You just graduated as a pharmacist, and you’ve always wanted to become a hospital pharmacist in the US. Your dreams are valid, and it is very possible to achieve your goal.
Hospital pharmacists are also known as clinical pharmacists. They are highly regarded and offered good salaries because they occupy sensitive positions and play crucial roles in the health and medical sector.
Therefore, becoming a hospital pharmacist demands that you follow the non-avoidable process, fulfill the rigorous requirements, and get accepted by the appropriate governing body. This blog post is about how to achieve this important milestone.
Hospital pharmacist role and responsibilities
Hospital pharmacists are saddled with numerous roles and responsibilities. Their daily activities involve interacting with or working alongside other hospital staff and doctors before dealing with patients.
This category of pharmacists can work in different departments of the hospital. As we progress down, we will look at some places where you can find a hospital pharmacist within the hospital setting.
First, let us break down some of these responsibilities.
- Consult the medical team comprising doctors and nurses for a patient’s medication.
- Holding informative sessions for the medical and pharmaceutical staff of the hospital on drug administration and techniques
- Give a detailed review of drug prescriptions.
- Consult with lab technicians, read lab results, and offer correct drugs and dosage.
- Recommend medical therapy when necessary.
- Stay up to date on drug side effects on patients and adjusting dosage or replacement.
What is the difference between a retail pharmacist and a hospital pharmacist?
Many people have yet to understand that the pharmaceutical field is broad. Though every part of the field can offer career fulfillment, we need to differentiate between the two sides, beginning with retail pharmacy.
A retail pharmacist fills and refills prescription drugs. They ensure the prescription comes from a qualified doctor, not just anyone. Retail pharmacists can also offer a similar drug if the prescribed one is not readily available.
Meanwhile, a hospital pharmacist faces a more complex job description. They are involved with a patient’s medical team and consult with them to provide the right treatment according to lab results and diagnosis.
That’s not all; these sets of pharmacists advance to investigate the chemical properties of a drug and help formulate new drug properties. They also update on drug safety.
What skills should a hospital pharmacist possess?
You must acquire the relevant skills to stay on top of your game as a hospital pharmacist. These skills set you apart in your career as a hospital pharmacist. They include:
Organizational skills
This skill helps a hospital pharmacist avoid mixing up patients’ medications or making erroneous observations.
A hospital pharmacist interacts with many people and works with medical teams, and an organizational skill helps them stay afloat despite the amount of information they have to take in or give out.
Attention to detail skills
Since saving and managing human life is heavily involved, hospital pharmacists must possess this skill. It helps these pharmacists pay attention to a patient’s drug needs without falling short.
While dealing with a hospital full of patients, it is easy to have oversight of drugs, their dosage, chemical properties, and quantity. However, paying attention to detail skill helps to keep those mistakes far from happening.
Excellent communication skills
A hospital pharmacist never works solo and must constantly communicate with different people at different times.
While on the job, he or she interacts with patients, communicates with the medical team, and speaks with the lab technicians.
Carrying out these activities daily requires excellent communication skills to get the job done, ensure information is well passed, and ensure everyone is on the same page.
However, a lack of good communication skills, especially from the pharmacist, can surely negatively impact the way information is passed between the medical team and him. When this happens, no one will be carried along.
Clinical knowledge skill
This is one of the reasons hospitals prefer to only hire pharmacists with hospital experience or at least those with residency experience.
The clinical knowledge skill comes in handy because you easily stay updated on trends, changes, and rules. It helps to know the medications that are currently administered for faster relief or healing.
What are the requirements to become a hospital pharmacist?
After gathering all your required information, it is time to take the necessary steps to become a hospital pharmacist.
The right step towards becoming a hospital pharmacist in the US begins by completing your prerequisite.
A prerequisite is the coursework set by schools to prepare you for real study. It is sometimes made up of some courses you are familiar with, like biology and chemistry;
Therefore, the candidates must pass their prerequisite program excellently before they can produce
Find a good pharmacy school that has an accredited pharmacy education body.
Apply to a Pharm.D degree school through Pharmacy college Application Service (PharmCas). Applying through PharmCAS permits you to apply to multiple pharmacy schools of your choice.
Earn a Pharm.D degree by studying seriously and staying highly focused.
Apply and begin your residency in a qualified hospital; the experience will help you to land a job in the future because most hospitals employ pharmacists with job experience or residency.
You may also discover categories of residency programs. One trains you generally to function in various areas of the field, while the other trains you in a specific area as a hospital pharmacist.
Earn your Pharmacist license by passing the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Passing this examination is what allows you to practice in the United States of America.
Moreover, there are state board exams that apply to all pharmacists working in each state in the US. Ensure you scale them all in preparation for working in a hospital as a pharmacist.
Land a job. Begin by listing all the hospitals you wish to work in. Apply to all and stay positive during the process. Soon, you will kick-start your career.
Concluding remark on How to become a hospital pharmacist
To wrap it up, how to become a hospital pharmacist in the United States is a less complicated adventure if you are determined to make your dreams come true.
Take a cue from those you admire in the field and remember that they were once at your level.
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