Job Summary:

The Pharmacist will dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. He or she may advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Manages pharmacy operations, hiring and supervising staff, performing administrative duties, and buying or selling nonpharmaceutical merchandise.
• Teaches pharmacy interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Reviews prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. Provides information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
• Assesses the identity, strength, or purity of medications. Compounds and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or overseeing these activities.
• Maintains records such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, and registries of poisons, narcotics, and controlled drugs.
• Plans, implements, and maintains procedures for mixing, packaging, and labeling pharmaceuticals according to policy and legal requirements to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
• Provides specialized services to help patients manage conditions such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, and high blood pressure. Offers health promotion and prevention activities by, for example, training people to use devices such as blood pressure and diabetes monitors. Advises customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, and health care supplies.
• Collaborates with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of drugs and drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications and characteristics. Analyzes prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.
• Orders and purchases pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, and drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Strong patient service skills.
• Excellent knowledge of chemistry and specific drug interactions.
• Strong knowledge of medical and biological terminology.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to balance competing priorities.

Education and Experience:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.
• Must be licensed.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Prolonged periods of standing and bending.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.