Pharmacist

Pharmacists distribute drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. They advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications.

Tasks

• check prescription for proper dosage;
• compound prescribed pharmaceutical products by calculating, measuring and mixing the quantities of drugs and other ingredients required and filling appropriate containers with correct quantity;
• dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals to customers or to other health care professionals and advise them on indications, contraindications, adverse effects, drug interaction and dosage;
• maintain medication profiles of customers including registry of poisons and narcotic controlled drugs;
• ensure proper preparation, packaging, distribution and storage of vaccines, serums, biological and other drugs and pharmaceuticals;
• order and maintain stock of pharmaceutical supplies;
• advise customers on selection and use of nonprescription medication;
• may supervise and co-ordinate the activities of other pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians, and other staff.

Basic Educational Requirement

A bachelor of science degree in Pharmacy is required. Pharmacists also require practical training under the supervision of a licensed Pharmacist. Passing a Board Examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is also required before one can practice the profession.

Skills and competency requirements

• Should have scientific aptitude, good communication skills, and a desire to help others;
• Must be conscientious and pay close attention to detail because the decisions they make affect human lives.

Salary/Compensation

In the local labor market, a clinic or hospital entry level Pharmacist receives around P13,000 -15,000 per month, depending on his/her experience.
In the U.S, the median earnings of a full time Pharmacist is about $84,900 (P4,329,900) annually or $7,075 (P360,825) per month.

Prospects for Career Advancement

Pharmacists usually begin at the staff level, and after they gain experience, some become supervisors or managers . Those who are in the pharmacy chain of stores and companies are promoted to manager at the store level, then to manager at the district or regional level , and later to an executive position.

Employment Opportunities

Pharmacy is a multifaceted profession. As a licensed Pharmacist, one can work in any one of the following establishments: Drugstore, Hospital, School of Pharmacy, relevant government agencies, Drug Manufacturing Companies, Drug Distributor Companies, and Chemical/Cosmetic Companies.

The increasing number of middle-aged and elderly people, who use more prescription drugs than younger people, will continue to spur demand for pharmacists in all employment settings. Other factors likely to increase the demand for pharmacists include scientific advances that will make more drugs available, new developments in genome research and medication distribution systems, increasingly sophisticated consumers seeking information about drugs, and coverage of prescription drugs by a greater number of health insurance plans.

Cost of Education *

Cost of education may range from P230,000 to P280,000 representing tuition fees and other miscellaneous expenses.

* Based on tuition fee rates for school year2007 - 2008

Source: Bureau of Local Employment, Manila, Philippines.