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Pharmacists What is a pharmacist? Pharmacists are medicines specialists. They understand the composition, chemical and physical properties, manufacture, uses, side effects and interactions of medicines with food and other medicines. A pharmacist must be registered with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand. What do pharmacists do? Pharmacists work as a part of a team and are often in a position of responsibility for others within the team. They: • are involved in the preparation and use of medicines including::: research and development of new drugs : : ensuring a patient is taking the correct medicine: : education of patients in the correct use of their medicine: : provision of specialised information to doctors, nurses and other health practitioners.• are the first point of contact in the health care system. They:: : assess patients to decide whether to refer them to the doctor or treat them with one of the many medicines available over the counter: : are the link between a doctor and a patient.• dispense Medicines and advise patients:: : how and when to take their medicines safely for maximum effect: : how to reduce side effects: : how to use specialised devices such as inhalers, syringes, and blood glucose meters.Pharmacists are also increasingly involved in: • Disease and medicines management roles• Medication reviews• Monitoring patients’ use of medicines• Helping patients with conditions such as diabetes or mental illness to manage their medicines and their illness.Where do pharmacists work? There are a variety of career paths available to pharmacists once they have registered with the Pharmacy Council. Careers are available in community and hospital pharmacies, industry, marketing and sales, government agencies, teaching, publishing and pharmaceutical related agencies. What are the personal qualities a pharmacist should have? Pharmacists must: • Enjoy people contact and have excellent communication skills• Have a well-developed sense of responsibility• Be caring and concerned for others• Be trustworthy – trust and confidentiality are an important role for pharmacists• Be constantly vigilant to avoid life threatening errors or mistakes that reduce the effect of treatments• Be good organisers and administrators to maintain efficiency• Be able to meet the challenges of change.What qualification is required to become a pharmacist? Pharmacists must hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (BPharm) and complete the Intern Training Programme to become a registered pharmacist. Pharmacists must register with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand. What training is required to become a pharmacist? The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is a four year course offered by the Schools of Pharmacy. The entry requirements are set out by the universities teaching this course however it is recommended that students study Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics(calculus or statistics) to year 13 level. Upon completion of their degree graduates must register with the Pharmacy Council of NZ and complete the Intern Training programme. What is the Intern Training Programme? The Intern Training Programme is: • The link between academia and practice• A one year programme of practical training in a community or hospital pharmacy, where the intern achieves the skills, knowledge and attributes of a registered pharmacist.• A competence-based programme which includes assignments and assessments throughout the year. The intern earns a salary during this year of training.There is a fee to complete the Intern Training Programme. This will be advised to you by prior to your enrolment in the programme but you could expect to pay around $3,500.00 to $4,500.00. Registration Upon successful completion to the Intern Training Programme the intern can apply to become a fully registered pharmacist. Registered pharmacists must be dedicated lifelong earners to maintain a high standard of practice and keep up to date with the ever changing pharmacy environment. This is achieved through Continuing Professional Development provided by the Enhance team at the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand and is a requirement for pharmacists to complete in order to maintain their annual practicing certificate and their registration status. What are the career prospects for a pharmacist? There are several careers available to pharmacists. The career which is correct for you will depend on your interests and abilities. Community Pharmacist Community pharmacists combine professionalism and business. They are important members of the primary health care team and increasingly are taking part in joint initiatives with other health care providers for conditions such as Diabetes, Mental illness and Asthma. They may also help patients with managing their own medicines. Their primary role includes: • Dispensing of prescriptions from a variety of health practitioners• Advising patients on the reason for and best use of their medicine• Advising patients on possible side effects their medicine may cause• Providing information to their patients on storage and expiry dates of their medicines.The other main role includes: • Provision of advice and counselling on treating a wide range of health conditions and the maintenance of good health• Encouraging the public to take more responsibility for maintaining good health with the assistance of the pharmacist• Providing advice to customers on the treatment of minor problems such as coughs, colds, stomach upsets and skin problems and supplying a suitable medicine where relevant or referring the customer to a doctor• Providing services such as blood pressure measurement, diabetic testing, cholesterol testing and so on• Providing services to care facilities such as rest homes and small hospitals.Their other roles may include: • Business planning• Accounting• Buying• Merchandising and marketing• Staff recruitment, training and development.Hospital Pharmacist Hospital pharmacists work in hospitals alongside doctors, nurses and other health practitioners to care for patients on the wards and in outpatient clinics. There are opportunities in some hospitals for pharmacists to specialise in areas such as working with children, the elderly or the treatment of cancer patients. These patients often have special requirements and need medicine doses calculated on an individual basis. Some hospital pharmacists: • Receive training in the preparation of sterile (free from microbial contamination which could seriously injure a patient) medicines such as injections or eye drops.