Pharmacists are widely considered to be a reputable profession which is often held in high regard, both in general society and in the medical field. Becoming a pharmacist often takes as much work as become a doctor, and can be a very strenuous path involving a lot of examinations, studying, experience and training before becoming a practitioner.
There are many misconceptions which come with the pharmacist profession, especially by those outside of the field. People often think that pharmacists are seen as only counting pills, and sitting at a computer in a pharmacy all day. This is simply not true, as you will find out later in this piece. Pharmacists like Canadian Pharmacy work hard to ensure that people are getting the right medication that they need, and that it does not interact with other medications they may be taking.
Furthermore, they are responsible for logging everything that a patient takes in the system for later retrieval and access by health professionals. Considering that pharmacists are some of the most accessible professions to people out there, there is a lot to know before embarking on the path of becoming one.
Here are 3 things that people don’t know about being a pharmacist.
It takes a lot of school work to become one
There is a misconception out there, which some pharmacists may even find somewhat offensive. The misconception is that it is much easier to become a pharmacist than other health professionals, such as doctors. The two careers have a very similar study path, and they both must undertake a significant amount of studying, training and experience before being considered qualified enough to work. One would usually spend from 1 to 8 years in school before undertaking internships and training for a further 2 years before possibly specializing in a subset of medicine. Becoming a pharmacist is very hard work, and it is not for everyone. The amount of study is comparable to becoming a doctor and similar professions, and the careers are tied together by their study load.
Pharmacists can make medication
A little known fact about pharmacists are actually able to make medications! They are known as compound pharmacists, are they are able to formulate medications for specific patients. This is because some patients may have certain requirements when it comes to how they ingest the medication, or they may have an allergy to a certain ingredient. Compound pharmacists will work to formulate the same medication with the same desired medical effect achieved, but in a different method of ingestion or different ingredients. These pharmacists must ensure that they work safely and they follow quality assurance policies to ensure safety for the patient. Moreover, they are also able to formulate medicines which may have been discontinued or is not available for another reason.
They work in more than just pharmacies
Pharmacists can work in many more settings than just a retail pharmacy. They often work in hospital settings in a variety of settings such as emergency or other wards. Besides the obvious medical fields they work in, they can also work in government positions in public health, pharmaceutical research, informatics and so on. All of these fields require people with working knowledge of medications and their interactions with others. This can help to ensure safety is paramount, and their knowledge is undoubtedly useful.
Pharmacists do much more than sit in retail pharmacies, and can offer so much more. There are many misconceptions when it comes to pharmacists, and they deserve so much more credit. The path to becoming a pharmacist is a long and strenuous one, but is ultimately fruitful.
