A pharmacist is an expert in medications. Pharmacists are key contributors in a variety of healthcare settings because of their accessibility, vast knowledge base and ability to assess and counsel patients.
Pharmacists have a wide range of duties and many are unique to the pharmacist’s chosen
specialty. A community pharmacist promotes wellness and improves patient care by dispensing
accurate and safe prescriptions. They analyze the properties of medications in order
to avoid drug interactions and inform patients and caregivers of safe use practices.
Acute care pharmacists assess patient health history and risk factors to prepare medication
treatment plans, often in collaboration with other healthcare team members. Ambulatory
care pharmacists perform assessments on patients managing chronic disease states,
such as hypertension, diabetes, HIV and many more.
Explore PCOM's Pharmacy Specialty Concentrations
Shari Allen, PharmD, BCPP, explains, “You can be a hospital pharmacist, a clinical pharmacist, a psychiatric pharmacist; you can work in academia, nuclear pharmacy.” Future pharmacists in our 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program are exposed to multiple specialty areas and practices.
Other responsibilities of a pharmacist include:
Pharmacists must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree, the highest level of professional education in pharmacy, and pass a pharmacy licensure exam in order to practice and interact with patients. A combination of classroom lessons and lectures, hands-on laboratory studies and real-world training prepares PCOM pharmacy students to thrive in many facets of health care.
