Hospital pharmacist Part 2

Besides being ward pharmacist, there are a few other roles a hospital pharmacist play.

First there are the dispensing pharmacists. These pharmacists deal with dispensing or giving out the medications to patients that are going to be discharged home. It is not an easy job, as giving the wrong medication may result in life threatening situations. The pharmacist had to do few checks along the way to ensure that the right patient take the right medication in the right dose at the right time on the day in the right way.

Then there are manufacturing pharmacists. These pharmacists are specially trained to be able to make creams, ointments, injectable solutions and other drug formulations that cannot be brought in pre-packed for patients. They work in sterile rooms with masks, gloves and protective clothings, just like a surgeon.

There are pharmacists working in drug information, where their job is to look up uncommon information about medications when asked by doctors, nurses, the general public and also other pharmacists. They are just like detective scouring the WWW and pouring over books to find the elusive info.

There are those working in quality use of medicines, where they monitor how medicines are used in patients and what are the outcomes of patients on certain medications. They also look after adverse drug reactions, noting down and investigating cases where patients reacted badly to a certain drug.

Some work in clinical trials, where their job is to help with medical researches by ensuring candidates on the experimental trials got the designated drugs and use them correctly. Some other are involved in the research arena themselves, joining forces with other healthcare professionals to find out ways to improve the medical system, usage of medications and also discovering new drugs.

Besides this, there are hospital pharmacists who are involved in budgeting and other paperwork. Others are involved in teaching trainees and fellow healthcare professionals, some going to patients' home reviewing their medications, some even specializes in unorthodox field such as wound treating.

 

In a nutshell, there are a lot of exciting roles a pharmacist can play in the hospital. It is not all just about standing behind the medicines counter and giving out the medications. That's only the tip of a great big iceberg. Essentially, hospital pharmacists are there to ensure that medications are used safety and efficaciously, so that patients receive maximal care.