A pharmacist is a critical medical professional who assists doctors, dentists, and veterinarians by dispensing the proper medications to patients. Some pharmacists specialize in pharmaceutical research or in the marketing and sales of a company’s specific medications. Many people in this field work in drug, department, or retail stores, while others work in hospitals. They are experts in the field of medication, and they must continue to educate themselves in this area as new medications are developed all the time.
To work as a pharmacist, a pharmacology student must first study math, biology, and chemistry and earn at least a bachelor’s degree in sciences. Furthermore, you cannot work as a pharmacist in the United States unless you have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree from a school accredited or approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and have passed two licensure exams. You can find out if a pharmacy program you’re interested in is accredited by simply asking, and if you’re still unsure, you can contact the council to double-check credentials.
In a retail setting, a pharmacist prepares medications, orders supplies as needed, advises physicians on drug interactions, and dispenses medications to people who have prescriptions. A pharmacist can only give medications to people who don’t have prescriptions if the drugs are legally available over the counter. Pharmacists are also helpful if you’re taking over-the-counter medications and want to know if they’ll interact with your prescription medications. They’re also in charge of ensuring that patients understand how to use prescription drugs properly. When patients use the same pharmacy for all of their prescriptions, many pharmacists keep records on them to ensure that no medications the patient is currently taking conflict with newly prescribed drugs.
Pharmacists primarily work in hospital settings, preparing medications, labeling them for distribution to appropriate patients, advising doctors on the best medications that don’t conflict with others, and ordering supplies as needed. Because many hospitals have retail pharmacies on site, some hospital pharmacists also dispense medicines directly to patients.
In a research setting, a pharmacist may be in charge of developing new drugs, testing drugs, administering pharmaceuticals for specific tests, or researching developed drugs for safety and potential interactions. Some collaborate with government agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct safety tests on medications awaiting approval. Others work for pharmaceutical companies or operate their own laboratories.