Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Pharmacist
Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Pharmacist
Pharmacists dispense drugs and medicines prescribed by physicians and health practitioners as explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Most of our interactions with a pharmacist probably come from your local pharmacy or drug store, especially since most pharmacists choose to work in either an independent or chain community pharmacy. If you are considering going down this career path and are wondering what it is like to be behind the counter, here is a list of the top 20 things to consider when it comes to a day in the life of a pharmacist.
Filling prescriptions
The most well-known task of the pharmacist is to fill prescriptions and oversee pharmacy technicians and interns that work in the pharmacy filling patient prescriptions. As per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, pharmacists generally start their mornings filling the prescriptions given to patients by their doctors.
Meetings with doctors
In addition to filling prescriptions, a pharmacist may also have appointments to keep, such as meeting with a doctor (usually over the phone) to discuss any problems with a patient’s prescription. This is because a pharmacist is an important part of a healthcare team.
Factors to consider when filling prescriptions
As a pharmacist fills prescriptions, they will need to be mindful of many factors articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. This includes checking for drug interactions with any other medications the patient is taking or checking to see if the patient has financial constraints and if that is the case if the administration of a generic substance has been authorized by the prescribing physician. There is a lot to filling prescriptions than just counting pills and applying labels.
Opioid substitution
Alongside filling prescriptions, a pharmacist will also be completing the dosing of patients on programs such as opioid substitution. Pharmacists can now offer patients access to prescription treatments, like medicinal cannabis, that they previously haven’t had access to. This includes patients with PTSD or anxiety, or those undergoing cancer treatment.
Advising patients on the use of prescription drugs
A big part of a pharmacist’s day is spent advising patients on the use of prescription drugs. They may have questions about dosage or side effects, and a pharmacist must be familiar with the medications so that they can answer these questions.
Giving advice on which over-the-counter medication best suits a patient
When it comes to patient interactions, the public will also want to know which over-the-counter medication will best treat their symptoms according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Therefore, the pharmacist will need to be knowledgeable about these as well, and be ready to make recommendations.
Many people look to their pharmacists
Given that it takes a lot of time and money to schedule an appointment with a physician or a specialist, many people look to their pharmacist to provide basic information about over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions. This is why interacting with patients is an important part of the day-it-day for a pharmacist.
Reviewing patient medications
A pharmacist will also be required to review a patient’s medication to enhance the quality use of medicines as captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. They do this by educating people about their medicines, identifying how their medicine may be affecting medical conditions, and addressing any issues they may be having.
Vaccinations
A pharmacist might have patients come in for their flu vaccinations or for blood pressure testing, which is another task that they handle during their day-to-day lives at work. Pharmacists have also recently been brought on board to support the community’s access to COVID-19 vaccination and testing.
Compounding
Pharmacists also spend part of their workday compounding medicines, particularly in the afternoon when they have fewer patients coming into the office. Through compounding, pharmacists can make products that aren’t commercially available, hence why they enjoy doing this.
Updating and maintaining patient records
Most pharmacies now keep computerized records of their patients and prescriptions, which is why part of each day is dedicated to updating and maintaining patient records as covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. These records can help you check for potentially dangerous drug interactions, and can even help you spot prescription drug abuse as a pharmacist.
Ordering medications
In addition to keeping and updating records, a pharmacist may also need to order medications when the pharmacy runs out. This is why part of the day-to-day tasks carried out by a pharmacist is keeping an eye on drug stocks and replenishing those that are running out to ensure that no patients are turned away because of a lack of medication.
Keeping in touch with patients
Other than ordering medications, pharmacists may also need to keep in touch with patients and/or physicians when problems with prescriptions arise as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com to ensure your patients all remain safe.
Building patient relationships
It is important to build a relationship with the community as a pharmacist, especially if you are operating in a regional area rather than a city. This is why pharmacists always focus on building relationships with patients and the community they serve each day at work.
How the day starts when working in the hospital
On days that a pharmacist is working in the hospital, they get to work early, usually before six in the morning. They start the day by reviewing the medication regimens for their patients. After that, the pharmacist meets with the entire patient care team and makes plans for patients for the day.
Rounds
One of the things that come with working at a hospital as a pharmacist is hospital rounds as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Rounds begin early in the morning, and during rounds, a pharmacist goes around ensuring that patients get all their medication needs met.
Attention to detail
One of the most important responsibilities of a pharmacist is to pay attention. As a pharmacist, you are helping keep people healthy – and sometimes alive – with the medications that you dispense. This means you need laser-like focus to ensure you are pulling the right medication and putting the right dosage information on every prescription.
Pharmacy work hours
In most cases, a pharmacist can expect to work 40 hours per week as revealed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Those hours can cover night shifts, weekends, and even holidays, depending on where one is working.
Retail hours
A retail pharmacy is located within another business – usually a retail store. Stand-alone pharmacies can also be considered retail pharmacies since they sell over-the-counter medications that aren’t pharmacy-specific. Retail pharmacies can maintain opening hours that run outside of the host store’s hours and are usually open 10 hours a day.
Hospital hours
As already mentioned, some pharmacists work in hospital settings. A hospital pharmacy is located within a hospital to fill prescriptions for patients after surgery or for other reasons. Hospital pharmacies are typically open 24/7, so you can expect to work on a rotating schedule with other hospital pharmacists.
These are some of the tasks you can expect on the day-to-day as a pharmacist, with more on this topic, and much more, to be found over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.
