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Pharmacy Overview

• Compounding refers to the mixing of ingredients to create medications in various forms like powders, tablets, and solutions.
• Consultant pharmacists travel to facilities like nursing homes to monitor patients' drug therapy.
• An internship provides supervised practical experience to aid professional development in pharmacy.
• A medication profile is a computerized record of a patient's drug therapy.
• Nuclear pharmacists prepare and dispense radioactive pharmaceuticals.
• Nutrition support pharmacists determine and prepare nutrition formulas for intravenous administration.
• Pharmaceutical chemistry, also known as pharmaceutics, focuses on the physical and chemical properties of drugs and dosage forms.
• Pharmaceutical industry pharmacists work in sales, research, development, or marketing within pharmaceutical companies.
• Pharmaceuticals are medicinal drugs.
• Pharmaceutics is the branch of pharmacology dealing with the preparation, use, and sale of medicinal drugs.
• Pharmacoeconomics involves analyzing the costs and benefits of different drug therapies.
• Pharmacology studies the effects of drugs on human and animal bodies.
• Pharmacotherapists specialize in drug therapy and collaborate with physicians.
• Pharmacy administration studies the business aspects of pharmacy use and management.
• Pharmacy aides primarily handle tasks like answering phones, handling money, stocking shelves, and performing clerical duties.
• Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists provide medication and other healthcare products to patients.
• Radiopharmacists apply pharmacy and radiochemistry principles to produce radioactive drugs for diagnosis and therapy.
• Side effects are secondary and usually adverse effects of a medication or treatment.

Buying Medications Online

• Purchasing medications from online or out-of-country retailers can be risky.
• Risks include counterfeit medications that may lack correct ingredients or contain harmful substances.
• Out-of-country retailers might not adhere to the same safety and quality standards as FDA-regulated pharmacies.
• Medications may be mislabeled, leading to incorrect and dangerous dosages.
• Expired drugs, which may be less effective or harmful, may be distributed by some online sellers.
• Importing certain medications without a prescription or from unauthorized sources can be illegal.
• Unlicensed sources may not provide proper instructions or warnings about drug interactions.
• Financial scams involving websites that take money without delivering medication are a risk.
• Improper storage during shipping can affect medication potency and safety.
• Purchasing prescriptions from a licensed pharmacy is safer.

Pharmacists' Roles and Responsibilities

• Physicians primarily use medications to treat illnesses.
• Pharmacists are the professionals who dispense these medications.
• Pharmacists counsel patients and develop drug therapy programs.
• They have direct patient contact in both clinical and retail settings.
• High earnings are possible, but work schedules may include nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Pharmacists must graduate from an accredited college and pass a series of licensing exams.
• Pharmacists advise health professionals and the public on the proper use of medicines.
• They need specialized knowledge due to the complexity and presence of side effects in pharmaceutical products.
• Apart from providing information, pharmacists dispense drugs and medicines prescribed by healthcare professionals.
• Pharmacists must understand the use, composition, and effects of drugs.
• Continuous education activities are essential for pharmacists to stay updated with new medications.
• Compounding is a smaller part of a pharmacist's practice because most medicines are produced by pharmaceutical companies.
• Pharmacists counsel patients and answer questions about prescription drugs.
• They provide information on over-the-counter drugs and make recommendations based on patient information.
• They advise on durable medical equipment and home healthcare supplies.
• Pharmacists work with insurance companies to ensure medication costs are covered.
• Community pharmacy owners may manage merchandise, personnel, and overall pharmacy operations.
• Pharmacists administer immunizations and perform diagnostic tests.
• They offer specialized services for conditions like diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure.
• Computer use enables pharmacists to create medication profiles.
• Medication profiles help prevent drug interactions and monitor patient compliance.
• Pharmacists in hospitals and clinics dispense medications, advise medical staff, prepare sterile solutions, and may teach.
• They consult with medical teams on drug therapy and patient care.

Specialized Pharmacy Roles

• Clinical pharmacists may work in home healthcare, monitoring drug therapy and preparing solutions for patients.
• Pharmacotherapists specialize in drug therapy and collaborate with physicians in hospitals.
• Nutrition support pharmacists determine and prepare drugs for nutritional needs, including oncology and psychiatric treatment.
• Radiopharmacists, or nuclear pharmacists, prepare and dispense radioactive pharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy.
• Pharmaceutical industry pharmacists work in sales, research, development, or marketing.
• Their insights are valuable in developing new drugs and ensuring safety regulations in pharmaceutical companies.
• Basic educational backgrounds of pharmacists lead to federal and state positions.
• Pharmacists hold positions in the U.S. Public Health Service, Veterans Administration, FDA, and armed services.
• State and federal boards regulate pharmacy practice to protect public health.
• Pharmacists are employed as executive officers and inspectors.
• State health agencies employ pharmacists to purchase medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
• Most states have pharmaceutical associations with full-time executive officers who are pharmacy graduates.
• Some pharmacists are involved in specialized tasks like advertising, technical writing, and pharmaceutical law.

