Features of the pharmacist profession. Who is a pharmacist and pharmacist? Personal qualities of a pharmacist


Pharmacist is a specialist in the manufacture and research of medical products. He has the right to sell them on the pharmaceutical market and in pharmacies. To do this, he must have a good understanding of tablets and mixtures and not only know what does what, but also how the drugs will interact with each other.

What is the difference between a pharmacist and a pharmacist? The first specialty implies that the person has received secondary education pharmaceutical education. A pharmacist must be a university graduate; he can hold the position of head of a pharmacy.

What does a pharmacist do?

The main place of work of a pharmacist is a pharmacy, Pharmacy or kiosk. He reports to the manager. When visiting this specialist, a person receives competent advice regarding the specifics of taking medications and their interactions with other drugs. So, a pharmacist at a pharmacy does the following:

  • dispenses over-the-counter preparations of finished medicines, hygiene and patient care items, medicinal herbs and other medical products;
  • dispenses medications according to a doctor's prescription;
  • provides pharmacological care to the patient;
  • performs cash transactions, accepting money for goods sold, and keeps records of their movement;
  • at the end of the working day submits cash reports;
  • has PC skills and knowledge at the user level;
  • draws up a defect sheet, that is, an application for replenishment of goods;
  • accepts the goods, sorting them into pharmacological groups in accordance with storage conditions;
  • participates in inventory within a specified period of time;
  • monitors the temperature in the room and in the refrigerator, as well as air humidity;
  • controls the expiration dates of medicines;
  • using the basics of merchandising, designs the window display;
  • looks after his appearance: the robe must be neat, washed and ironed, the hair must be well-groomed;
  • undergoes medical examinations at the appointed time;
  • takes courses to improve (confirm) qualifications;
  • Provides pre-hospital medical care if necessary.

If any pharmaceutical drug is not available, the pharmacist has the right to replace it with a similar one from another manufacturer in the same release form and with the same dosage. Let's say a patient was prescribed Lazolvan in tablets. This is the trade name of the drug, and the active ingredient is ambroxol hydrochloride. The drugs Ambrobene, Flavamed, Ambrohexal, Abrol, etc. are similar in composition.

Due to the fact that patients are increasingly turning to pharmacies instead of visiting doctors, such concepts as responsible self-medication and pharmaceutical care have appeared. It's about not about life-threatening symptoms, but rather about situations in which they rarely see a doctor or are in no hurry to go to an appointment: colds, pain and sore throat, migraine-like pain, heartburn, constipation, etc.

Pharmaceutical care is a whole complex of measures aimed at interaction between the pharmacist and the patient, starting from the time the chief dispenses the medicine until complete recovery or the patient consults a doctor. The pharmacist's task:

  • find out what disease the patient needs the drug to treat;
  • whether the patient has symptoms that require immediate consultation with a doctor;
  • Having assessed the described symptoms, choose an over-the-counter drug and select the appropriate dosage form;
  • tell about the method of using the medicine (before or after meals, with how much water, how it interacts with other tablets);
  • inform about possible side effects and contraindications;
  • explain that the drug helps eliminate only the symptom of the disease; To identify the cause of the disease and comprehensive treatment, you need to encourage the patient to see a doctor.

A pharmacist can also work as an analyst or technologist in a pharmaceutical plant, manufacturing medicines in pharmacies where they are still prepared.

Pharmacist... each of us who has ever been sick at least once in our lives and, accordingly, visited a pharmacy, has met representatives of this profession.

In our country, a pharmacist is an assistant pharmacist, a graduate of a special college or pharmacy school, while a pharmacist is a specialist with a higher education, but in the West everything is exactly the opposite: a specialist of the highest category is a pharmacist, and a pharmacist is his assistant, a laboratory assistant.

One way or another, both the pharmacist and the pharmacist have the same specialty - and it is called pharmacy (from the Greek word meaning “medicine”) - a section of medicine that deals with everything related to drugs: search from sources in nature, creation, use, safety etc. This science is quite ancient: the first known sources of information about medicines are ancient Egyptian papyri, which are more than three and a half thousand years old!

Is it easy to be a pharmacist nowadays?

