What Exactly is a Community Pharmacist Doing? *Philippine Setting*

A lot of senior high students are considering courses in Pharmacy for college. But they are confused as to what this is about. Many think that pharmacy is easy, as they tend to associate salesman/saleslady on the counter, counting pills and dispensing drug. While counting pills and selling is part of retail work on the drug store, there are more responsibilities for the pharmacist to do. Let us try to list five of them here and examine them one by one.

    1. Pharmacist check for drug interactions. Prescription volumes are increasing over the years. Studies show that in 2016, there were more than a billion of prescriptions filled in the U.S. alone. Vulnerable populations including pedia, elderly and pregnant women with special needs require more than 2 medications a day. When you are being treated for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and arthritis all at the same time, you will need more than one drug as maintenance. Just as you think it is easy to remember all the side effects and adverse reaction associated with each medicine, try taking them as one dose without interval. Doing so might put the patient at risk for drug interactions which may result to itching or worse, death and injury. It is then the responsibility of the pharmacist to instruct the patient how to take them safely avoiding possible drug-drug interactions and of course, communicating with the physician to clarify when something is wrong with the prescription.

2.  Pharmacist counsel patients regarding their medications. We have studied 4 or more years in college to learn about drugs, so you must trust us in the process. When you are new to a medication, you need all the information to get through the regimen as smoothly, therapeutically and safely as possible. Patients ask us about side effects, dosing regimen, pregnancy categories, indications, contraindications every day. We are able to respond professionally and precisely. Common questions encountered in the Pharmacy include: “Safe ba to sa akin, buntis ako?”, “Anong magandang gamut sa dry cough 3 days na?”, “Yung anak ko nilalagnat kagabi pa at nagtatae, anong pwede kong ibigay?”, “Safe ba ang Naproxen sa may ulcer, paano ko ito iinumin?”

3.       Pharmacist are supervisors in their pharmacy operation. As the leader of the group, the pharmacist prepare schedule for his/ her pharmacy assistants, merchandisers and people under him/her. The pharmacist check for store inventory, oversees whether stocks are still available and when to replenish them. He/She may be in charge of ordering, receiving deliveries, checking for continuous supply and chain management. On top of that, he/she may also be the cashier, janitor, banker, pharmacy assistant, manager and performs other related functions when the need arise. The pharmacist must then possess patience and personal relations especially in dealing with customers, colleagues, co-workers, officers, and many other groups of people. Sometimes toxic customers such as infuriated ones may be encountered. You must then be ready to pacify them and attend to their complaints timely.

4.       Pharmacist keeps record of important files. You never know when the FDA officers will be inspecting, so you must be ready with all their regulatory requirements. The usual temperature monitoring record, prescription book, pharmacy books, senior citizen and person with disability discount book, EDPMS record, License to operate, delivery receipts, refrigerator monitoring record, certificate of registration display and many others should be ready at all times. There is no official time of visit and early notification for FDA inspectors so preparation is the key to avoiding penalty. Expired drugs and nearly expiring products must also be monitored every quarter.

Pharmacist Centuries Ago

5.       Pharmacist is a drug expert in his own right. This is the very essence of why we exist as a profession. The commodity that is in store is not ordinary but rather can act as a poison, or can benefit the patient if taken correctly. We have studied the chemistry of the compound, its shelf-life, chemical composition, physical properties, and associated side effects. We have studied the pharmacokinetics, dynamics and mechanism of action of the drug product. We know how the substance that you are taking produces the desired as well as undesired effect that it has. How much of the drug is needed, how much should you dilute the suspension, which is better suppository, cream or ointment? We know which route of administration suits your need so that you will get the effect as soon as possible as you need them—whether or not IV, IM, oral, transdermal. We also know whether this substance has the potential to harm your kidneys, liver, baby, or can cause irritation. We know a lot of things about your medication, so do not be so afraid to ask us about it.

Pharmacy Capsule and Tablets