Pharmacists

What the job really is

Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-1051
• O*NET job zone: 5 — extensive preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
• Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
• Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
• Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.
• Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.
• Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.
• Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
• Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.
• Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities.
• Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues.
• Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies.
• Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure.

Tools and technology

Epic Systems, MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Word, eClinicalWorks EHR software, Ampoule filling machines, Area survey meters, Automated drug dispensing equipment

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Physician Assistants
• General Internal Medicine Physicians
• Clinical Nurse Specialists
• Allergists and Immunologists
• Pediatricians, General

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 5 (extensive preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Pharmacists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.