Let's face it - it's very difficult! The drug market is in constant motion, and this is due not only to the laws of the market as such, but also to the development of medical science and practice. For example, everyone knows how quickly antibiotics lose their effectiveness (not because they invent bad drugs - the use of an antibiotic causes an evolutionary response in the “world” of microorganisms), they are replaced by new ones. Any medicine has side effects and contraindications - and not always right away, this often happens during many years of its use in medical practice, sometimes the medicine is even discontinued because of this... And simply the previous drugs are replaced by others - more effective ones. The pharmacist must know all this.

That’s why you cannot “learn to become a pharmacist once and for all”: a representative of this profession must constantly study, finding information about new drugs, new research in the field of pharmacology wherever possible: in reference books, the Internet, in materials of symposiums and scientific congresses... Here why, five years after receiving education, a pharmacist is required to undergo advanced training courses and receive a certificate for the right to engage in pharmaceutical activities, valid for five years (after five years the procedure is repeated). Without such a certificate, you are not allowed to sell medicines even in a kiosk!

Thanks to this constant professional growth pharmacists really know, if not everything, then a lot about the state of the drug market - sometimes even more than doctors (for example, the author of the article happened to find himself in such a situation: a doctor prescribed a medicine - and only from the pharmacist at the pharmacy I learned that this drug has not been produced for several years ). This allows many people (especially young people) to neglect consulting a doctor and go straight to the pharmacy: “Give me something for a headache (runny nose, skin rash, etc.).” Sometimes a pharmacist can really help solve a problem, but he will definitely ask: “Is it for a child or an adult?”, “Is it a dry cough or a wet one?” and so on. – you can’t be treated with just anything, and the pharmacist knows this like no one else. But if the pharmacist said: “Go to the doctor and let him prescribe treatment,” there is no need to argue: it means that the situation really is such that it is impossible to do without individual consultation, tests or other examinations (let’s also not forget that a pharmacist still does not have a higher medical education).

A pharmacist must be able not only to sell medicines, but also to prepare various ointments, drops, mixtures, etc. Nowadays there are not many pharmacies where medicines are made, but they exist - they are called prescription pharmacies, and only there you can buy, for example, such effective remedy for a runny nose, like Markov drops.

As we can see, the work of pharmacists is not easy work, and most importantly, it is necessary: ​​after all, medicines are the second after food product that people stop buying last and cannot do without.

A pharmacy worker (pharmacist, pharmacist) is a specialist who is well versed in medicines. He not only distinguishes them, but, if necessary, can select analogues or produce a dosage form (powder, mixture or ointment) on request on his own.

The named profession, which will be dedicated to, implies deep knowledge about the components of each medication, its interaction with other drugs, side effects and contraindications of drugs.

Pharmacist and pharmacist: training

Speaking about the profession of a pharmacist, it should be clearly understood that there are differences between it and the profession of a pharmacist. And the main thing is that these specialists are trained in different educational institutions.

To become a pharmacist, you need to graduate from a higher educational institution, having studied there for 5 years full-time or 5.5 years part-time. After which the graduate will have the right to independent work - manufacturing, testing and licensing of medicines, conducting research work or pharmacy management. That is, he will become a highly qualified specialist.

A future pharmacist can complete training in 3 years and 10 months on the basis of nine classes, or in 2 years and 10 months on the basis of eleven classes in a specialized college or school. Having thus received an education, he will be able to work in a pharmacy, dispensing and manufacturing medications, while acting as an assistant pharmacist.

Although, by the Order of the Ministry of Health (2011), a pharmacist with five years of work experience is declared a person who has the right to apply for the position of pharmacy manager.

Responsibilities of a pharmacist and pharmacist

In Russia, it has traditionally happened that in pharmacy chain the profession of pharmacist imposes on a specialist almost the same responsibilities as on a pharmacist (and it should be noted that there are many of them).

This usually includes:

  • checking prescriptions written by doctors (you must admit, this is quite difficult, given their traditionally illegible handwriting);
  • prevention in dosage and compatibility of ingredients of the prescribed medication;
  • dispensing of medicines;
  • advising customers about the rules for taking certain medications;
  • provision if necessary;
  • recording prescriptions and coordinating the quantity of goods ordered for sale (the pharmacist is the person financially responsible for the safety of money and medicines available in the pharmacy).

In addition, the pharmacist, like the pharmacist, must know the technology and rules for their storage. Both of these specialists study Latin.

