What does a pharmacist do?

Question

besides take pills out of a big jar and put them into a small jar?

Answer 1

Besides giving you the perscription the doctor prescribed, they mix various ingrediants to make some of the perscriptions.

Answer 2

Gives medical advice and reccomendations

Answer 3

not SOME medications can kill you if mixed with something else...MOST medications can be dangerous or fatal when mixed by someone who has no clue what theyre mixing. pharmacists go to schools for years and years to learn about every drug on the market, what it does, what its made out of and what it can or cant be combined with. and you dont always get a prescription from a dr who knows your medication schedule and medical history. do you know how many medications are out there?? do you actually think they go to school for 8 years post-high school to "take pills from a big jar and move them to a small jar" LOL! that doesnt even have to be done by a pharmacist; a pharmacy tech can do that. pharmacists are extremely knowledgeable on the human body and pharmacology; it isnt easy and they have to be very smart people to do what they do. and not just any moron can mix the chemicals needed to make a medication; if you did it for example, youd probably end up killing someone. chemistry is a hug part of their job, along with getting flack from people who dont understand their jobs. i have several family members who are pharmacists and they dont make the big bucks to move stuff around. theyre some of the smartest people i know. do some research.

Answer 4

Most people never read the information that's given to them, that's why I make sure to tell them only the most important points about the med they are taking. I keep in mind that they will probably only remember about three things that I tell them so I try to stress the 3 most important things and circle or hilight them on the handout.

Your doctor sounds great, most doctors don't spend that much time discussing the prescriptions with their patients. Many patients don't even know the name of the drug they were prescribed! (we have to ask them sometimes when we can't read the handwriting.) Also many people see mutiple doctors and then they may not be aware of all the possible drug interactions. Then there are those who don't have a regular doctor and only go to clinics or the ER when they are sick. They get no regular medical or drug advice and depend only on the info they get at the pharmacy.

Then there are all the questions we answer about OTC medications and advice we give for simple remedies when people don't need to see a doctor, like for mild illnesses or injuries, or we tell them that they should seek medical attention. I've had many patients come to me that want to avoid seeing a doctor or a dentist but I can plainly see that they need to call an MD (or go to the ER) and that's exactly what I tell them!

We follow up with customers when they come in for refills and ask them how they are doing on their medication. If they are refilling meds too soon or too late we find out why. Both can indicate a problem. When there are questions about side effects, they call us first, not the doctor. We are more accessible. I work the graveyard shift and you would be surprised at the number of calls I get throughout the night from people, some frantic, some mundane, about their medications or general health questions.

Then there are the insurance issues. On this point I agree with you. This should NOT be part of a pharmacist's job (or a pharmacy tech's). We waste so much time dealing with insurance rejections and vague policies and changes (nondisclosed and "on a whim") that could better be spent with patients, it's no wonder that it takes so long to fill a prescription and that we are so swamped with busywork! I know my company (one of the "big bad chains") is doing its best to try and centralize insurance issues and help us reolve the problems but it is still a nightmare. If Insurance problems were removed from the equation, our contribution would be so much more obvious, I'd be out in the aisles answering everybody's questions, giving advice to people who didn't even want any, offering service like they do at an exclusive dress shop, then you wouldn't have to ask this question!