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Career Details

29-1051.00 - Pharmacists


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.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
297,100
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
306,200
Estimate
Change in Employment
+9,100
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+3.1%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
  • 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.
  • Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.
  • 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.
  • Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.
  • Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies.
  • 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.
  • Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities.
  • Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate.
  • Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
  • Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise.
  • Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
  • Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure.
  • Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors.
  • Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues.
Supplemental
  • Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes.
  • Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.
  • Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients.
  • Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Medicine and Dentistry
  • 86%
    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 82%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Mathematics
  • 76%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Chemistry
  • 75%
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 English Language
  • 73%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Biology
  • 73%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Law and Government
  • 67%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Administration and Management
  • 65%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Therapy and Counseling
  • 65%
    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 65%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Psychology
  • 65%
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
 Clerical
  • 61%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Education and Training
  • 57%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Production and Processing
  • 54%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 51%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Pharmaceutical industry machinery and equipment and supplies
  • Ampoule filling machines
  • Automated drug dispensing equipment
  • Capsule counters
  • Filters for glass containers/ampoules
  • Sealing machines
 Computer data input devices
  • Barcode scanning/prescription tracking systems
 Viewing and observing instruments and accessories
  • Binocular light compound microscopes
 Blood pressure units and related products
  • Electronic blood pressure monitors
  • Manual blood pressure equipment
 Weight measuring instruments
  • Electronic toploading balances
  • Metric weights
  • Torsion balances
 Nuclear physics materials
  • Geiger-Muller counters
 Laboratory enclosures and accessories
  • Horizontal air flow laminar hoods
  • Laminar flow hoods
  • Radiochemical fume hood and filter systems
  • Vertical air flow laminar hoods
 Labeling machines
  • Label-making machines
 Medical radiological shielding and protection products
  • Lead shielded drawing stations
  • Lead transport shields
  • Radiation shields for syringes and vials
 Fluid mechanics equipment
  • Multiple channel well scintillation counters
  • Single channel well scintillation counters
 Computers
  • Personal computers
  • Tablet computers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Data management and query software
  • Computer records systems
  • Healthprolink MedAtlas
  • Recordkeeping software
 Industry specific software
  • Epic SystemsHOT
  • MEDITECH softwareHOT
  • TPNassist
  • TTP LabTech comPOUND
 Business function specific software
  • Label-making software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft SharePointHOT
  • Pyxis MedStation software
  • RxKinetics UD Labels for Windows
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Multitask software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Word processing software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Wytheville Community College