How to Become a Pharmacist

The highest point, in my opinion, is playing a direct role in patient care. The most fulfilling part of my career to date was getting to work alongside an incredible critical care team and witness the impact of our work on a daily basis. Being the medication expert is a great spot to be in when medication therapy plays such an important role in health outcomes.

Also, you have the opportunity to work in an environment that is best for you. With so many settings and roles available to pharmacists, almost anyone can find the opportunity that works best for them.

As with any career, there are challenges. One major challenge is the breadth of information, critical thinking, and communication skills that are required to be an effective pharmacist. This comes through didactic education in pharmacy school, post-school training, and on-the-job experience. Another major challenge is being an effective part of the healthcare team; you have to be skilled enough to influence decision making without prescriptive authority.

Someone who loves science and has a sense of altruism, meaning that you are genuinely interested in and are gratified by helping others. You also have to be a good communicator and be willing to accept the significant responsibility that comes with the profession. Importantly, you need to be a lifelong learner. Drastic changes in scientific literature occur all the time, and you need to be dedicated enough to stay on top of current science in your particular area of work.

This role helps nearly everyone. Most individuals will need some sort of medication therapy at some point, and as the medication expert, a pharmacist plays an integral role in ensuring that patients receive optimal treatment.

Also, this role helps other healthcare providers, depending on the setting you work in. I got a lot of gratification out of collaborating with the nurses, physicians, dietitians, and other healthcare providers in my years as a critical care pharmacist. It feels good when other members of the healthcare team approach you for your expertise and guidance.

This really depends on what type of employment you are seeking and whether or not you have pursued postgraduate training. The job market is continually evolving. We are in a period of time where it is very competitive for newly graduating pharmacists. That being said, there are great opportunities out there for those who excel.

Especially for fresh graduates, one of the most important traits is a desire to learn and grow. As I noted, this is a career where being a lifelong learner is a must. Employers want to see that trait. Also, teamwork is essential when working in healthcare.

Employers will be looking for someone who can communicate well and fit in with the culture of the team. Another important trait is a genuine desire to make an impact on patients and the team. At the end of the day, that is the goal of any healthcare provider.

One major consideration is the pursuit of postgraduate training. This is especially important if you want to pursue a career in a clinical role, the pharmaceutical industry, or if you want to accelerate your career into more specialized or higher-level, administrative-type roles.

Two years of residency is becoming standard for clinical specialists, with the first year of residency being a general residency and the second year being in a specific clinical or administrative specialty. Pharmaceutical companies have fellowships that can help launch a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Also, the pursuit of an additional graduate degree can help those interested in administrator-type roles.

When job-seeking, you have to really understand the organization and the specifics of the job you are applying to. Being well prepared to discuss the company, the role, and how you are a good fit for both the organization and position are important if you land an interview.

This varies substantially from position to position. I'll describe my clinical career, since that was the most standard. A normal day for me would be arriving to the ICU and beginning working up my patient list of around 25 critically ill patients.

I was responsible for ensuring that they were receiving the appropriate medications at the appropriate doses for all of their acute and chronic issues. Some things I had the authority to change on my own -- mainly drug dosing. I would complete those tasks and then bring my other recommendations to the attending physician during our daily multidisciplinary rounds.

My afternoon then consisted of documenting all of my assessments and recommendations. When I had time during the week, I'd work on quality improvement activities and protocol development. The days went by really fast.

Nurses, physicians, my pharmacist colleagues, dietitians, respiratory therapists, occupational and physical therapists, social workers, administrators, pharmacy technicians, patients and their families, and I'm sure I'm missing others. There are so many different members of the team who you interact with in some fashion.

Again, this is highly varied across the industry. In my clinical role, I worked 6 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, with some weekends and holidays as needed. Most pharmacists work various shifts, though.

Pharmacists typically work closely with pharmacy technicians and other pharmacists. Depending on the setting, they may work closely with other professionals as well, just like I noted in my experience as a critical care pharmacist.

First and foremost: all things medications. You have to understand how they work, and how the body handles them. It takes a very thorough understanding of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy to know which medication is best at which dose, frequency, and duration for a given patient.

This also depends on other medications the patient may take, their other health conditions, and their demographics. To be a great pharmacist, you need to be knowledgeable about anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. You also need to understand how scientific research is performed and written so you can evaluate studies. Additionally, you need to know laws and regulations. There is a lot!