How to become a pharmacist

A pharmacist is a healthcare professional who specialises in the use of medicines. They play a crucial role in the healthcare system by providing expert advice on the safe and effective use of prescription and over-the-counter medications. 

“Essentially wherever there's medicines, there should be a pharmacist. So, as well as suppling medicine, we check the appropriateness of the prescription and the medicine. We also play a really important role in education and giving advice on health and medicines,” explains A/Prof Chan. 

Pharmacists work closely with doctors and other healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment for their health conditions. They also provide advice on managing side effects, interactions between different medications, and general health and wellbeing. 

In addition to dispensing medications, pharmacists often provide services such as health screenings, vaccinations, and advice on lifestyle changes to promote better health. They also play a key role in managing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and asthma, by helping patients to manage their medications and monitor their condition. 

“As an important member of the healthcare team, we work together with other health professionals to manage basic health conditions as well as make referrals for more serious conditions that we can't treat at the pharmacy,” says A/Prof Chan, “Other roles for pharmacists could include research interventions and providing public health service such as vaccinations."

These responsibilities can include:

• Dispensing prescription medications to patients

• Providing advice on the safe and effective use of prescription and over-the-counter medications

• Checking for potential drug interactions to prevent adverse effects

• Providing immunisations and health screenings

• Managing and advising on medication therapy for chronic illnesses

• Supervising pharmacy technicians and other staff

• Keeping records and maintaining inventory of medications

• Liaising with doctors and other healthcare professionals about patient treatment plans.

A compounding pharmacist specialises in creating customised medication from raw ingredients for individual patient needs. All pharmacists are trained in basic compounding, but some have further training and specialised facilities to create unique formulations, dosage forms, and strengths that are not commonly used. 

“Compounding particular drugs, for various specific conditions, is a very specialised area where the formulation and dosage may be unique to the patient, so a compounding pharmacist would have to specially prepare the medication based on the doctor’s prescription,” explains A/Prof Chan.

Pharmacists work in a variety of settings, including community pharmacies, hospitals, and in the pharmaceutical industry. Regardless of where they work, pharmacists are committed to ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines to improve patient health.

“The scope and roles that a pharmacist can engage in is expanding and it is continuing to expand. What we are starting to see a lot more of now are pharmacists working in some of the non-traditional settings. So, working in GP clinics, working in aged care homes, or working in community health organisations,” says A/Prof Chan.

The median full-time weekly earnings for a pharmacist in Australia is $2,071* and the median hourly earnings are $55 per hour*. On average pharmacists in Australia work 42 hours per week^.