Pharmacists are charged with distributing prescription to individuals as prescribed by their Doctor. Pharmacists also advise patients, Doctor’s and other health care professionals about the selection, proper dosage, interactions with, and side effects of medication.
Pharmacists also monitor health and progress of those patients to make sure the medication and dosage is safe and effective. The pharmacist also mixes the ingredients to form the properly prescribed medications.
The pharmacist will also advise customers about health topics in general such as stress management, diet and exercise and the best cough syrup to take. They also provide information on certain products such as home healthcare supplies or durable medical equipment.
Pharmacists also help with third party insurance forms and any necessary paperwork. The pharmacist may work in an independently owned pharmacy or part of a pharmacy chain or in a healthcare facility.
A pharmacist must complete an accredited college or school of pharmacy to earn a PharmD pharmacist degree.
This pharmacist degree has replaced the no longer awarded degree in Bachelor of Pharmacy. The prerequisite to be admitted to a pharmacist degree program is the completion of a minimum of two years in specific professional studies, which includes classes in math and science such as biology, chemistry and physics and humanities. Some applicants complete a 3 or 4 year undergraduate program before applying to pharmacy school.
Pharmacist Degree Requirements
It typically takes 4 years to complete a pharmacist degree program. The classes offered are geared toward the student learning about drug therapy, communication with patients and other health care providers regarding medication information and patient care.
Some students who graduate with a pharmacist degree participate in a 1 or 2 year residency program and work with a registered professional pharmacist.
The residency program is sometimes mandated for those who wish to work in a clinical setting. The residency program is also designed for students who wish to work in a specialized area of pharmacy.
In addition to completion of a pharmacist degree, the pharmacist must obtain a state license by successfully passing a series of exams, which is required in each state in the U.S. and its territories.
The NAPLEX, ( North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam) tests the knowledge and skills of the pharmacy candidates. The MPJE, (Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam) is required in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Both of the exams administrated by the NAPB, or National Association of Board of Pharmacy.
States that don’t require the MPJE exam have their own pharmacy law exam. Some states also require their own licensing exam unique to their jurisdiction.
Besides requiring the pharmacy candidate to complete and pass the required exams, states also have other qualifications that must be met, including serving a specified number of hours in a practice setting before being licensed, meeting an age requirement and submitting to a criminal background check.
Other qualifications not mandated but preferred is for each candidate to have a scientific aptitude, good interpersonal relationship skills and a desire to help others, as well as, being conscientious and detail oriented.
Temporary Pharmacy Technician Jobs
Many pharmacies throughout the world rely on part-time and temporary pharmacy technicians to fill in for full-time employees who may need to take leave, take a vacation or even to add extra manpower for busier days and times.
A pharmacy must have the oversight of a head pharmacist in order to legally function and most pharmacies also employ a number of pharmacy technicians in order to function effectively.
A temporary or part-time job may also be of benefit to a pharmacy technician. There are various reasons to only work part-time including going to school or fulfilling family functions.
A pharmacy technician may be able to find a part-time job that fits their lifestyle through a temporary agency or through other typical avenues of job-finding, such as want ads or networking.
Pharmacy Technician Jobs
A part-time or temporary job can benefit a new pharmacy technician by allowing them to use their knowledge and expertise in the field without having to be restrained by inflexible hours or other constraints of a full-time job.
This is an excellent way for someone to work while continuing their education, working on a personal business, or just committing their time to their family.
Working part-time can also allow the employee to keep their skills sharp while also keeping up with any changes in the field. This can be a huge benefit for full-time employment in the future should their needs and desires for employment change.
Depending upon the situation of the part-time employee, the tax formalities may change. It may even be possible to be considered an independent contractor, which would allow the employee to work at various pharmacies at different times.
The temporary or part-time employee can also learn about the standard operating procedures of the pharmacy where they are employed, which can be invaluable for both the employee and the pharmacy itself.
Temporary Pharmacy Technician Jobs
Pharmacies also benefit from the addition of temporary or part-time employees. Most pharmacies are open long hours and most days of the week to accommodate their customers, yet as with any business that has employees there are times when they are short-handed.
A temporary or part-time employee can assist in these times without the high cost of employing a full-time, professional pharmacist that may not be needed all the time.
Having a list of qualified temporary workers, or a few good part-time employees can allow the pharmacy to focus their time and energy on their customers and their business instead of worrying over staffing decisions and problems.
Most pharmacies have a database of qualified temporary or part-time professional pharmacy technicians to help them through the times when their full-time employees are unable to work.
Pharmacy Jobs Offer Great Pay Great Benefits and Security
The healthcare industry is one of the strongest industries in this economy and it offers stability and security to its workers. The healthcare industry is vital as every single person will use these services at one time or another in their lives.
That along with an aging population along with new developments in diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and disease with assure that the healthcare industry continues on a growth cycle for years to come.
The pharmaceutical industry is a huge part of this healthcare story. There is a continuous stream of innovative products to treat a myriad of health woes that benefit every person.
The pharmaceutical industry is also highly regulated and it is important to have professionals available within the industry to handle the ever-changing needs of the public.
There are many different jobs available within the pharmaceutical industry, any of which can offer significant benefits to the person committed to getting into this fast-growing and evergreen industry.
