Pharmacist Roles and Workplaces

Role of Pharmacists in Society

  • Dispensing medications: Ensuring correct dosage and instructions.

  • Medication management: Monitoring usage and preventing harmful drug interactions.

  • Patient education: Providing information on safe medication use and side effects.

  • Disease prevention: Providing immunizations and education on preventive measures.

  • Collaborative care: Working with other healthcare providers for comprehensive care.

Where Pharmacists Work

  • Community Pharmacies: Dispensing drugs to outpatients.

    • Independent pharmacies: Privately owned.

    • Chain pharmacies: Corporately owned with several locations.

    • Responsibilities:

      1. Review prescriptions (drug-drug, drug-food, drug-smoking interactions; teratogenic drugs; contraindications; dangers during breastfeeding; dose errors).

      2. Suggest alternatives (bioequivalent).

      3. Improve commitment/compliance.

      4. Purchasing and proper storage of drugs.

      5. Preparation of certain formulas.

      6. Patient consultant.

      7. Pharmaceutical care

      8. Arrangement of drug product

      9. Computerization.

    • Pharmacy technicians: assist with storing medications, filling prescriptions, managing inventory, and handling the cash register.

  • Hospital Pharmacies: Providing medications and services to patients in hospitals.

    • Responsibilities:

      1. Medication dispensing.

      2. Patient education.

      3. Pharmaceutical care activities (IV admixtures, repackaging, procurement, expiration date control, narcotics dispensing, unit dose system).

      4. Drug information center.

    • Other duties: arrangement of medication, dispensing drugs, participate in registration, compounding out-patient prescriptions.

  • Clinical Pharmacies: Providing patient-centered care as part of a healthcare team.

    • Responsibilities:

      1. Medication therapy management.

      2. Disease state management.

      3. Medication reconciliation.

      4. Clinical research.

    • Note: Clinical activities can be performed in both community and hospital settings.

  • Government Agencies:

    • FDA: Regulating medication safety and effectiveness.

    • CDC: Promoting public health and preventing disease spread.

    • NIH: Conducting and funding biomedical research.

    • Local health departments: vaccine distribution, disease surveillance, and health education.

    • Ministry of Health: Drug registration, licensure, establishing drug policies.

  • Industrial Pharmacist:

    • Drug development: Involved in all stages, from discovery to market release.

    • Quality control: Ensuring medications meet strict quality standards.

    • Manufacturing: Overseeing medication production.

    • Drug safety: Monitoring medication safety post-release.

    • Clinical research.

    • Manufacturing and quality control of cosmetics

  • Marketing and promotion of drug products: studies, design of promotional aids, participation in conferences, visits to physicians, etc.

  • Academia: Teaching and research in pharmacy schools.

  • Other activities: Medical laboratories, cosmetic industry.