What Kind of Work Does a Pharmacist Do?
Pharmacists are medical professionals who receive extensive schooling in chemistry, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology in order to distribute prescription drugs to patients. Pharmacists perform a variety of work on a daily basis relating to this function and may choose to specialize in a particular type of pharmacy, such as intravenous medicine, oncology, nuclear medicine, geriatrics and psychiatrics.
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Drug-Related Work
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Some types of medicines must be mixed or compounded by the pharmacist before they are given to a patient. In addition, pharmacists are responsible for checking the accuracy of every prescription the pharmacy fills and for personally dispensing specially controlled drugs, such as narcotics.
Education
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Pharmacists are responsible for providing education to patients about the dosage, side effects and other information about their prescriptions. In addition, pharmacists may assist customers in purchasing over-the-counter drugs and medical supplies or may counsel them about topics such as herbal remedies, vitamins, smoking cessation and weight control aides and birth control.
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Consultation
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When pharmacists receive prescriptions from doctors, they will check records to ensure that none of the other drugs the patient is taking will have a negative or dangerous interaction with the new prescription. If the pharmacist perceives any potential for problems, he will contact the prescribing physician to consult with her about possible alternatives.
Insurance
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In some pharmacies, the pharmacist is responsible for submitting claims to insurance companies, which is typically done through computer software.
Supervision
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Pharmacists also supervise any pharmacy technicians, assistants or interns who work within the pharmacy, double-checking their work and providing them with coaching and training to improve job performance.
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