• Prepare Cytotoxic injections for treating cancer patients. These drugs need to be handled under special conditions as they have the potential to be harmful.• Prepare intravenous nutrition for patients who because of surgery or other reasons cannot take food by mouth• Are involved in the national network of Drug Information Centres and answer questions from doctors or other health practitioners about medicine problems such as side effects, interactions of medicines and the use of medicines in pregnancy. The Drug Information Centre also provides: : : Newsletters for the hospital: : Reviews of new medicines for consideration by the Hospital Drug and Therapeutics Committee: : Computer databases: : Medical journals: : Internet and reference books to provide up-to-date answers to pharmacists.Specialised Pharmacy Services Many pharmacists are involved in Medication Management – a range of services that help at risk people get the most from their medicines. These services vary in complexity but typically include reviewing a patient’s medicines use, their health problems and lifestyle then evaluating the information to determine how the patient may use their medicines more effectively. The pharmacist would work closely with the patient, and if necessary their doctor, to: • Develop strategies that correct any actual or potential problems• Ensure the patient gets the best possible outcomes from their medicine use.These pharmacists may be working in a community pharmacy or may work independently and contract their services to community pharmacies and doctors. Many pharmacies now provide Emergency Contraception Services. With additional training pharmacists can gain accreditation to provide Emergency Contraception Counselling and where safe and appropriate may prescribe the Emergency Contraceptive Pill. Advisory Pharmacists or Pharmacist Facilitators These pharmacists may be employed by doctors, and Independent Practice Association or a Primary Health Organisation. They: • Provide information on medicines and prescribing protocols for the treatment of common conditions seen in general practice• Often liaise between community and hospital pharmacists and doctors• Provide medication reviews• Carry out background research and develop guidelines for specialised projects such as smoking cessation• Carry out analysis of medicine used including costs and making recommendations for more effective use and/or cost reduction of treatment.Pharmaceutical Companies There are many opportunities for pharmacists employed by pharmaceutical companies. These include: Production Pharmacists may be involved in planning, inventory control, warehousing, manufacturing and packaging. Pharmaceutical analysis and control ensure a patient receives a safe and effective medicine. Regulatory Affairs In these roles pharmacists manage the registration of new medicines. They liaise with government agencies to ensure medicines comply with New Zealand regulations for quality, manufacturing standards, packaging, labelling and consumer information. Clinical Research Associates These pharmacists monitor trials set up by pharmaceutical companies to test the effectiveness of new medicines. Sales and Marketing Representatives These pharmacists visit doctors, pharmacists and specialists to provide information on new and existing medicines. They may also provide product training to pharmacy staff. A qualification in business or marketing will assist a pharmacist who is interested in the areas of Marketing, Sales and Product Management. Government Agencies There are opportunities for pharmacists to work with government agencies. These pharmacists would be employed either by the Ministry of Health, Pharmac or the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). The Ministry of Health Pharmacists work for the Ministry of Health in advisory, monitoring and enforcement roles relating to pharmacy, the use of pharmaceuticals, manufacturing processes and new medicine evaluation. Medsafe employs pharmacists as Medicine Control Advisors. These pharmacists:• Advise prescribers such as doctors and pharmacists on the regulation and control of medicines• Audit pharmacies to ensure they are operating in accordance with the legal requirements and quality standards of practice• Work with customs and Police to advise to the Medical officer of Health on enforcement of the laws relating to the importation and use of medicines• Audit the manufacturers of medicine and blood products to ensure a high standard of manufacturing• Evaluate scientific data for new medicines• Prepare information on medicines and/or specific health topics to distribute to other health practitioners.Pharmac are the managers of the expenditure on medicines in New Zealand. Pharmacists may be employed as therapeutic group managers to manage the expenditure on particular groups of medicines and negotiate prices of medicines with pharmaceutical companies.Other pharmacists may be employed by Pharmac to produce and maintain the Pharmaceutical Schedule (a list of all subsidised pharmaceutical products), answering queries from doctors, pharmacists and the public and for producing patient education materials. Teaching There are a limited number of opportunities for pharmacists to be employed in a teaching capacity or to be engaged in research products at the Schools of Pharmacy in the Universities. These positions typically require a postgraduate qualification such as a Master of Pharmacy or a Doctorate. Some pharmacists are employed as tutors or assessors for training in the National Certificates in Pharmacy (Technician and Assistant). Publishing and computing Some publishing companies employ pharmacists who specialise in medical publishing to edit medical and pharmaceutical books and journals, the writing of drug information software and promotional material. Some pharmacists also work with computer companies who produce dispensing software and wevsites. Other opportunities available for pharmacists Travel New Zealand pharmacy qualifications are accepted in Australia. Other countries require a further period of study to gain registration. This provides many young pharmacists with the opportunity to travel and experience pharmacy in other countries. Further Education The Schools of Pharmacy in the universities provide postgraduate qualifications which pharmacists can study on a full time or part time basis. The New Zealand College of Pharmacists also offers postgraduate study and qualifications. For more detailsFor more details on the BPharm course and the subjects studied contact the universities directly.
For information about being a pharmacist call into your local pharmacy or contact the pharmacy department at your local hospital and ask if you can visit and talk to the pharmacists. |
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