Work Environment of a Pharmacist

• Pharmacists work in clean, well-lit, ventilated areas that resemble small laboratories.
• Some items are refrigerated, and controlled substances are kept under lock and key.
• Pharmacists spend much time standing, use safety precautions when handling dangerous products.
• They may work nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Consultant pharmacists travel to monitor patients, some work part-time.
• In 2019, there are approximately 321,700 pharmacist jobs.
• About 42% work in retail settings, and about 26% work in hospitals.
• Some work in mail order pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers, or government.

Education and Training

• A license is required in all states and U.S. territories.
• Pharmacists need a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and must pass exams.
• As of 2020, 141 PharmD programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
• A PharmD degree involves courses in mathematics, natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
• Applicants must take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT).
• Programs include training on drug therapy, communication with patients, ethics, and medication distribution.
• Students spend time in pharmacy practice settings under supervision.
• Master of Science or PhD degrees in areas like pharmaceutics, pharmacology, and pharmacy administration are also available.
• Graduates also have the option to take one to two year residency programs or fellowships

Licensure for Pharmacists

• All states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories require a license to practice.
• Licensing requires graduation from an ACPE-accredited college.
• License candidates must pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX).
• Candidates must also pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE).
• Both exams are administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
• Additional exams may be required by certain states and territories.
• Pharmacists specialize through national certifications by advanced knowledge of medical knowledge.
• Most jurisdictions grant license transfers to qualified pharmacists licensed elsewhere with continued education.
• Foreign pharmacy graduates must be certified by the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC).

Other skills

• Skills include scientific aptitude, interpersonal abilities, and attention to detail.
• Staff-level pharmacists in community pharmacies advance through supervisor and executive positions.
• Hospital pharmacists may advance through administrative positions.
• Pharmacist who work in the pharmaceutical industry can advance through the sales, marketing, research or quality control routes

Employment Trends

• Employment is expected to decrease overall through 2029.
• Job prospects depends on job growth, workers leaving the occupation, and the limited capacity of training programs
• Employment of pharmacists is expected to decline by 3% between 2019 and 2029.
• The rise of online prescriptions has decreased the demand in retail.
• Tasks have been delegated to pharmacy technicians, allowing pharmacists to lessen patient care.
• Hospitals and clinics have increased the need to increase the number of pharmacists on their staffs
• Increased numbers of middle-aged and elderly people spurs demand for pharmacists.
• Pharmacy informatics improves medication for patient use.

Earning Potential for Pharmacists

• In May 2020, the median annual wage and salary of pharmacists was $128,710.
• The lowest 10% was less than $85,210 and the highest 10% was more than $164,980.

Pharmacy Technicians and Aides: Overview

• Job opportunities are good, especially with certification or work experience.
• Many technicians and aides work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• About 51% of jobs are in retail.
• Technicians and aides help licensed pharmacists prepare medications, provide customer service, and perform administrative duties.
• Technicians handle prescription requests, count tablets, and label bottles.
• Aides perform administrative duties like answering phones and stocking shelves.
• Pharmacy technicians receive prescriptions, verify information, retrieve medication, and prepare labels.
• Once completed, Technicians price and file prescriptions, establish patient profiles, and prepare insurance claim forms.

Work Environment for Aides and Technicians

• Aides and technicians work closely together and perform administrative duties such as answering telephones, stocking shelves, and maintaining patient profiles. They may organize inventory and alert pharmacists to shortages in medicaitons or supplies. Unlike technicians, pharmacy aides do not mix or prepare medications.
• Pharmacy technicians and aides work in clean, organized and well lit areas
• They may be required to to lift heavy boxes or use stepladders to retrieve supplies
• Many technicians and aides work part-time, may be required to work nights, weekends and holidays

Employment and Education for Pharmacy Technicians and Aides

• Pharmacy aids and technicians held 461,200 jobs in 2019. There are around 422,300 technicians and only around 39,000 aides. 51% are in a retail setting, and about 17% are in hospitals.
• Employers are encouraged to hire people with experience formal training or certification.
• Technicians will have have formal on the job training of 3-12 months
• Training will include community colleges, vocational schools, hospitals and the military
• there are voluntary certifications available through several private organizations
• There are good customer service and communication skills needed for the two roles
• Advancement is generally limited, but with training you can be moved or promoted to different positions