Being a Part of the Pharmacy Profession

Being a Part of the Pharmacy Profession

A pharmacist is, in many ways, a much more accessible servant to the public compared to a doctor or nurse, because an appointment is not needed; a patient can simply walk into a drugstore and get expert advice on OTC medications or drug management without having to wait weeks, or even months, to see their doctor. Since pharmacists specialize in their knowledge of medication, they can often help a patient find a more affordable generic drug that also offers the same benefits as the brand name drug.

The field of pharmacy is constantly evolving and offering new opportunities for drug delivery, clinical and community practice, as well as research options. We are discovering that drugs which used to work for everyone may not be as effective as we think. Instead of wasting time with the old traditional mentality of “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” doctors and pharmacists are looking deeper into the medical history of each patient and even doing genetic testing to see if the drug would be effective for that patient. Of course, such evolution would not be possible without decades of research, a field which is expanding exponentially.

As exciting as this new and improved field of pharmacy is, all of the technology and research in the world will not help the patient, unless pharmacists, doctors, and nurses can work together as a more cohesive, collaborative, and effective team. A more appropriate title is what it means to be a part of the medical profession, as a pharmacist.