Pharmacist is a multifaceted profession

Despite the fact that the profession of a pharmacist only implies that it allows a specialist to work not only in a pharmacy, but also in a pharmaceutical factory, in a pharmaceutical warehouse, in a pharmaceutical company and in research institutes.

In a laboratory setting, as a rule, his responsibilities include the development of new drugs, improvement of existing drugs and development of new technologies for their production.

As you can see, this specialty allows you to demonstrate versatile personality traits - after all, a pharmacist can work with people and, if desired, remain in the laboratory, alone with a microscope.

Qualities necessary for success in the profession

The profession of a pharmacist implies that its applicant has certain human qualities that will allow him to become successful in his field and make a career.

To do this, a specialist must have not only excellent knowledge in the field of chemistry, biology, psychology, Latin and computer technology, but also have self-control and goodwill. Since most often his place of work is a pharmacy, the pharmacist is forced to communicate with big amount of people. Many of them are elderly and come not only for medicine, but also for sympathy, and sensitivity and attentiveness instill in the client confidence that the purchased product will definitely help.

It is very important for a pharmacy worker to maintain a cordial tone and not lose optimism, even if one of the clients allows himself to be irritable or rude.

Health requirements for a pharmacist

Of course, speaking about this profession, one cannot help but emphasize that, unfortunately, not everyone who loves chemistry and biology will be able to work in this specialty.

Pharmacists and pharmacists are, first of all, people who stand at the pharmacy counter all day, which means that it is contraindicated for those who suffer from leg diseases. In addition, for those who have allergies, diseases of the skin, bronchi and cardiovascular system, the described profession can be simply dangerous.

Pharmacist: salary

And now we come to the most pressing problem. How much does a person earn who has so many responsibilities and bears serious responsibility for the health, and sometimes for the lives of people, on an equal basis with doctors?

An average pharmacy worker with 2 years of experience can earn from 20,000 to 35,000 rubles. IN major cities, and also depending on the work schedule, the specialist’s income is about 40,000 rubles. monthly. Private pharmacies practice providing bonuses, which sometimes significantly increases the amount of money the pharmacist receives. His salary in such cases can rise to 50,000 rubles.

Is it easy to get a job and make a career as a pharmacist?

The pharmaceutical business is developing rapidly, so specialists in this field are becoming increasingly in demand. As practice shows, getting a job in a pharmacy chain is not at all difficult for anyone who has a pharmacist certificate.

Some chain pharmacies even offer flexible schedules for undergraduate students, offering them additional various programs advanced training and vocational training.

Many pharmaceutical companies offer administrative applicants the opportunity to work in their sales, marketing research or logistics departments.

If desired, a pharmacist can improve his qualifications, thus reaching a higher level of payment and, as mentioned above, gaining the opportunity to occupy management positions.

Personal qualities required for the profession

The profession of a pharmacist combines the fields of pharmaceuticals, medicine and commerce, which forces the applicant to demonstrate not only a high level of special knowledge, but also excellent moral qualities of a person.

This is first of all:

  • composure, attentiveness and accuracy;
  • ability to concentrate;
  • self-control;
  • high degree of performance;
  • excellent memory;
  • tolerance, sociability and responsiveness.

Despite the fact that a pharmacist is more of a performer, his work still requires the ability to make independent decisions and organize his work.

An advanced pharmacist with excellent communication skills is a godsend for a pharmacy at any level. Indeed, in the current conditions of fierce competition in the pharmacy chain, the client will go first of all to where he was listened to carefully and given useful advice, clearly explained the effect of the drug and thus aroused trust.

Details

There are differences between a pharmacist and a pharmacist. They clearly indicate the level of education and potential, which is quite possible in the case of one or another specialist. However, it is most often believed that the main difference between a pharmacist and a pharmacist in level of education. And this is true, but there are other differences.

Every time we cross the threshold of a pharmacy, we don’t think at all about the fact that people from different specialties are ready to offer friendly and unobtrusive advice, help and advice. One of them is the profession of a pharmacist, and the other is a pharmacist.

There are many more similarities between these professions than differences, so the question of how a pharmacist differs from a pharmacist is quite understandable. At first glance, it generally seems that there are definitely no differences between them, but meanwhile the situation is a little different.

