Pharmacy
 Pharmacy Technician Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital |
Pharmacists are experts on medications. Physicians often consult with them to make sure a patient is receiving the best medication to treat their illness. The Pharmacist delivers their services through the provision of clinical services, drug information, preparation, and distribution services that foster the safe and effective, as well as cost-effective, use of drugs in all patient age groups (neonates, pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics).
They provide patients with the appropriate drug regimen with respect to:
- Specific education about the drug therapy that the patient is receiving
- Therapeutic, maximal, and sub-therapeutic drug dosage
- Dose and frequency adjusted for age, sex, weight, physical status, patient allergies, therapeutic end points, or other patient-specific consideration
- Route of administration, drug stability and compatibility
- Medication duplication
- Drug interactions
- Laboratory reports including antibiotic susceptibility, fluid and electrolyte balance, drug serum levels
- Following established protocols, guidelines and pharmacokinetic principles when dosing medications, intravenous fluids, and Total Parental Nutrition
- Documenting Adverse Drug Reactions and assisting in proper management of these events
- Assuring compliance with regulatory guidelines
- Providing accurate and timely drug information upon request by MD, RN, or patient
- Maintaining accurate narcotic and non-narcotic records for all aspects of drug distribution
- Entering and checking computer order
Pharmacists can also work in other areas besides retail pharmacies or hospitals. These practices include research, education, pharmaceutical manufacturing, poison control, and other non-dispensing areas.
Pharmacy Technicians are extremely important team members that assist Pharmacists with the many routine jobs in pharmacy such as entering medication orders in a patient profile, assisting in the labeling of medications for dispensing and prescription containers, inventory, restocking, and preparation of individual patient does including special intravenous medications.
Ideal Career For
Pharmacy careers require individuals who are knowledegeable, detail-oriented, accurate, have great communications skills, and enjoy science.
Job Classifications:
Job Title | back to top
Pharmacist
Nature of Work:
Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other healthcare professionals and provide information to patients regarding medications and their use. Pharmacists advise healthcare practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. To perform these functions, pharmacists must understand the composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties.
Job Outlook:
In 2004, Pharmacists held about 230,000 jobs in the United States. Strong employment opportunities are expected through 2014, mainly because the number of degrees granted in pharmacy are not expected to outnumber the number of positions available. Advances in Science and the increase in pharmaceutical use in patient care will also have an impact on the increase in Pharmacy positions
Entry Level Salaries for Sacramento Sierra Region:
$109,656 - $112,947
Education and/or Training:
Pharmacy school programs are six to eight years long and may include two to three years of college and three to four years in pharmacy school. Upon graduation a doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) is awarded. The formal education is followed by 1,500 hours of practical working experience known as an internship. Pharmacists must pass an examination and be licensed by the California Board of Pharamacy.
Career Path:
Pharmacists may advance to supervisory or administrative positions. Some pharmacists may specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such as intraveneous nutrition support, oncology, nuclear pharmacy, and pharmacotherapy (treatment of mental disorders with drugs).
Licensing:
Schools
Societies
Other Links
Job Title | back to top
Pharmacy Technician
Nature of Work:
Pharmacy technicians work under direct supervision of a licensed pharmacists and assist in providing prescribed medications and healthcare products to patients. Technicians usually perform activities such as counting tablets, labeling bottles and mixing intraveneous drugs into solution bags. Technicians will refer specific questions regarding prescriptions, drug information, or health matters to a pharmacist.
Job Outlook:
In 2004, Pharmacy Technicians held about 258,000 jobs in the United States. Employment of Pharmacy Technicians is expected to grow much faster than average due to the increased pharmaceutical needs of the aging population. The development of new medications has also increased the role of pharmaceuticals in patient care adding to the increase in job growth.
Entry Level Salary for Sacramento Sierra Region:
$36,364
Education and/or Training:
They must be registered by the California Board of Pharmacy. This requires a high school diploma or equivalent and one of the following: and associate's degree in a related field such as health science, biology, physical or natural science: completion of an accredited Pharmacy Technician program: or 1,500 hours of experience working as a clerk or assistant in a pharmacy.
Career Path:
Opportunities for advancement are generally limited to senior or sometimes supervisory positions unless the technician returns to college to become a pharmacist.
Licensing:
SchoolsSocieties