Medical Representative
One job that may be of interest to someone contemplating the pharmaceutical industry would be a medical representative. These important professionals spend their time educating doctors about the advantages and benefits of new drugs and treatments on the market.
This is highly beneficial to the medical professionals as it helps them to keep up with new innovations and treatments. It is also important for the drug companies to gather valuable feedback from actual patients.
A medical representative would do well to have salesmanship skills in addition to detailed knowledge of drugs, treatments, illnesses and ailments.
Many doctors depend upon the medical representative’s to educate them on how the medications work, how they may be an improvement over current treatments and how the drugs may interact with other drugs or treatments.
The medical representative must go through intensive training regarding the drugs and different treatment plans. The majority of medical representative’s also undergo extensive sales training.
The medical representatives then make appointments with the physicians, where they have the opportunity to educate them. They must be able to articulate and explain as clearly as possible in a usually short amount of time.
Product Manager
Another job in the industry that works directly for the pharmaceutical companies would be a product manager. This position is essentially a marketing specialist who determines demographics for the products and plans marketing campaigns.
A product manager must learn how to make convincing presentations based upon the clinical evidence and testing results.
They produce the sales literature and advertising for the products and continuously monitor the sales results, making improvements to campaigns as needed.
The pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated. All sales campaigns and advertisements must be approved for the proper use of the products.
Even though many drugs are used for purposes other than what they are approved for, they must go through rigorous testing for each purpose before they can be marketed as such.
The product managers along with their teams must go through the necessary procedures and paperwork to get the approvals that are necessary.
This can be a very demanding job and it would require an individual with an eye for details and a strong knowledge of legal terms and contracts.
In the opposite side of the same coin, there are also jobs in the regulatory side. All sales campaigns must be approved and drugs and pharmaceutical products can only be marketed for their approved use.
Pharmaceutical Job
While so far we have only discussed the jobs associated with the pharmaceutical companies themselves, there are also numerous other jobs associated with the industry.
Professional pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, clinical researchers, scientists and more find satisfying work in this industry.
The pharmaceutical industry is constantly trying to develop new drugs and treatments for the millions of ailments that affect peoples lives.
They often spend enormous sums of money in order to develop new and vital treatments and then they must also conduct the clinical trials before the treatment can enter the marketplace.
It can take a number of years before a new drug is finally approved by the Food and Drug Administration and it can be marketed. Even after approval things can go wrong, so testing and feedback is a continuous process.
People with the necessary training and education will always be able to find good benefits and lucrative pay within this ever growing industry. The jobs in sales, research and distribution in the pharmaceutical industry all offer good pay.
Pharmacy Technician Qualifications
Pharmacy technician is a field of medicine that continues to grow despite the variations and speed bumps in the economy and job market.
As the population ages and lives longer, more and more medication is being used. Diseases are being diagnosed quicker and at earlier stages requiring more medication being used.
Doctors are sometimes quick to prescribe medication rather than determine the reasons for a physical or mental concern that may not require medication.
Pharmacy technicians are employed to assist the registered pharmacist in the preparation and distribution of medications. There are certain pharmacy technician qualifications that must be met before working as a pharmacy tech.
Pharmacy technician qualifications include completing a pharmacy technician program and becoming certified. However, not all states require pharmacy techs to be certified, but it is recommended.
Being certified gives the technician the ability to demonstrate their ability to understand pharmaceuticals and the necessary standards and practices that must be used to prepare medication as directed by a Doctor’s prescription. Certification is also used as a bench mark when evaluating resumes of candidates for employment.
Qualifications For Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technician qualifications also include having excellent communication skills, math proficiency and organizational skills. Communication skills are necessary as the pharmacy tech will be interfacing with a number of people including the prescribing Doctor, the patient and the registered pharmacist, sometimes all at the same time.
The pharmacy tech has to be able to understand directions both verbally and written as well as express the same to the patient and anyone else involved in the discussion.
Poor communication skills will only lead to problems and the endangerment of the patient if the wrong medication is dispensed or questions are misunderstood and answered incorrectly.
You Have To Be Good At Math
Yes, math is an important skill necessary when discussing pharmacy technician qualifications, as the medication preparation relies on proper measuring and weighing the materials and compounding in the correct proportions.
Working the medication sometimes means converting the measurements and quantities between the English and Metric systems. Computer proficiency is a skill that will enable the pharmacy tech to keep track of orders and inventory.
It will also help keep the pharmacy organized and running efficiently, including billing and payments received. Pharmacy software programs are the life blood of the pharmacy.
Without them, the pharmacy might be just as organized, but the methods to complete tasks and track inventory and prescriptions will be slower and more time consuming to complete.
You Must Be Ethical
True, one of the most important pharmacy technician qualifications is ethical behavior. In order to build trust with the patient, the pharmacy tech must respect and protect patient/pharmacy confidentiality, as well as respect and follow the policies of the pharmacy.
The pharmacy tech must understand and follow to the letter of the law without wavering, the rules and regulations governing the preparation and distribution of prescribed medication.
The truth is, to violate the code of ethics is a breach of personal responsibility to the patient and the pharmacy, as well the pharmaceutical profession as a whole. That breach also undermines the pharmacy’s ability to work with patients in the best interest of their health care.
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