What do Pharmacists Do?

Pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring people receive the right drugs and advice concerning their medications. They are responsible for preparing, compounding and dispensing drugs, assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and other ailments, and providing expert advice for patients about their medications. Below we explore the role of pharmacists in more detail.

Evaluating Prescriptions

One of the primary roles of pharmacists is to evaluate prescriptions for accuracy and check for potential drug interactions. They do this by looking at the patient’s medical history, making sure that the correct dosage and strength of drug has been prescribed, and checking for any potential allergies. They also alert doctors to any drug interactions or possible contraindications, so that alternate medications can be considered.

Counseling Patients

Pharmacists also have a responsibility to advise and educate patients on how to appropriately and safely use their medications. This includes providing advice on various topics such as the importance of taking medications as prescribed, potential side effects, when to take a drug, and the importance of following a healthy lifestyle to ensure the effectiveness of the drug. They may also provide advice on how to stop taking certain drugs, such as opioid analgesics, or provide direction on safe disposal of medications.

Compounding Medications

Pharmacists also create custom medications for patients based on the doctor’s instructions and prescriptions. Compounding often involves changing the strength or dosage of a drug and mixing various drugs into a single form. This is useful for individuals who have difficulty swallowing certain medications or have a specific allergy.

Conducting Dispensing of Drugs

Pharmacists are also responsible for the actual dispensing of drugs. This includes verifying the prescriber’s degree of authority, confirming patient identification, filling the right number of doses, determining the appropriate method of administration, and verifying the patient’s entitlement to receive the requested medications. The pharmacist also has to ensure that the amount dispensed is within the legal limitations and that the correct labels are attached to the product before it is provided to the patient.

Pharmacists provide an essential service to patients and the community in general. By understanding the roles and responsibilities of a pharmacist, patients can be confident that their medications are being prepared, compounded, and dispensed safely and accurately.