patients with the wrong prescriptions, pharmacists also advocate for the wellbeing of the patients entrusted into their care.