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Pharmacists are
health professionals who
practice the art and science of
pharmacy. In their traditional
role, pharmacists typically take a
request for
medicines from a
physician in the form of a
medical prescription and
dispense the medication to the
patient and counsel them on
the proper use and adverse effects
of that medication. In this role,
pharmacists ensure the safe and
effective use of medications.
Pharmacists also participate in
disease state management, where
they optimise and monitor drug
therapy – often in collaboration
with physicians and/or other
health professionals. Pharmacists
have many areas of expertise and
are a critical source of medical
knowledge in clinics, hospitals,
and community pharmacies
throughout the world.
Pharmacists are sometimes
small-business owners, owning
the pharmacy in which they
practice. This unique
dichotomy is often the subject
of debate within the profession -
in part due to the perception of
pharmacists as "common
shopkeepers" by many in the
community. In actuality, while
many pharmacists do "keep shop"
they are also very skilled and
specialized individuals with
specific knowledge that makes them
a vital part of any healthcare
team. They act as a learned
intermediary between patients and
physicians to ensure that proper
medical therapy is chosen and
implemented in the best way
possible.
Pharmacists are sometimes
referred to as
chemists, which sometimes
causes confusion with scientists
in the field of
chemistry. This term is a
historical one, since pharmacists
originally were required to
complete an
undergraduate degree in
Pharmaceutical Chemistry (PhC) and
were known as "Pharmaceutical
Chemists".
Qualifications and
registration
The basic requirement for
pharmacists to be considered for
registration is an
undergraduate or
postgraduate Pharmacy degree
from a recognized
university. In most countries
this involves a four-year course
to attain a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
degree.
In order to practise as a
pharmacist, the
person must be registered with the
relevant
statutory body, which governs
the registration and practice of
pharmacy within the territory of
its jurisdiction. There is often a
requirement for the pharmacy
graduate to have completed a
certain number of hours of
experience in a pharmacy, under
the supervision of a registered
pharmacist. The statutory body
will usually administer a written
and oral examination to the
prospective pharmacist prior to
registration.
Pharmacists are trained in
fields including
pharmacology,
chemistry,
pharmaceutical chemistry,
pharmacy practice (including
drug
interactions, medicine
monitoring, medication
management),
pharmaceutics,
pharmacy law,
physiology,
anatomy,
biochemistry, kinetics,
nephrology, hepatology, and
compounding medications.
Additional curriculum covers basic
diagnosis with emphasis on disease
state management, therapeutics and
prescribing (selecting the most
appropriate medication for a given
patient).
Australia
In
Australia, apart from the
four-year BPharm course, there is
the option of a postgraduate
two-year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm)
course for those with
undergraduate science degree
background.
Pharmacists are registered by
Pharmacy Boards in individual
states such as the
Pharmacy Board of New South Wales.
In
Western Australia, pharmacists
are registered by the
Pharmaceutical Council of Western
Australia. Individual states
have differing requirements for
pharmacy graduates for
registration, but generally
graduates are required to complete
approximately one year of practice
under the supervision of a
registered pharmacist. In
addition, graduates are required
to complete an approved graduate
training course for that state,
for example the Pharmacist
Graduate Training Course (PGTC)
offered by the
Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia NSW Branch is
required in
New South Wales. On meeting
these requirements, graduates are
eligible to sit the registration
examination which may involve both
written and oral components.
United Kingdom
In Britain, integration with
the
European Union has resulted in
the BPharm course being superseded
by a four-year course for the
qualification Master of Pharmacy (MPharm).
The
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of
Great Britain is responsible
for regulation of pharmacy
affairs. Graduates must complete
one year of practical training in
a pharmacy prior to eligibility to
sit the registration examination.
United States
In the United States,
individuals seeking to become
pharmacists must complete a
pre-pharmacy undergraduate
program. This program consists of
a minimum of 60-70
semester
credit hours (90-100
quarter
credit hours) of undergraduate
coursework in basic and advanced
sciences; however many students go
on to complete a four year program
(between 120-130 semester credit
hours) leading to a
Bachelor of Science degree in
biology, chemistry, or a similar
field. In addition, a high
PCAT (Pharmacy College
Admission Test) score is required
at most colleges and schools of
pharmacy.
After admission, a student will
complete a four year pharmacy
program and will be awarded the
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
degree upon graduation. A pharmacy
graduate may choose to complete an
optional post-graduate residency
(one to three years) or enter
directly into pharmacy practice,
e.g., community (retail),
compounding, consultant (nursing
home), hospital, nuclear, etc.
A pharmacy graduate must
complete
internship requirements and
pass the North American Pharmacist
Licensure Examination, or
NAPLEX, and an additional
state exam before they can acquire
a license to practice pharmacy in
that state. The NAPLEX was created
by the
National Association of Boards of
Pharmacy (NABP).
Roles
Pharmacists are often the first
point-of-contact for patients with
health enquiries. This means that
pharmacists have large roles in
the primary healthcare of
patients.
These roles include, but are
not limited to:
- clinical medication
management
- specialised monitoring of
simple and complex disease
states
- reviewing medication
regimens
- monitoring of treatment
regimens
- general health monitoring
- compounding medicines
- general health advice
- providing specific education
to patients about disease states
and medications
- oversight of dispensing
medicines on prescription
- provision of
non-prescription medicines
- counselling and advice on
optimal use of medicines
- advice and treatment of
common ailments
- referral to other health
professionals if necessary
- dosing drugs in renal and
hepatic failure
- pharmacokinetic evaluation
- education of physicians on
medications and their proper use
- prescribing medications in
collaboration with other
healthcare professionals
- providing pharmaceutical
care
Specialities
Practice specialization
Specialties exist within the
pharmacy profession, with the
place of occupation being the
major differentiator. Specialities
include:
- Academic pharmacist
- Clinical pharmacist
- Community pharmacist
-
Consultant pharmacist
- Drug information pharmacist
- Home Health pharmacist
- Hospital pharmacist
- Industrial pharmacist
-
Locum pharmacist
- Regulatory-affairs
pharmacist
Specialty Practice
accreditation
In the
United States, a pharmacist
can become certified in recognized
specialty practice areas by
passing an examination
administered by the
Board of Pharmaceutical
Specialties. There are five
specialties in which a pharmacist
can become Board-certified. The
Pharmacotherapy specialty also has
two subspecialties, as follows:
- Nuclear Pharmacy
- Nutrition Support Pharmacy
- Oncology Pharmacy
- Pharmacotherapy
- Cardiology
- Infectious disease
- Psychiatric Pharmacy
Additionally, other
certifications are available from
smaller credentialing boards, such
as the Certified Geriatric
Pharmacist (CGP) designation,
administered by the
Commission for Certification in
Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP).
In
Australia, accreditation
exists only for certain
specialties and is provided by
professional bodies for the
following:
