Profession pharmacist

Pharmacists prepare, dispense, and provide prescriptions for, over the counter medication. They offer clinical information on medicines, report suspected adverse reactions, and provide personalised support to patients. Pharmacists formulate and test medications in laboratories, and store, preserve, and distribute them.

Personality Type

• Investigative / Conventional

Knowledge

• Pharmacognosy

  The physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of medicines which have natural sources as an origin.

• Pharmacology

  Pharmacology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Applied therapeutics related to medicines

  Use of drugs and the method of their administration in the treatment of disease.

• Pharmacy law

  The legal and other requirements associated with the pursuit of pharmacy activities.

• Biological chemistry

  Biological chemistry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Medicines

  The medicines, their nomenclature and the substances used in the manufacture of medicines.

• Human anatomy

  The dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and altered anatomy and physiology throughout the human lifespan.

• Toxicology

  The negative effects of chemicals on living organisms, their dose and exposure.

• Pharmaceutical chemistry

  The chemical aspects of identification and synthetic alteration of chemical entities as they relate to therapeutic use. The way various chemicals affect biological systems and how they can be integrated in drug development.

• Microbiology-bacteriology

  Microbiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Hygiene in a health care setting

  The procedures related to maintaining a hygienic environment within a health care setting such as hospitals and clinics. It can range from hand washing to cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment used and infection control methods.

• Physics

  The natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.

• Botany

  The taxonomy or classification of plant life, phylogeny and evolution, anatomy and morphology, and physiology.

• Analytical chemistry

  Instruments and methods used to separate, identify and quanitfy matter - the chemical components of natural and artificial materials and solutions.

• Inorganic chemistry

  The chemistry of substances that do not contain hydrocarbon radicals.

• Sales strategies

  The principles concerning customer behaviour and target markets with the aim of promotion and sales of a product or a service.

• Pharmacokinetics

  The body interaction with a specific drug after administration, the mechanisms of absorption and distribution and the substance chemical changes in the body.

• Pharmacotherapy

  The application of medicinal drugs used to treat diseases compared to surgical therapy.

• Organic chemistry

  The chemistry of compounds and substances containing carbon.

• Pharmaceutical technology

  Pharmaceutical technology is the branch of pharmaceutics which deals with the technological design, development, manufacture, and evaluation of drugs and medicinal products.

Skills

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Check information on prescriptions

  Verify the information on prescriptions from patients or from the doctor`s office ensuring that it is complete and accurate.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Contribute to public health campaigns

  Contribute to local or national public health campaigns by evaluating health priorities, the government changes in regulations and advertising the new trends in relation to health care and prevention.

• Manage patient medicines

  Monitor medicines use and patient adherence to ensure positive clinical outcomes are achieved and patient needs are met.

• Supervise pharmaceutical staff

  Oversee the work and mentoring of pharmacy technicians, students, interns and residents.

• Manage the logistics of medicinal products

  Ensure the storage, preservation and distribution of medicinal products at the wholesale stage.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

• Evaluate scientific data concerning medicines

  Evaluate scientific data concerning medicines in order to be able to provide appropriate information to patients on that basis.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Participate in medical inventory control

  Participate in inventory control and safe storage of materials and re-order supplies.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Provide treatment strategies for challenges to human health

  Identify possible treatment protocols for the challenges to human health within a given community in cases such as infectious diseases of high consequences at the global level.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Ensure pharmacovigilance

  Report on the adverse reactions of pharmaceutical products to the competent authorities.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Dispense medicines

  Review and dispense medicines and validate prescriptions ensuring that they are authentic, correctly interpreted and in line with legal requirements, selecting the correct medicine, strength and pharmaceutical form in accordance with the prescription, package and label of medicines.

• Ensure the appropriate supply in pharmacy

  Guarantee the correct distribution of the pharamacy products.

• Obtain healthcare user's medical status information

  Gather healthcare user information through various sources such as questioning the healthcare user, caregiver, or healthcare professional to obtain information on the patient`s health and social status, and interpreting records made by other health care professionals when appropriate.

• Manufacture medicines

  Formulate and compound medicines performing pharmaceutical calculations, selecting the appropriate route of administration and dosage form for the medicine, the appropriate ingredients and excipients of the required quality standard, and preparing pharmaceutical products.

• Process medical insurance claims

  Contact the patient`s health insurance company and submit the appropriate forms with information on the patient and treatment.

• Perform therapeutic drug monitoring

  Select the appropriate laboratory tests for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and interpret tests to determine whether a drug is producing its desired therapeutic effect in order to use the analysis in minimising drugs adverse effects.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Prepare doses of medication according to patient needs

  Ensure the patient receives the appropriate dose and form of medication.

• Manage medical supply chains

  Ensure that medicines are stored in appropriate facilities and environmental conditions to ensure stability, quality and safety of the medicinal product over its shelf life, storing medicines in a safe, organised, systematic and secure manner and working with documented policies and procedures to implement an effective stock management and rotation system.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Prepare medication from prescription

  Prepare the pharmaceutical form of medicinal products according to the prescription received from the medical doctor.

• Maintain adequate medication storage conditions

  Maintain proper storage and security conditions for medication.

• Communicate effectively in healthcare

  Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Provide pharmaceutical advice

  Provide information and advice on medicinal products such as the appropriate use, the adverse reactions and the interactions with other medications.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Maintain pharmacy records

  Maintain the required pharmacy records such as files, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, and registries of narcotics, poisons, and controlled drugs.

• Communicate with customers

  Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Counsel healthcare users on medicines

  Discuss and agree with healthcare users on the appropriate use of medicines, providing the healthcare user with sufficient information to assure the safe and proper use of the medicine.

• Manage medication safety issues

  Take action to prevent, minimise, resolve and follow-up medicines related problems, maintaining and contributing to a reporting system of pharmacovigilance.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Ensure customer focus

  Attitude that puts customers at the centre of the business in all cases.

• Provide medicines information

  Provide accurate, quality and safe information and advice to patients, the public and other healthcare professionals regarding medicines, advising them on the safe and rational use of medicines and devices such as the use, contraindications, storage, and side effects of non-prescription and prescription medicines.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Test medicinal products

  Test medicinal products and their effects and interactions in a laboratory.

• Refer healthcare users

  Make referrals to other professionals, based on the healthcare user's requirements and needs, especially when recognising that additional healthcare diagnostics or interventions are required.

• Follow control of substances hazardous to health procedures

  Adhere to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) procedures for activities that involve hazardous substances, such as bacteria, allergens, waste oil, paint or brake fluids that result in illness or injury.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Educate on the prevention of illness

  Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB