Understanding the Health Care Professional (1)
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Grand Canyon University *
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418 V
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Medicine
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Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Understanding the Health Care Professional
Grand Canyon University
HLT 418
Understanding the Health Care Professional
There are numerous healthcare professionals that some of us may not be aware of. In a
hospital setting, each person is responsible for a particular task they perform to ensure that one
person does not become overwhelmed. Therefore, in a hospital setting, it is as if a whole universe
of healthcare professionals comes together to ensure the safety of lives. This paper will provide a
more in-depth analysis of two healthcare professions to better understand their specific roles and
functions and their contribution to the health care system. The two healthcare providers we will
be discussing are the doctor and pharmacist. This paper will discuss the roles and responsibilities
of these providers and how they collaborate to ensure the best and most positive patient
experience.
Becoming a physician is a highly stressful process. It involves many years of educational,
clinical, and financial requirements. To become a doctor, an individual must have completed
their undergraduate studies at an accredited medical school and be awarded a degree such as a
Doctor of Medicine, MD, or Doctor of Osteopathy, DO (Road to Becoming a Physician | MD
Program, n.d.). However, to be accepted into the Graduate School of Medicine, an individual
must perform exceptionally well in their undergraduate course of study with a high GPA. Then,
they must go through the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) to apply to the medical
school of their choice. Upon completion of their medical school, an individual can begin their
internship in clinical rotations, progress to residency, and ultimately sit for their medical exam.
Pharmacists are professionals who are responsible for the safe and effective
administration of medications. If you’ve ever received a prescription from your physician, there’s
a high likelihood that you’ve interacted with a Community Pharmacist when picking up
medication at your hospital or community pharmacy. However, the responsibilities of
pharmacists have evolved beyond the mere counting and dispensing of medication (How to
Become a Pharmacist, n.d.). Pharmacists typically pursue a doctorate degree, which requires
years of study, beginning in high school and continuing through undergraduate and graduate
school. During this time, they must also take a pre-initiative test to ensure they are eligible for
admission into a school or program. This test is commonly referred to as the "Pharmacology
College Admissions Test" (PCAT). Upon graduation from graduate school and successful
completion of a PharmD program, pharmacists must take two licensing exams. These exams are
commonly referred to as North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam "NAPLEX" and
Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam "MPJE" or a jurisprudence exam, depending on the
state (All Allied Health Schools Staff, 2016). All of this study can take anywhere from six to
eight years, with no breaks from high school. A pharmacist works as a supervisor of the
pharmacy technician and must review the prescription for the patient before allowing the
medication to be dispensed to the patient. Additionally, the pharmacist must teach the patient
about side effects, storage, frequency, and the medicine's effects on the patient.
Type of Setting
A physician may have a broad range of work environments in which he or she can
practice his or her medications, including but not limited to federal government offices, public
health agencies, community and immigrant health centers, educational institutions, and
correctional facilities. More and more physicians are partners/salaried employees who work in
both hospitals as well as outpatient settings, including group practices, independent outpatient
care clinics, diagnostic imaging centers, etc. (Shi & Singh, 2021). In recent years, more and more
physicians have established their own practice and would hire another doctor for their practice,
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