• Pharmacists distribute prescription drugs to individuals.
• They also advise their patients, physicians, and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications, as well as monitor the health and progress of those patients to ensure that they are using their medications safely and effectively.
• Compounding—the actual mixing of ingredients to form medications—is a small part of a pharmacist's practice, because most medicines are produced by pharmaceutical companies in standard dosages and drug delivery forms.
• Most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail drugstore, or in a healthcare facility, such as a hospital.
• Pharmacists in community pharmacies dispense medications, counsel patients on the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and advise physicians about medication therapy.
• They also advise patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, and stress management, and provide information on products, such as durable medical equipment or home healthcare supplies.
• In addition, they often complete third-party insurance forms and other paperwork.
• Those who own or manage community pharmacies may sell non-health-related merchandise, hire and supervise personnel, and oversee the general operation of the pharmacy.
• Some community pharmacists provide specialized services to help patients with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.
• Some pharmacists are trained to administer vaccinations.
• Pharmacists in healthcare facilities dispense medications and advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs.
• They may make sterile solutions to be administered intravenously.
• They also plan, monitor, and evaluate drug programs or regimens.
• They may counsel hospitalized patients on the use of drugs before the patients are discharged.
• Some pharmacists specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such as intravenous nutrition support, oncology (cancer), nuclear pharmacy (used for chemotherapy), geriatric pharmacy, and psychiatric pharmacy (the use of drugs to treat mental disorders).
• Most pharmacists keep confidential computerized records of patients' drug therapies to prevent harmful drug interactions.
• Pharmacists are responsible for the accuracy of every prescription that is filled, but they often rely upon pharmacy technicians to assist them in the dispensing medications.
• Thus, the pharmacist may delegate prescription-filling and administrative tasks and supervise their completion.
• Pharmacists also frequently oversee pharmacy students serving as interns.
• Some pharmacists are involved in research for pharmaceutical manufacturers, developing new drugs and testing their effects.
• Others work in marketing or sales, providing clients with expertise on the use, effectiveness, and possible side effects of drugs.
• Some pharmacists work for health insurance companies, developing pharmacy benefit packages and carrying out cost-benefit analyses on certain drugs.
• Other pharmacists work for the government, managed care organizations, public healthcare services, or the armed services.
• Finally, some pharmacists are employed full time or part time as college faculty, teaching classes and performing research in a wide range of areas.

• The increasing numbers of middle-aged and elderly people—who use more prescription drugs than younger people—will continue to spur demand for pharmacists throughout the projection period.
• In addition, as scientific advances lead to new drug products, and as an increasing number of people obtain prescription drug coverage, the need for these workers will continue to expand.
• Pharmacists also are becoming more involved in patient care.
• As prescription drugs become more complex, and as the number of people taking multiple medications increases, the potential for dangerous drug interactions will grow.
• Pharmacists will be needed to counsel patients on the proper use of medication, assist in drug selection and dosage, and monitor complex drug regimens.
• This need will lead to rapid growth for pharmacists in medical care establishments, such as doctors’ offices, outpatient care centres, and nursing care facilities.
• Demand also will increase in mail-order pharmacies, which often are more efficient than pharmacies in other practice settings.
• Employment also will continue to grow in hospitals, drugstores, grocery stores, and mass retailers, because pharmacies in these settings will continue to process the majority of all prescriptions and increasingly will offer patient care services, such as the administration of vaccines.

Other workers who are employed in pharmacies, work with pharmaceutical compounds, or are involved in patient care include Biological scientists; Medical scientists; Pharmacy technicians and aides; Physicians and surgeons; Registered nurses;

• Doctor of Pharmacists