The main differences between a pharmacist and a pharmacist

Let's try to understand in general terms how a pharmacist differs from a pharmacist and what his job responsibilities. A pharmacist and a pharmacist, is there a difference between them and if so, what is it?

A pharmacist is a specialist who has a specialized higher education diploma. He has the right to design and conduct independent pharmaceutical work. He can manage the process of making medicines, or he can manage a pharmacy. Simply put, a pharmacist is equal to a doctor.

A pharmacist is an employee who has graduated from a medical secondary vocational educational institution, namely a college or school. He has the right to work in a pharmacy, prepare and sell medicines and related products. That is, to work to a certain extent as an assistant to a pharmacist. But is it really that simple and what else is the difference between a pharmacist and a pharmacist?

Since ancient times, those people who made their living by manufacturing and selling medicines in pharmacies were called pharmacists. It is from them that modern pharmacists and pharmacists originate. However, this ancient name, perhaps, does not allow us to fully understand all the versatility and complexity of this profession. Then, of course, there were no serious differences between a pharmacist and a pharmacist. But today they are.

Similarities between the professions of Pharmacist and Pharmacist

Representatives of both specialties we are considering should have a sufficiently deep knowledge of Chemical properties medicines available to them. In addition, they are required to know and strictly observe the rules for their storage, as well as production methods and technologies. Both of them must be fluent in information about the composition, dispensing rates, rules of use and dosages of all commercially available drugs. In addition, they must have a deep understanding of the raw materials for the dosage forms being manufactured.

There are no differences between a pharmacist and a pharmacist when it comes to learning Latin. In European pharmacies, a pharmacist is already, in a certain sense, an assistant to a pharmacist. While the latter is considered a specialist with an appropriate higher education and a master's degree.

In our country, a tradition has recently developed that in pharmacies there are no fundamental differences between a pharmacist and a pharmacist. In a pharmacy, representatives of both specialties usually perform similar functions and responsibilities. They are employees of the so-called “First Table” and are in direct contact with the pharmacy’s clients. They provide them with the necessary advice, answer questions, sell medicines, products for medical use and purposes, and other goods. Also, the responsibilities of these pharmacy workers may include displaying goods and maintaining appropriate pharmaceutical order in the pharmacy.

One of the most important requirements for a pharmacist or pharmacist is that they have a certificate of the appropriate type, giving them the right to practice various types pharmaceutical activities. This certificate is issued immediately after completion of any specialized educational institution and is confirmed every five years.

Qualities that distinguish a pharmacist and a pharmacist

The work of both specialists is directly related to people’s health, so they have such qualities as responsibility, literacy and attentiveness. Here, too, there is no difference between a pharmacist and a pharmacist. And due to the fact that these pharmacy workers deal with quite a large amount of cash Money, honesty is also important. Aggression, illiteracy and rudeness are completely unacceptable.

But let's return to the differences between a pharmacist and a pharmacist. We have already found out that a pharmacist is a specialist with a higher medical education, and a pharmacist has a secondary professional education. The pharmacist is given the right to exercise leadership; the pharmacist can only be his assistant.

For most European countries, a pharmacist is already a specialist with a higher pharmaceutical education, while a pharmacist has a diploma of secondary specialized education. In our country, according to the relevant governing documents, it is the pharmacist who has the right to carry out independent pharmaceutical activities. The pharmacist does not have such a right.

Diseases have accompanied humanity at all times. And along with them, medicines always appeared. The ancient Greeks and Romans, Babylonians and Egyptians had their own secrets of healing and making medicines. It was common practice that the doctor's duties included mixing the ingredients needed for the medicine. Only in the 13th century, in connection with the development of science and the emergence of a huge number of drugs for patients, the profession of pharmacist was formed, separate from the medical profession itself.

The Latin word "pharma" means "medicine". It is already difficult for us to imagine how we can do without drugs for various occasions. We run to the pharmacy at the first sign of a viral infection and an upset stomach, headache or pain in the back. We are sure that the person behind the counter will always help and tell us what exactly will bring us relief and drive away the disease.

However, often the person dispensing the medications is not the pharmacist. This is just a salesman who is unlikely to have a medical education. He knows only the essentials about his product. Pharmacology is the most complex and precise medical science, and a pharmacist is a profession that you can really be proud of.

Who is a pharmacist?

