A hospital pharmacist prepares intravenous sterile solutions and fills drug prescriptions. In a hospital setting, a pharmacist’s job entails advising medical personnel on drug side effects and using computerized systems to track patient drug regimens. Before being discharged from the hospital, a hospital pharmacist may give patients advice on how to use their medications. A university degree and a pharmacy license are required to work as a hospital pharmacist. Scientific aptitude, a desire to help others, and a detail-oriented mindset are all required for success as a hospital pharmacist.
A hospital pharmacist’s primary responsibility is to dispense medications based on doctor’s prescriptions. In some cases, hospital pharmacists work closely with medical staff, advising them on medication dosages and side effects. Some hospital pharmacists have direct contact with patients and explain important medication information to them prior to discharge. In most cases, pharmacists working in hospitals are required to use computerized systems to keep track of patients’ drug treatments and possible drug interactions.
Some hospital pharmacists specialize in a specific area of drug therapy. A pharmacist’s job in a hospital’s oncology department, for example, might entail preparing chemotherapy solutions. A psychiatric hospital pharmacist may be an expert in the drugs used to treat a variety of mental illnesses. A pharmacist may have specialized knowledge of intravenous methods of providing adequate nutrition in long-term intensive care hospitals.
A pharmacy degree and a pharmacy license are required to work as a hospital pharmacist. A four-year program is usually required to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Applicants must have completed two years of general academic coursework, including biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, in order to be admitted to such a program. If you want to work in a hospital, you’ll need to complete a one- to two-year pharmacy residency in a clinical setting. After completing the degree and residency, the next step is to obtain a license, which usually entails passing several exams.
To be successful in his job, a hospital pharmacist must possess certain characteristics. To avoid making life-threatening mistakes, he must be conscientious and detail-oriented. A general desire to assist others is required, as are interpersonal skills such as communicating clearly and listening attentively. In addition, an aspiring pharmacist must be capable of mastering the scientific principles involved in degree coursework and medication dispensing. He must be able to manage people and processes in hospital settings where he supervises other pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.