During high school, I recall flipping through the pages of my father’s pharmacology textbooks. I was in awe of the abundance of information, and I began to crave knowledge of pharmaceuticals and their systemic targets. Not but a few years later, I began my experience in the field of pharmacy as a drug packer. As soon as I came of age, I applied for my pharmacy technician license – and was promoted shortly thereafter. While my drug and medical knowledge grew, I longed for the opportunity to work directly patients. This innate desire has led me to where I am today: prepared, committed and possessing an aptitude and intellectual maturity required to excel as a pharmacist. I have learned to promote teamwork and professionalism within a pharmacy, take charge in difficult situations, and complete tasks efficiently yet thoroughly. Pursuing a career as a pharmacist would incorporate my passion for pharmaceuticals and their underlying pharmacokinetics with my commitment to promoting health and well-being within my community.
After working in various pharmacy settings for approximately six years, I have realized my development as an individual is largely attributed to working as a pharmacy technician. Harnessing the power of a “quiet ego”, I have learned that a clinician cannot succeed
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As a community pharmacist, I will administer vaccinations and nutritional counseling using a diet protocol to manage patient glucose, lipid and cholesterol levels, in addition to blood pressure. I will institute a private communication medium that would allow me to speak to my patients about their medications, and provide general health consultation. By providing patients the opportunity to improve their health and quality of life, we can help decrease patients medical costs and improve our overall health care
... for every pharmacist. This ratio dictates that pharmacists can not oversee every aspect of technicians’ jobs. It is this singular fact that very few people realize. The pharmacy technician who receives no formal training is responsible for not just the delivery of a patient’s medication, but also for their bill, their confidential information, and their life. The question now is, how can an uneducated individual be given so much responsibility? Technicians are granted these responsibilities because a pharmacist can not do the job alone. Pharmacists strive to mold each new technician into an employee that will realize what technicians really do. Pharmacists and technicians provide patients with safe and accurate medication in a timely manner. This is not a task for pharmacists or technicians alone; it is task that requires both personnel in order to be accomplished.
Subsequent to attending a week of chemistry and medicine lectures during the Sutton Trust Summer School programme at St Andrews University and attending master classes at local universities, I know that I am committed to continue with my scientific education. The experience of lectures and the practical investigations in the laboratory have given me an indication of how to analyse and interpret data at such an advanced level. Studying pharmacology would allow me to develop my knowledge to a higher level, learning more about for example how the derivative of the opium poppy, morphine, works by binding to opioid receptors in order to reduce the impulses from nerve cells therefore relieving pain. I would also be able to explore further how high doses of morphine can cause respiratory depression, but more interestingly how these effects can be reversed by a competitive opiate antagonist which can bind to opioid receptors without activating them.
I pleased to apply to the PharmD program as the program is one area that corresponds to my career dreams. Being part of this program gives one the opportunity to gain an excellent experience in working and collaborating with various health care providers in the ward. But more importantly, it facilitates a practical environment in dealing more closely with patients. Hence, it helps to provide the ultimate health care services to patients. Also, it permits me to carry on gaining different knowledge, skills, and values in addition to those I have already developed during my undergraduate studies. My interest in being a clinical pharmacist was first aroused during my SPEP rotation in the hospital setting where I was really impressed with the role of clinical pharmacists who provide a consistent process of patient care with healthcare teams to maintain the appropriateness, effectiveness and safety of the medication use. Unlike a pharmacist, a clinical pharmacist has a more diversified responsibilities and closeness to direct patient care. Moreover, provides
“Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure we will get everything sorted out for you,” spoked the pharmacist to an overwhelmed patient. This was my first day shadowing a pharmacist at the UC Davis Medical Center during my winter break from college. I witnessed my shadowing pharmacist patiently consulted this patient on multiple medications, ensuring he followed the instructions with his take home prescriptions before discharging from the hospital. Over the course of this shadowing experience, I observed how pharmacists collaborated with doctors to provide the best pharmaceutical care and helped facilitate smooth discharge process. I was amazed at their extensive knowledge of not just pharmaceutical drugs but also on different disease states, social
Pharmacists have training and expertise in medication therapy as well as patient care capabilities to assess and respond to patients’ health care and drug-related needs. Pharmacists are important members of the health care team. Pharmacists are well accepted by general people as healthcare personnel who provide knowledge about medication to patient (Perepelkin, 2011) but they also acquire knowledge and training to asses and respond to patients’ healthcare and drug related need. So prescribing is a logical extended role of pharmacist. It is assumed that medicine and dentistry professions dominate the prescribing activity but some other health care professionals such as optometrists, podiatrists, midwives, and nurse practitioners have been granted prescribing rights (Sketris, 2009). It is suitable for pharmacist to expand their professional role by adopting prescribing because they have skill and knowledge to initiate, monitor and adjust drug therapy and develop patient-centered care. As a result to an expanded scope of pharmacy practice, pharmacists in several Canadian, American, and British jurisdictions can prescribe medications (Tonna, Stewart & McCaig, 2008).
