Pharmacist Essay, Research Paper

Pharmacists have a great impact on healing patients. They work with doctors to ensure that the patients receives the best treatment by making sure the medications are pure, safe, and properly prepared. A pharmacist provides information about drugs and drug treatments, dispenses drugs and other prescribed compounds by physicians, podiatrists, and dentists. They have to make sure they are giving the right drugs in the precise quantity needed. They also check to make sure that one medication a patient’s taking won’t interact adversely with the new prescription.

Twenty-two percent of pharmacists work in hospitals while 73% are employed in drug stores and community pharmacies. Pharmacists can answer questions about prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. Some Pharmacists specialize in different areas of the medicine field. Pharmacotherapists are experts in drug therapy and works closely with doctors. Nutrition support pharmacists prepare special drugs needed to enhance a patient’s nutrition. Radiopharmacists produce radioactive drugs used for diagnosis and certain therapies.

To be a registered Pharmacist you must have all the requirements and training. A few pharmacy schools admit students directly from high school. Most colleges of pharmacy require one or two years of prepharmacy education at a college or university. Prepharmacy curriculum emphasizes mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, humanities, social sciences, and business administration. Most colleges of pharmacy programs are 5 years and result in a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. A Doctor of Pharmacy degree normally requires 6 years. The first two years are basic sciences and the last three or four years must be spent in a college of pharmacy. There are 72 colleges of pharmacy in the U.S. Pharmacists earn a great deal of money each year, over $50,000 per year depending on the education and training.

Pharmacists can be sued for malpractice if their professional activities cause injury and result from performance below standard. The American Pharmaceutical Association code of ethics requires pharmacists to be ethical in their solicitation of services and to respect the confidentiality of records.