Responsibilities of a Pharmacist

Pharmacists are the people responsible for the proper distribution of medications. They interact with the patients and inform them about the side effects, doses and everything else they need to take care of while consuming the prescribed medications. They are healthcare professionals distributing medicinal drugs to individuals while ensuring that they don’t adversely affect the person. The primary duties and responsibilities are to ensure the quality of medicine supplied. The pharmacy and pharmacist play a vital role in the day-to-day life of an average individual. There are certain skills required to be an efficient pharmacist, such as advising other healthcare professionals regarding the safe use of medicines. 

Duties and Responsibilities of a Pharmacist

Pharmacists are responsible for supplying medicines to patients while ensuring that there are no violations of law. They shouldn’t be supporting the unlawful distribution of powerful drugs. The duties and responsibilities mainly involve ensuring that the prescribed medicines are suitable for the patient. There shouldn’t be any adverse side effects, nor should it interfere with some other medications used by the patient. Patients might have several questions when they use medicine for the first time. It might be related to the doses, side effects, how to take them and many others. The pharmacist assists them and resolves their queries. 

In addition to these critical duties and responsibilities of a pharmacist, they also provide services such as checking the blood pressure and cholesterol management to the patients in need. They also ensure that the pharmacy system is updated regularly. Pharmacists assess the quality of medicines before they are supplied to patients. The duties and responsibilities of a pharmacist are not limited to these.

Pharmacy and Pharmacist

The role of pharmacy and pharmacist is quite broad. Pharmacies have turned from just medicine shops to a centre for complete health care. They play an essential role in the daily life of an individual. The pharmacist assists individuals in not just buying medicines but also in healthcare. Pharmacists are experts in medication who play a vital role in helping people to get the best possible results from the medications used. They also play an important role in risk assessment and subsequent reduction and spreading awareness. The role of pharmacists in reducing the pandemic spread is a perfect example of this. The pharmacy and pharmacist have become an integral part of our lives, especially when lifestyle diseases increase. It also plays a significant role in the cost-effective maintenance of public and individual health. 

Skills Required to Be a Pharmacist

The most critical skills required to be a pharmacist are active listening and learning. A pharmacist must be a good listener so that the patient’s problems can be completely understood and suggest solutions. Science is continuously evolving. As continuous learners, pharmacists should keep up with the recent updates in the medical field. The ability to instruct is another key factor in providing proper guidance to the patients. Speaking is as important as listening. A good pharmacist must be able to convey his directions in the right manner for them to be clearly understood by the listener. Analytic thinking and being socially oriented could be bonus skills required to be a pharmacist.  

Evolution of Pharmacy and Pharmacist

There have been many changes in the role of pharmacy and pharmacist. It is still unknown to the majority that pharmacists have been trained extensively to provide the best possible healthcare support to society. They have been trained to measure blood pressure and cholesterol, create awareness in people regarding health issues, and give a proper diagnosis based on these results. They play an important role in preventing the use of high-risk medications. They help people choose the best economical alternatives to medicine. The role of pharmacists is fast changing. From being a seller of medicines, some pharmacists today are certified to provide vaccinations and other injections without visiting a doctor. 

Conclusion

Pharmacists are easily accessible healthcare specialists. Apart from being able to communicate freely, the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacist could also be to suggest the most economical medications for the health condition. They are the intermediaries between doctors and patients. They counsel patients on different drugs’ side effects and suggest the best suitable medications. Listening and attention to the finest detail are the most notable skills required to be a pharmacist. The evolution of pharmacy and pharmacy over the years is commendable.