The relationship and the connections built with the patients and other members of the team, made me realise that this is the sector that I want to work in for my career. During this pharmacy role, I was introduced to tasks that are carried out by a physician associate; this included taking medical histories for the pharmacist before he gave specific injections or before I carried out the glucose, cholesterol or blood pressure test. Working at Britannia Pharmacy introduced me to many disorders as I had direct contact with patients and doctors/ general practitioners. Alongside my undergraduate degree, I also worked in a retail store which allowed me to develop some vital skills required for my chosen field such as teamwork, communication and leadership whilst also gaining knowledge about disorders, the biology and drugs. Studying psychological therapies enabled me to increase my skills as well gain an insight into the mental disorders that can arise alongside the physical health.
To many people all a pharmacist does is count pills or dispense medication. But the profession of pharmacy has moved tremendously beyond just dispensing medications to providing more patient oriented services. Pharmacists think it is time for a change and are coming together to fight for what many believe should already be considered a responsibility of a pharmacist. As healthcare professionals many pharmacists are not recognized as health care providers and consequently are limited in scope of practice, as well as compensation.1 However, this is not a universal or federal responsibility.1
1. American Pharmaceutical Association Academy of Students of Pharmacy - American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Deans Task Force on Professionalism. White Paper on Pharmacy Student Professionalism." Journal of the American Pharmacy Association. 40:1 (2000): 96-100.
When you ask people what you think when word “pharmacist” come to your mind? They often say pharmacist have to deal with variety of legal drugs. From my personal opinion, when I hear the word “Pharmacist”, I think of helping others. This inspiration came from my Health Science class I took in twelve grade. Until senior year of my high school, I did not know what I wanted to be. But it all changed, after my first shadowing experience at pharmacist station. There I learn about what exactly the pharmacist career is about, what are some of the equipments used in the field and how I can contribute the knowledge I receive here to help others.
We will be looking at the roles of three people involved in the medication cycle starting with the doctor, then moving onto the Pharmacist and then onto the Enrolled nurse. The doctor’s role is to look at all the symptoms, medically diagnose the patient and to analysis their medication needs (Berman, Kozier & Erb, 2015). The doctor then writes the order or script of medications for the patient which needs to be taken to the pharmacy where the Pharmacist will make up the prescription and dispense the medication the pharmacist may also give information about drug interactions and side effects just to name a few. The Pharmacist is a licensed and trained person who has studied Pharmacology the study of how drugs effect living organisms (Berman,
Pharmacists have a duty to promote their profession to health care professionals, patients, and the public. Although there are many ways to do so, the best is to be model practitioners of pharmacy and show everyone firsthand what pharmacists are really about. This must be done by setting the image of pharmacists being not just dispensing machines, but patient-centered care providers whose utmost priority is to give patients and prescribers useful drug information in order to play a part in achieving optimal life outcomes for the patient. Pharmacists must prove themselves to be accessible, effective, trustworthy, and indispensable.
During my senior year in high school, I started an internship at Walgreens Pharmacy in Brownsville, Texas. This was a unique opportunity for me to find out if I would like to have a career as a pharmacist. So far, not only have I learned about my interest in pharmacy, but I have also learned from Dr. Leonard, one of the pharmacists at Walgreens. Even though I have made many mistakes as a Pharmacy Technician Trainee, Dr. Leonard always motivated me to do better the next time and stay positive. He always has a smile when he is working and looks forward to helping others. As a result of his qualities, Dr. Leonard assists everyone work easier together because there are never arguments. If there is a misunderstanding, Dr. Leonard al...
Though pharmacy school is long and arduous for many, for me it was a journey that I wanted to make the most of. Each year I learned more and I developed more, not only as a student, but as a person as well. Even still, I wasn’t sure exactly what I would do with my pharmacy degree until I entered into the fourth and fifth years of my degree program. It was then that I began taking classes in therapy
Pharmacists often work together in a team with other healthcare professional like physicians and nurses. In the process, pharmacists will give advice to them on the selection of medication, by providing the evidences based on the dosage form, the side effects and possible interaction with food of the medication. On the other hand, pharmacists also take part in research and clinical studies. Recently, pharmacists are recruited to conduct pharmacy-based research in pharmacies. (Swanson, 2005)
Like every career, pharmacists have certain qualities and skills. I feel that I fit many qualities of pharmacists, including an attention to detail, communication skills, and science and mathematic skills. I have also been a perfectionist, paying attention to each detail of my work. This is what helped me stay organized throughout high school, and earn a 4.021 cumulative GPA. Pharmacists must be detail-orientated to ensure their patients receive the right dosage, amount, and type of medication. An error in this could harm the patient, therefore breaking the Hippocratic oath. Furthermore, a pharmacist must pay attention to the patient’s other prescriptions and medical history to avoid any negative reactions. Next, I have earned strong customer service and communication skills from my job at Fareway Food Stores. Since I earned this job in May 2012, I have made it one of my goals to assist and brighten the day of my customers. As a pharmacist, I would need strong communication skills with my patients to fit them with the best prescription possible. Additionally, I would counsel them on the directions of their mediation, any potential side affects, and how to add new medications into their lifestyle with the least amount of stress. Apart from my patients, I would have to communicate my with pharmacy technicians and any interns I may have, as well as insurance companies. Lastly, I feel I have natural abilities in science and mathematics. I