Do You Possess the Qualities of a Competent Pharmacist?

Being a pharmacist can be a fulfilling and rewarding medical job, since the pay-to-hours ratio offers an appealing quality of life. Furthermore, the responsibilities allow for meaningful connections with patients and customers. Pharmacists are identified as one of the professionals in whom Americans have the most faith.

So, what qualities distinguish a competent pharmacist?

Cavalier Pharmacare has reduced it down to the ten most essential components:

• A Front-Line Educator
  A local pharmacist at the nearest retail pharmacy may be the only medical provider that many people can afford. Thus, a pharmacist is frequently an educator on a variety of medical topics, including how to use and stay healthy while on the medicine.
• Capability to Interpret Prescriptions Correctly
  We all know how legible doctors’ handwriting can be, so it is easy to see why a patient would prefer to deal with one of the few professions whose training includes instruction in interpreting the phrasing, intent, and handwriting of prescribing doctors or nurse practitioners. It’s no surprise that pharmacists consistently rank among the most trusted professionals in America.
• Patient-Centered Care
  A pharmacist who works in an environment that promotes visible patient-centered care puts the patient first. Pharmacists can demonstrate this visible care by being courteous and attentive, recognizing patient diversity, and respecting the patient’s perspective by emphasizing patient participation and decision options.
• Conscientiousness
  Pharmacists, like other medical professionals, are expected to follow strict ethical and moral norms, regardless of their personal opinions. Pharmacists, like doctors, must prioritize the professional demands of their patients over their emotional feelings.
• Knowledgeable
  Pharmacists who commit to continuing education to stay current on the latest pharmaceuticals, their advantages, side effects, and interactions are more likely to be effective in other aspects of their jobs.
• Integrity
  Sometimes doctors overlook drug interactions, and sometimes nurses who enter computerized prescriptions make mistakes. Pharmacists are proofreaders; if something doesn’t make sense or a mistake is made, they must have the confidence and integrity to step up and ask questions.
• Diplomacy
  Every pharmacist will come across a patient who is trying to obtain a prohibited substance without a prescription, on an expired prescription, or too soon. Pharmacists must be able to settle these issues in the best interests of all parties. Diplomacy, sound judgment, and the ability to remain calm are required, as well as consideration for the patient’s, staff members’, and other customers’ safety.
• Patient
  Setting out for the first time to pick up medical supplies or refill prescriptions can ruffle a person’s feathers to the extreme. Effective pharmacists recognize this and assist both sides by remaining calm and patient.
• Detail-Oriented
  The last thing a patient needs is someone who is as perplexed as they are about their prescription. Pharmacists must maintain track of every facet of a patient’s health, or risk overlooking how an existing ailment or medicine may have serious side effects with a new drug they will begin taking.
• Active Listening
  As a pharmacist, you must pay close attention to your patients. To accomplish this, you must be an attentive listener who is focused on your patients and ready to provide them with the required treatment to alleviate their symptoms. Having a dismissive attitude and failing to listen carefully to what your patients are saying may not only get you a terrible reputation, but it may also be harmful, as your lack of active listening may result in missing vital clues that point to the right prescription.

A pharmacist must have numerous common characteristics to be successful in the field. Although most people associate pharmacists with those who work behind the counter in drugstores filling and dispensing prescriptions, they can be found in a wide range of settings. They could, for example, work in hospitals or as consultants. A pharmacist’s job may involve research and development or marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. These characteristics are required wherever a pharmacist works.

Pharmacists work in a fast-paced and highly technical environment that may be quite demanding, with no tolerance for error. However, it can be extremely rewarding for those who possess the personality traits and skills included on this list.

We make sure that our pharmacists are somebody you can trust, approach, and confide in if you have issues with your prescriptions or need OTC meds at Cavalier Pharmacare. What distinguishes us from your typical pharmacy is our continual emphasis on friendly care and client satisfaction. We consider you to be more than just a number in line—you are a member of our family, and we can only create a better and happier neighborhood by working together.

Can you think of any other skills you would like to see in a pharmacist? Please let us know in the comments section below.