What Do Pharmacists Do?
November 2, 2008
Pharmacists are the experts in drug discovery, development, preparation and usage of medicines. They are both professional scientists and qualified health care practitioners. Pharmacists work in hospitals, in the community and in the pharmaceutical industry. They promote the safe and effective use of medicines and ensure quality patient care. Often, pharmacists are the first point of information on medicines for the public and other health care professionals, and must be effective communicators.
Pharmacists receive training in diverse areas of science and in the skills required to be effective and professional in their job. They study for a masters degree which takes four years to complete. After this they complete a pre-registration year and a rigorous exam before they are qualified. During their career they update their knowledge to keep abreast of developments within medical and pharmaceutical sciences.
The most common sight is of a pharmacist dispensing and checking prescriptions to ensure the patient has the correct medication and to ensure the patient is aware of any potential drug interactions or side effects. Pharmacists now take on many varied roles that may include diagnostic testing, reviewing patients medication, advising GP's on cost effective prescribing and many other clinical roles.
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