A pharmacist creates medications and provides pharmaceutical products to customers and patients, most often while filling a prescription from a doctor or physician. They interact with customers to process requests, and provide information to ensure that medications are used correctly. They also must oversee that paperwork such as original prescriptions, insurance claims and other documentation is properly filed. As a pharmacist does not know what a physician proscribes until they see the paper, they must stay up-to-date regard the latest medications and medical ingredients in order to properly fulfill requests. If a pharmacist is also the owner of their own private pharmacy, they will likely also have additional administrative responsibilities.

• Create medications and compounds in accordance with prescriptions
• Process insurance claims and other paperwork
• Perform basic health checks on patients (temperature, blood pressure)
• Maintain inventory and properly dispose of expired medications
• Provide information about side effects, interaction or reactions
• Offer guidance regarding over-the-counter medications
• Update patient records whenever necessary
• Monitor and manage pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians
• Admin tasks such as sales reports, payments, schedule requests, etc.
• Provide certain vaccines (flu shots)

To become a pharmacist, there are specific education requirements. Aspiring pharmacists must complete a 4-year degree from an accredited university, with a major in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Studies. Their training must include an apprenticeship under a licensed and practicing pharmacist in order to gain a specific amount of practical experience. They then must pass an examination with the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada in order to become fully licensed and accredited.

Pharmacists provide healthcare services in a retail environment, meaning that they can find recruitment opportunities in the healthcare and retail sectors. Certain retail chains require pharmacist ownership, providing additional opportunities.

The long-term employment outlook for pharmacists is considered good, although there is the slight chance of a surplus over the next decade. The unemployment rate for pharmacists has decreased consistently, and 46% of new pharmacists positions over the next decade will be due to retirements, creating new opportunities for people entering the profession.

A pharmacist works in a pharmacy, which can be located in a number of different locations. Pharmacies can operate out of hospitals, healthcare clinics and doctors’ offices. They can also operate in independent locations. In Canada, popular retail locations such as Shoppers Drug Mart are owned and operated by pharmacists, and feature a pharmacy at each location.

According to the CNP code (national classification of occupations), here are additional titles for pharmacists:

• Clinical pharmacist
• Community pharmacist
• Industrial pharmacist
• Retail pharmacist
• Hospital pharmacist