What They Do
Pharmacists, also known as chemists or druggists, are health professionals who instruct and advise patients on the safe and effective use of medicines and their possible side effects, as they deal with the composition, effects, mechanism of action and proper use of drugs. Using knowledge of the mechanism of action of drugs, the pharmacist understands how they should be used to achieve maximum benefit, minimal side effects and to avoid drug interactions. Pharmacists undergo university or graduate-level education to understand the biochemical mechanisms and actions of drugs, drug uses, therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters. This is mated to anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Pharmacists interpret and communicate this specialized knowledge to patients, physicians, and other health care providers.
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Similar Occupations
Clinical Pharmacist; Hospital Pharmacist; Outpatient Pharmacy Manager; Pharmacist; Pharmacist in Charge (PIC); Pharmacist in Charge, Owner (PIC, Owner); Pharmacy Informaticist; Registered Pharmacist; Staff Pharmacist; Staff Pharmacist, Hospital
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