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Community Pharmacists

Community Pharmacists

 

As a community pharmacist, you will be a pillar of the community. Community pharmacists project a positive image and continue to be the face of medicine for millions of Americans. In fact, community pharmacists have been among the top three trusted professions since 1989 and in a recent poll 73% of Americans rank community pharmacists as being “very high” or “high” in terms of honesty and ethics. “Pharmacists prove their worth every day helping their patients choose and use the correct medications,” said Bruce Roberts, vice president and chief executive officer of the National Community Pharmacists Association. “... in particular, pharmacists have played a pivotal role helping seniors navigate the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.”

As a community pharmacist with a PharmD you not only interact with the public, but you have managerial and supportive roles with the health care community. Your public persona will involve educating patients in prescription drug and medical device use, offering guidelines to customers on the proper use of over-the-counter drugs, nutraceuticals and nutritional supplements, providing patients with immunizations and primary healthcare advice and support, and educating customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines. The non-public responsibilities of a community pharmacist involve you in the evaluation of prescribed doses and possible drug interactions, in the preparation of medicines, ointments and tablets, in providing doctors and other health professionals with advice on drug selection and usage, and in managing technicians and sales people.
 
As a community pharmacist you will also have the choice to act as an entrepreneur and enjoy the personal and financial rewards associated with developing your own business enterprise. Alternatively, you may choose to work in a management capacity within a chain pharmacy. In chain practice, career paths usually begin at the store level with possible subsequent advancement to a position at the district, regional, or corporate level. Management development programs within many large pharmacies can lead a pharmacist towards careers in marketing operations, legal affairs, third party programs, computerization, and pharmacy affairs.
 

 

As a community pharmacist, you will be a pillar of the community. Community pharmacists project a positive image and continue to be the face of medicine for millions of Americans. In fact, community pharmacists have been among the top three trusted professions since 1989 and in a recent poll 73% of Americans rank community pharmacists as being “very high” or “high” in terms of honesty and ethics. “Pharmacists prove their worth every day helping their patients choose and use the correct medications,” said Bruce Roberts, vice president and chief executive officer of the National Community Pharmacists Association. “... in particular, pharmacists have played a pivotal role helping seniors navigate the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.”

As a community pharmacist with a PharmD you not only interact with the public, but you have managerial and supportive roles with the health care community. Your public persona will involve educating patients in prescription drug and medical device use, offering guidelines to customers on the proper use of over-the-counter drugs, nutraceuticals and nutritional supplements, providing patients with immunizations and primary healthcare advice and support, and educating customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines. The non-public responsibilities of a community pharmacist involve you in the evaluation of prescribed doses and possible drug interactions, in the preparation of medicines, ointments and tablets, in providing doctors and other health professionals with advice on drug selection and usage, and in managing technicians and sales people.
 
As a community pharmacist you will also have the choice to act as an entrepreneur and enjoy the personal and financial rewards associated with developing your own business enterprise. Alternatively, you may choose to work in a management capacity within a chain pharmacy. In chain practice, career paths usually begin at the store level with possible subsequent advancement to a position at the district, regional, or corporate level. Management development programs within many large pharmacies can lead a pharmacist towards careers in marketing operations, legal affairs, third party programs, computerization, and pharmacy affairs.
 

 

 
                        Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science - 3333 Green Bay Rd, North Chicago, IL 60064    (847) 578-3000