This is a person who knows everything about medicines. That is, he can confidently and responsibly name the scope of application of a particular drug, its chemical composition, interaction with other substances, contraindications and side effects from taking it. Such a specialist will select an analogue, if necessary, explain how to take the medication correctly, and ask if you have an individual intolerance to one or another component.

And, of course, a description of the profession would be incomplete without mentioning the possibility of preparing one or another mixture or ointment right in the pharmacy: a real pharmacist should have enough knowledge for this.

What is the job of a pharmacist?

A specialist in this area is required to accept the product at the pharmacy, place it on the display case logically and beautifully, maintain documentation, sell medicines and advise customers on their use, dosage, compatibility or contraindications.

The profession of a pharmacist requires computer skills, knowledge of information about the shelf life of the product, as well as competent speech necessary to clearly answer the buyer’s question. Calculating the dosage and understanding what to prescribe and what to dispense is also part of the work of this specialist.

Not all pharmacists work in pharmacies. The work of many of them is related to the production of medicines in specialized factories. A description of the pharmaceutical business would be incomplete without mentioning the numerous studies that medicines undergo under the control of these people. In addition, many of them are engaged marketing research in the field of the market of drugs for certain diseases.

Are there any advantages to the profession?

  • The advantages of the pharmaceutical business begin with the fact that it is really interesting. That is, if a person likes chemistry, understanding the intricacies of the effects of various drugs on the human body is really exciting.
  • Pharmacists are needed in every pharmacy. It is not easy to obtain a specialty, but the demand for these workers is one of the undoubted advantages of this business.
  • The working conditions are quite comfortable: clean, bright and warm rooms.
  • It can't be said that wages An ordinary pharmacist can be considered one of the advantages of this specialty. However, the reward is stable. In addition, working in production provides many opportunities, including financial ones.
  • Career growth? Yes, sure! You can become a pharmacy manager, or get a higher position in production. And if you have higher education, then you will be able to switch to, which opens up more opportunities. If you have a commercial streak, what's stopping you from opening your own pharmaceutical business?

Disadvantages of being a modern pharmacist

  • You will have to spend a lot of time getting an education. If you focus on the position of a pharmacist, the medical college trains for 4 years. A pharmacist needs to acquire knowledge for 6 years and spend a year in internship.
  • For some, the difficulty of acquiring knowledge is one of the disadvantages of the profession.
  • Specialists spend most of their time on their feet, and they get tired, hurt, swell and require a break, which is impossible to give them during work.
  • Constant concentration, the need to do your work accurately and scrupulously is tiring.
  • A clear disadvantage is the high risk of contracting viral infections from pharmacy visitors.
  • Work in production involves shift work, and you will have to work on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.

What human qualities are needed for a pharmacist?

Firstly, it is an interest and desire to understand chemistry and biology. Training presupposes knowledge of the Latin language. If you have a bad memory, this is a definite minus for pharmacology. Basic medications, active substances and mechanisms of their interaction must be remembered by heart.

Secondly, the pharmacist must be able to work with people - patiently explain the prescription of medications, answer questions, and warn about the consequences. If you are an introvert and don’t like talking to strangers, it’s better to find something else to do in life.

The work of manufacturing drugs, which occurs not only in a production environment, but also in a pharmacy, requires composure, accuracy and precision. If at home in the kitchen you can act “by eye”, here the consequences of such an approach can be catastrophic.

Features of employment

The pros and cons of the profession are largely offset by opportunities or, conversely, problems with employment. As for pharmacist specialists, they are quite in demand. Medicine production is developing rapidly. Along with mutating viruses and new variants of various diseases, new drugs appear, so professionals are needed more than ever in pharmaceutical factories. However, they are not available in all localities.

But pharmacies are everywhere, and people with specialized education are required to work in them. As a rule, vacant positions are given to professionals, and not to ordinary salespeople without special medical training. Problems with employment often arise among pharmacists, so they go for less paid, but real positions as pharmacists. More practical representatives of the profession begin to work with secondary vocational education and, if there is a real need, receive higher education.

The most important thing to say about pharmacists is that they are needed. Modern world teeming with diseases - from the most common to rare and terrible. Navigating the endless sea of ​​medications and finding the one that this particular person needs to get better is a great thing. If you become a specialist who helps a person do right choice and successfully getting rid of any problem is great!