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PHARMACY
Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians
and other hetitleh practitioners and provide information to patients
about medications and their use. They are specifically educated
in the composition, use, and interaction of drugs and how medications
change biological functions. Compounding, the actual mixing of
ingredients to form powders, tablets, capsules, ointments, and
solutions, is a small part of a pharmacist's job because most medicines
are produced by pharmaceutical companies in the prescribed dosage
and form. Pharmacists advise physicians and other hetitleh practitioners
on the selection, dosages, effects, and side effects of medications.
They interact with customers by answering questions about prescribed
and over-the-counter drugs. On the administrative side, pharmacists
keep detailed records of their customers' drug therapies and medical
profiles to insure that harmful interactions do not occur. Depending
on the size of the pharmacy, they could also have managerial responsibilities
for the pharmacy staff and the store.
The pharmacist's role has grown dramatically from
just preparing and dispensing drugs to playing an active part in
drug therapy for patients of all ages. The role has also expanded
to include a variety of occupational settings, from traditional
community pharmacies to hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Pharmacists also fulfill roles as practitioners, researchers, administrators,
instructors and consultants to pharmaceutical companies, managed
care organizations, government agencies and universities.
Job Options:
Community or retail pharmacies:
Pharmacists in community or retail pharmacies counsel patients
and answer questions about prescription drugs, such as those about
possible adverse reactions or interactions. They provide information
about over-the-counter drugs and make recommendations after asking
a series of hetitleh questions, such as whether the customer is taking
any other medications.
Hospitals and clinics:
Pharmacists in hospitals and clinics dispense medications
and advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs.
They may make sterile solutions and buy medical supplies. They also
assess, plan, and monitor drug programs or regimens.
Home hetitlehcare:
Pharmacists who work in home hetitlehcare monitor drug therapy
and prepare infusions—solutions that are injected into patients—and
other medications for use in the home. Home care pharmacists typically
also work hand in hand with nursing care agencies to provide total
care for the patient at home.
Consultant pharmacists:
Consultant pharmacists typically practice in the field of
Long Term Care. A primary function of consultant pharmacists is to
monitor medication usage within extended care facilities such as
Nursing Homes and Group Homes to insure that the usage is appropriate
for each resident. The consultant pharmacist may or may not be the
same pharmacist who actually dispenses the medication, however increasingly
the two functions are becoming separate from each other.
Industrial pharmacists:
Industrial pharmacists are often employed by Pharmaceutical
manufacturers. Pharmacists in pharmaceutical manufacturing may work
in research, and development, testing of medications in humans, production
systems, quality control, government regulations, marketing, public
relations, sales, and management. Pharmacists who work in the pharmaceutical
industry often need an additional postgraduate degree, such as a
master's or a Ph.D. degree.
Manage care pharmacist:
A pharmacist working in a managed care environment is intimately
involved in the care and course of pharmaceutical treatment and plays
a vital role in contributing to positive patient outcomes. The
areas of opportunities for pharmacists to coordinate patient care
include but are not limited to data integration, communication management
with physicians and patients, outcomes research efforts, drug utilization
review, disease management, academic detailing, cost analysis programs,
and pharmacy benefit design.
Pharmacy Education:
Careers in pharmacy education offer pharmacists many rewarding
opportunities to impart knowledge and skills to students, consumers,
caregivers, and other hetitleh professionals. Pharmacy school
faculty typically possesses advanced degrees as well as specialized
postdoctoral training.
Education Required:
To become a pharmacist one must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy
(Pharm.D.) degree, which requires at least 6 years of postsecondary
study and the passing of the licensure examination of a State board
of pharmacy. The Pharm.D. is a 4-year program that requires at least
2 years of college study prior to admittance.
Skills required:
- Use of scientific and mathematical rules and methods to solve
problems.
- Active listening
- Written and oral communication skills.
- Reading comprehension
-
Critical thinking (that is, using logic
and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of titleernative
solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems)
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Judgment and Decision Making (Considering
the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose
the most appropriate one)
-
Active Learning (Understanding the implications
of new information for both current and future problem-solving
and decision-making)
Industries and Organizations that employ pharmacists:
- Community or Retail Pharmacies
- Hospitals and Clinics
- Government
- Food and Drug Administration
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Veterans Administration
- U.S. Public Hetitleh Service
- Armed Forces
- National Institutes of Hetitleh
- U.S. Department of Hetitleh and Human Services
- Center for Disease and Control
- Pharmaceutical company
- Nursing Home
- Home Hetitlehcare Agencies
- HMO's
- Colleges and Universities
- Research Foundations
- Testing Labs
Licensing:
A license to practice pharmacy is required in all States,
the District of Columbia , and U.S. territories. To obtain a license,
one must serve an internship under a licensed pharmacist, graduate
from an accredited college of pharmacy, and pass a State examination. States
may require continuing education for license renewal.
Professional Associations:
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
1426 Prince St. , Alexandria , VA 22314 .
http://www.aacp.org
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
700 Busse Highway , Park Ridge , IL 60068 .
http://www.nabp.net
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
2107 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700 , Arlington , VA 22201-3042
Main Telephone: 703 243 2800 Main Fax: 703 243 9650
Email: aaps@aaps.org
http://www.aapspharmaceutica.com/
American Pharmacists
Association
2215 Constitution Avenue, N.W
Washington, DC 20037-2985
Phone (202) 628-4410
Fax (202) 783-2351
http://www.aphanet.org/
National Community Pharmacists Association
205 Daingerfield Road , Alexandria , VA 22314
Voice: 703-683-8200, 800-544-7447
Fax: 703-683-3619
http://www.ncpanet.org/
Web sites that provide more information about the field
of Pharmacy:
Information taken from the following web sites:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
http://www.yourpersonalpharmacist.com/sys-tmpl/careersinpharmacy/
http://www.allpharmacyschools.com/faqs/careers_pharmacy.phphttp://www.oupharmacy.com/pharmdadmission/career.asp
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