Andrew Boss
Amber Collins
STDEV 170
14 October 2015
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is a chemistry and biology orientated health profession that requires great attention to detail and also good oral and written communication skills. I would enjoy a career in pharmacy because it combines the two subjects that I enjoy most: chemistry and biology. This profession would also give me the opportunity to help other people every day. Pharmacy does require several years of schooling, however, in the long run it pays off very well. Out of all the health professions available, pharmacy interests me the most.
Job description:
Pharmacists do much more than simply fill prescriptions. They can advise patients about a healthy diet, ensure that prescribed medication does not conflict negatively with other medications that a patient is taking, and can even give flu shots. Pharmacists also regularly instruct patients on when and how to take their medication, coordinate with insurance companies about prescribed medication, and oversee the pharmacy technicians and interns (“Pharmacists.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
There are four different types of pharmacists: community pharmacists, clinical pharmacists, consultant pharmacists, and pharmaceutical industry pharmacists. Community pharmacists work in chain drug stores, and some even run their own pharmacy. They give prescribed medication to patients, and give advice and occasionally flu shots to them as well. Clinical pharmacists are much different. They
As a clinician in a hospital, the pharmacist becomes a member of a professional healthcare team. In their clinical practice, pharmacists are directly involved in ensuring optimal medical therapy for patients by devising therapeutic regimens specific to individual patients. They also staff the Drug Information and Poison Centers whose task is to provide information to other healthcare professionals to assist with therapeutic decision making (uq, 2012).
Pharmacists have many different responsibilities to their patients, these include promoting patient’s safety through checking the patient’s medication and keeping good records every time a patient fills a new prescription or refills prescription filled (Leagle, 1994). Pharmacists should also improve
“Pharmacist dispense prescription medications to patients.” They also describe the proper way to use the medication. “They also may conduct health and wellness screenings, provide immunizations, oversee the medication given to patients and provide advice on healthy lifestyles.” (bls.gov) some pharmacist specialize in specific drug therapies such as cancer or mental health treatments. (bls.gov)
I am currently working as a pharmacy technician at Kroger. This has given me the opportunity to see what a pharmacist does on a daily basis. The pharmacists have taught me how to handle insurance questions, comply with HIPAA laws, and different functions of medications. I have observed the pharmacist order different supplies and medications needed for the pharmacy, contact doctors, and handle transfers from other pharmacies.
In a changing healthcare environment, the role of the pharmacist has evolved from primarily dispensing to monitoring and managing drug therapy in collaboration with physicians and other providers. As a result, pharmacy technicians are beginning to take on some of the technical aspects of pharmacy practice. This means that better educated, more qualified technicians will be needed in the future.
Pharmacists are highly educated in the form, uses, and interactions of certain medicines and also in how those medicines affect normal body functions. They keep thorough patient medication records, which contain
With in the hospital, there are many different roles a pharmacist can take. There are point of care pharmacist, operations managers, clinical pharmacist, interdisciplinary committees, IT pharmacist, clinical coordinators in the director of pharmacy. Point care pharmacist
From there, I began to explore more of what a career in pharmacy would mean and take the steps necessary to pursue my dream. As I reflect on the past and look forward, becoming a Doctor of Pharmacy is still the clear answer to achieving both my immediate and long-term goals. My immediate goal is to work towards additional education to be better equipped to utilize my undergraduate degree. In particular, I have a strong interest in applying my knowledge of biochemistry to the area of pharmacy in order to better understand how different medications work, how to help patients understand their medications, and how to solve problems to better care for patients. Ultimately, through achieving a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, I desire to develop a meaningful career that would allow for life-long learning and impacting lives.
They counsel patients on the use of medication, upon a patients release from the hospital. Retail pharmacists help answer questions about over the counter and prescription drugs. They must ask patients certain health questions in order to make a judgment on which medications to prescribe. Some pharmacists specialize in drugs for psychiatric disorders or intravenous nutrition.
There are pharmacists that work in totally different fields and their tasks require them to be specialized in different areas of pharmacy. Some of the different types of pharmacists are, Pharmaceutical technicians and Pharmaceutical scientists. Both share a general relation with each other, but they both have major differences according to what they do on a daily basis. Pharmaceutical scientists usually specialize in one aspect of the drug development process. They design new drug remedies using natural or man made ingredients, they study how disease affects the body and what causes some people to develop certain types of disease, study how the human body responds to medications so scientists can develop more efficient, safer drugs,they uncover new ways to use existing drugs to treat different types of disease, they Test drugs on animals and humans to ensure safety and efficiency, determine the most effective formulation and dosage for a specific drug, and advise corporations or government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, on issues related to pharmaceutical development.(Explore) To become a pharmaceutical scientist, you must have a strong interest in mathematics, biology, and chemistry. In college, you can major in the pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy, chemistry, biology, engineering, medicine or a related field.(Explore) Pharmacy Technicians work the same hours as pharmacists. This may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Because some hospital and retail pharmacies are open 24 hours a day, technicians may work varying shifts. As their experience increases, pharmacy technicians often have increased control over the hours they work. There are many opportunities for part-time work in both retail and hospital environments.
What does it take to be a pharmacist? Pharmacy involves more than just handing out drugs, otherwise anyone could do it. “A pharmacist is a health professional who follows instruction from physicians regarding the amount of education to distribute” (“Pharmacy requirements”). The pharmacy profession requires a lot of education, demands patience and attentive work, provides good pay, and offers a satisfying job.
There are other pharmacy staff who also have roles in relation to the safe dispensing of medicines. A pharmacist is responsible for: Overall checking of a prescription to make sure that it is legal and written by a person qualified to do so, dispensing the right quantity of the correct medicine, ensuring that medicines are correctly labelled with the person’s name, the name of the medicine and the dosage, providing advice and treatment for minor illnesses, injuries and health concerns, providing a repeat prescription service in co-operation with GP
First, here is some important background information about Pharmacists. A Pharmacist is someone who is trained and licensed to distribute medicinal drugs and to advise on their use. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook Pharmacists do
The career that I am interested in pursuing is a Pharmacists. The number one reason I have decided to become a pharmacist is because I want to help and assist others. The satisfaction of me helping a patient get better quickly is the motivation that drives me. The second reason is the act of working with other health care professionals. Pharmacist have to communicate with other professionals as a team to avoid errors. Communication and connection is a major key in today’s society, in which I like with a passion. The big career dream began when my older cousin sister became the first in the family to graduate from college with a college degree. Her getting a well-paying job and taking care of my aunt and uncle led me to work hard and achieve pharmacy just like her. HCC will help me pursue my goals by helping me get high grades and achieve a high GPA. By me getting an Associates in Science I would then transfer to a big university like University of Houston to continue for higher education.
Today in the 21st century the roles of pharmacist have expanded tremendously. Before pharmacist had the role of solely dispensing drugs. Pharmacists were limited to only being regulatory or clinical pharmacist. Back then they were called medical purveyors who were much like today’s regulatory pharmacist and hospital pharmacist who are similar to hospital pharmacist. Now pharmacists carry many roles in healthcare. Pharmacist can play roles in public health, community, health systems, state, and federal government.