What Does a Pharmacist Do? Roles and Responsibilities


Thursday, 1 September 2022

As a pharmacist, you will perform different tasks and roles. You will have to be aware of all of your responsibilities as a pharmacist. These are several and diverse, and we are not always entirely sure, so the question is, what does a pharmacist do? Find out the different tasks and responsibilities of a pharmacist. 




A pharmacist is a health care professional in charge of storing, handling, preparing, and dispensing different medications. They are very important for patients since they educate them about the usage and administration of drugs. Pharmacists do this following a doctor’s prescription and they also serve as security that the doses are correct and that there will be no problem with the patient using that drug. 

Pharmacists mostly work in pharmacies or chemist shops, but they might be found in other institutions too. They work in hospitals, oncology centers, mental health institutions, addiction treatment centers, nursing homes, poison control centers, medication distribution centers, and rehabilitation centers, among others.

Roles and Responsibilities

Pharmacists can perform several activities. The most popular of all is filling prescriptions for patients. But this is not the only one. So, what does a pharmacist do? Here is a list of some of the most common duties and responsibilities of a pharmacist. 

  • Verify the dose of the medication prescribed by the doctor is correct
  • Check the patient’s history to make sure the new medication will not interfere with previous ones.
  • Preparing new prescriptions based on the doctor’s instructions. 
  • Check the patient’s possible adverse reaction to the new medication.
  • Educate the patients on how to take medications correctly.
  • Educate the patients on the possible side effects of medication.
  • Answering any questions the patient may have. 
  • Keep a record of the patient’s purchases.
  • Administering vaccination. 

According to the activities performed and the different responsibilities, there are many types of pharmacists:

  1. Retail pharmacists: Responsible for filling prescriptions, providing vaccinations, and teaching patients basic knowledge about medication.
  2. Clinical pharmacists: In charge of making patients' rounds, advising doctors on the best medication for the patient, and specializing in different areas.
  3. Oncology pharmacists: In charge of compounding chemotherapy drugs and reviewing the treatments and medications used on an oncological patient. 
  4. Nuclear pharmacists: Responsible for preparing radioactive materials for specific procedures.
  5. Ambulatory care pharmacists: Work together with physicians to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes. 

Why Study Pharmacy? 

Getting a degree in pharmacy allows you to perform different tasks that will help the patient to spend a more peaceful time. As a pharmacist, you will be able to treat patients and prevent their diseases, helping them with their prescriptions, educating them on the amount of medication they have to take, making sure the medication they are about to take is compatible with any other type of medication they might be taking, and answering any questions the patient may have. Besides, by getting a degree in pharmacy, you will have flexible career opportunities, since you can become a researcher, pharmacologist, toxicologist, and more. 

If you are interested in any of the tasks and responsibilities a pharmacist has to perform, you might want to earn a degree in pharmacy. In Australia, you can pursue this degree in:

Find more information about this and other degrees by filling in the form on this site and one of our advisors will contact you as soon as possible to answer any doubt you may have. 






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