A pharmacist is so much more than a ''pill pusher.'' For instance, very frequently those holding pharmacist jobs will contact the prescribing physician to discuss what other medications the patient should be taking. Both the physician and those in the pharmacy jobs are working hand in hand for the health and welfare of the patient. If there is some medication that is indicated by the patient's condition that the physician may have overlooked, it is part of those holding pharmacist jobs to cover that with the physician.
Especially in today's economy, part of a local pharmacist's job is to try to hold down costs for the patients. For instance, there may be a less expensive prescription than the one the doctor ordered that would have the same efficacy. In this respect, those holding pharmaceutical jobs will even help to keep insurance costs down!
There are occasions, of course, where the patient is possibly overmedicated. It is often those holding pharmacist jobs that discover such problems. They then discuss the possibility with the patient's physician to ascertain that the patient is not threatened by overmedication. This not only can help the patient by preventing overdoses, for example, but helps keep the patient's healthcare costs down as well.
Though the occasions are very rare, there are times when the patient will tell their pharmacist something important about their prescription when they pick them up that causes the pharmacist to have to consult the prescribing physician. For instance, perhaps the patient looks at the color of the medication and tells those in the pharmacy jobs that they are allergic to the dye used in fabricating the pills. The pharmacist will, of course, immediately confer with the physician to see if another prescription might better suit that particular patient.
Basically, the pharmacist is walking a tightrope with the physician though. As you can imagine, those in pharmaceutical jobs need to be extremely diplomatic. At no time should the physician feel as if he or she is being usurped or in any manner undermined. This is why so much of this happens behind the scenes.
Because the relationship between a pharmacist and a prescribing physician is seen as more and more related to a patient's welfare, various states are allowing those holding the pharmacist jobs to assume professional responsibility. This is opening the doors to actually enhance a physician's skills.
Added responsibility means added knowledge will be necessary. For instance, pharmaceutical sales representatives will have to not only talk with prescribing physicians but will now need to also include those in pharmacy jobs in their local rounds. The more knowledge a pharmacist has on a new drug, the more likely it is that the pharmacist will mention to the doctor that a product may be of tremendous aid for that patient.
