Photo by Rural Health Professions from Flickr

When you visit a local pharmacist, that store is likely managed by a pharmacist and an assistant. These professionals are experts in dispensing and prescribing medicines. The profession existed thousands of years ago when people sought and used medicines derived from herbs and minerals. The advancement in biology, understanding of human anatomy, chemistry, and manufacturing process, and computer technology made pharmacy - a profession we know today. 

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• Chief Pharmacist

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• Military pharmacist

• Pharmaceutist

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• Pharmacologist

• Pharmacy aide

• Pharmacy Assistant

• Pharmacy instructor

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• Staff Pharmacist

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Dispense medicines as prescribed by a medical doctor through a medical prescription.

• Organise medicines according to general sales (GS), pharmacy medicines, prescription-only medicines, and controlled drugs.

• Perform administrative tasks

• Ensure a safe and clean workplace

• Adhere to governing laws that cover pharmacy practice

• Communicate with prescribing physicians

• Counsel patients

• Educate other health professionals

• Assess the identity, purity, and strength of medications

• Order and buy pharmacy drugs, medical supplies, and pharmaceutical supplies.

• Maintain stocks 

• Check expiration dates

• Maintain a database of medicines

• Provide other medical services such as checking blood pressure or temperature measurements and administering injections.

WORKPLACE - WHERE DO THEY WORK?

• Clinics

• Hospitals

• Pharmacy chains

• Pharmaceutical companies

• Supermarket pharmacies

• Food and drug regulatory body (in the Philippines, it’s the Food and Drug Administration).

• Forensic laboratories

• Consultancy

• Clinical research labs

• Pharmacy instructor

SKILLS NEEDED

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

To be a legal pharmacist, you need to finish a degree in Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (Philippines). Before graduation, your school will require you to undergo job training or internship in a hospital or pharmacy. From there, you’ll be consulting with patients, taking blood pressure, and instructing them on the correct way of taking medicines. 

After graduation, if you want to be a licensed pharmacist, you need to pass the Pharmacist Licensure Examination conducted by the Board of Pharmacy and supervised by the Philippines Professional Regulations Commission (PRC). You can also take post-graduate education such as the Doctor of Pharmacy. Edukasyon.ph lists the 10 best Pharmacy programs in the Philippines.

PAYSCALE

Although there’s a minimum wage set for all labour sectors, salary depends on the following:

• Location (Metro Manila versus Provinces)

• Seniority level

• Company size

• Position

• Licensure status

• Skills set

• Experience

According to payscale.com the average yearly salary of a registered pharmacist (RPh) is 206, 394 PHP which is 87.92 PHP per hour or 19, 727 per month.   

JOB MARKET OUTLOOK

There will always be a need for pharmacists as people need medicines to solve their medical problems. As time goes by, the aging population will increase the need for pharmacy services in geriatric centres, clinics, and hospitals.

PROSPECTS FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT

You can advance from your current pharmacist job in a drug store to a pharmacy manager or food in drug regulation officer in the government. Also, you can take post-graduate studies to 

RISKS OF BEING AUTOMATED OR REPLACED BY ROBOTS

According to willrobotstakemyjob.com, and replacedbyrobots.info there’s a 1.2% chance that pharmacist could be replaced AI and robots. Probably, in upcoming decades when technology advances, repetitive and lower-level tasks could be automated and delegated to machines. Humans will still hold the oversight role in the pharmacy industry. On top of that, machines have no emotions and thus they can’t completely replace humans.

PROS AND CONS

Pros

• More job opportunities - People often get sick and need medicines. Pharmacies are everywhere.

• You can have an option to work from home in telepharmacy

• You can be self-employed - set up your drugstore

• Job outlook is improving - more people born in the 20th century will get old in the middle of the 21st century decade.

Cons

• You could face some competition - Many students are taking pharmacy degrees

• You may work the night shift at hospitals

• Your work could be repetitive

• You could be underemployed and underpaid