What Do Pharmacists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Pharmacists

Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.

Salary
$125460
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications. They also review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.

Other tasks include:

  • Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
  • Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.
  • Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.
  • Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
  • Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
  • Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients’ homes.

We asked Pharmacists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

77%

How meaningful is this job

78%


77% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 78% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Pharmacists review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. They work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.

A typical day for a Pharmacist will also include:

  • Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
  • Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.
  • Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
  • Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.
  • Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise.

We asked some Pharmacists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 100% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 71% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 95% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 81% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 50% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 86% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Pharmacists also offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors. They may also refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Pharmacists Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases. They might also Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities.

In addition, they Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure.

To some Pharmacists, it is also their responsibility to Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.


Working life

Working hours

Standard 40 hour work week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Pharmacist, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Do Pharmacists work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
100%


Never
0%


Do Pharmacists work outdoors?

Never
96%


Once a year
3%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Thinkers and The Organizers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Pharmacists

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Related to Pharmacists Job Description

Pharmacists job description, what do Pharmacists do, typical day for Pharmacists, what is it like to work as a Pharmacist, how many hours do Pharmacists work, day to day work of a Pharmacist

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/pharmacists.htm
http://www.aacp.org/
http://www.nabp.net/
http://www.nacds.org/


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