Pharmacist: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Full patient care can be accomplished through collaboration of the many health care professionals. This include the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dieticians and pharmacists. While all of play an important contribution to the holistic care of the patients, they do have certain specializations. Those health practitioners who are responsible for the dispensation of the different types of medications or drugs, be it formulary, non-formulary, prescription and non prescription drugs area called pharmacist, in general. We often see them in hospital pharmacies, as well as in commerical pharmaceutical stores, acting as heads. At times, thye may be employed by huge pharmaceutical companies for research and development of new drugs to be made and to be released in the market.
Education Knowledge and Trainings Required
Being a pharmacist is not easy. The minimum educational requirement to be qualified as one is a possession of a doctoral degree in Pharmacy. In preparation for the undergraduate study, it is recommended that subjects such as chemistry, biology, mathematics, be taken. A license is needed in all states of the United States after passing a board examination specifically for the pharmacists.
Skills and Abilities
A thorough and deep knowledge of the chemicals being used in different drugs, and the drug products themselves is not only a requirement but an expectation for any kinds of pharmacists. The skills needed are the techinical skills in the laboratories such as the basic skills in chemical compounding, the use of laboratory tools and equipment as well as the basic safety promotion skills in every of the chemical or laboratory procedures to be undertaken. Skills in coaching and teaching may be used whenever they do teaching and advising other health care professionals as well as patients regarding matters related to drugs and their therapeutic regimen. Skills in investigation and critical thinking are needed in undertaking research studies and conducting experiments.
Duties
Basically, pharmacist work as employees. They may either be employed in several areas most commonly, but not confined to hospitals.
Other work settings include pharmaceutical companies, small drug laboratories, and pharmaceutical stores. Generally, they do dispensation of drugs of all sorts. But more specifically, their tasks have a wide range of variation. Pharmacist in the hospitals are well trained to do concoction of drugs, and provide consultation to the other health care professionals. For those who are in pharmaceutical stores, they ensure that drugs are safe, properly stored, as well as do inventories and supervision of the assistant pharmacists. Those who are working for the pharmaceutical companies engage themselves to conduct studies and experiments for new drug development and drug performance testing.
Job Outlook and Earnings
The range of salary of a pharmacist starts off from roughly 64,000 U.S. dollars to around 89,000 U.S. dollars. Those who are seniors and working for quite a long time in the industry may be given a rate of around or over 113,000 U.S. dollars per annum. The employment growth for this job is expected to be faster than the average.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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Word Count: 530 Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 Time: 8:11 AM
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