Graduate Pharmacist Responsibilities

---

Contrary to some people's beliefs, pharmacists are actually highly qualified healthcare professionals. They are experts in the clinical use and science of medicines. Graduate pharmacist responsibilities include dispensing prescription drugs, giving instructions about the dosage and also replenishing the stock when required.

Key Graduate Pharmacist Responsibilities

• Dispense drugs according to the physician's prescription
• Check the prescription for completeness and proper authorization as well
• Keep a database with information about the medical history, prescription orders and patient information of all the customers
• Meet with medical representatives
• Manage the budget and maintain financial records
• Order stock when needed
• Help out the customer regarding the required dosage, health issues, information about the medicines, etc.
• Assist in research activities when required
• Keep an eye on the patient's reaction to the drugs and inform the physician
• Assist the pharmacy technicians when needed
• Try and develop better methods for compounding and mixing drugs
• Ensure that the quality does not fall below the standards established by the pharmacy
• Recruiting, managing and training staff if you are working in a retail pharmacy
• You may also sometimes assist in diagnosing a disease
• Answer any questions or concerns the customer or patient might have
• Help in organizing clinical trials of some drugs by the pharmaceutical companies as and when required
• Maintain a correct inventory of the chemicals and drugs in the pharmacy
• In some places, a pharmacist's job will also involve lab work and research
• Manage the daily routine of the pharmacy
• Ensure that the prescription order is correct regarding the patient's medical history and allergies
• The pharmacist can also recommend any changes in the current medications prescribed to a patient

Essential Skills and Abilities

• A sense of maturity and responsibility is important since you are dealing with the lives and health of patients
• Confidence
• Good interpersonal skills. The people you deal with will often be worried, scared and harassed. You should keep their mental state in mind and not take things personally. A soothing, comforting and knowledgeable manner will be reassuring for the patients
• Handling hazardous materials in a safe manner
• Thorough understanding of the concepts, theories and principles regarding the design and manufacture of medicines
• Preparing pharmacy-specific scientific documentation
• A sense of empathy and sympathy
• Good numerical skills
• Team-work
• Good time management and organizational skills
• Commercial awareness
• Ability to critically evaluate data
• Information about the laws and ethical concerns regarding supply of medicines
• Knowledge about the composition, manufacture and uses of drugs
• Good understanding of the chemical and physical properties of drugs, how they will work within the body as well as how they are tested for their purity and strength

Educational Background

• To become a pharmacist, you need to complete either a four year pharmacy degree after receiving a Bachelor's degree or a six year undergraduate course at a pharmacy school
• After completing the degree course, students have to pass a registration exam in order to practice as pharmacists
• Before appearing for the registration exam, students are expected work for at least a year
• You will also need a minimum of three A levels and one of them has to be Chemistry
• The top preference for the second A level subject is Biology
• You should also have good scores (grades A to C) in English and Math at the GCSEs

Salary Details

• The annual average wages of pharmacists are around $106,420
• The salary depends on which field you are working in - whether as a clinical pharmacist, a retail pharmacist, a hospital staff pharmacist, etc.

Potential Employers

Graduate pharmacists can work in a variety of environment. Some of the potential employers include -

1. Hospitals
2. Health care facilities
3. Retail
4. Mail service
5. Armed services
6. Community pharmacies

Career Prospects

• The field of healthcare is in expansion mode and pharmacists are important professionals in this field
• The demand for qualified pharmacists is very high in the US and other countries
• The options for pharmacists are also constantly increasing. They can choose to enter a range of fields such as – universities, military, community pharmacy, Internet companies, hospitals, nursing homes, research and development, working with the national or local government, etc.

Choosing to become a pharmacist can be a rewarding career choice, and it is also a well-paying job. However, a pharmacist has an important job, and if he does not do it well, the health of his patients suffers. So ensure that you do not take the graduate pharmacist responsibilities lightly.