Being a pharmacist is a rewarding career which helps millions of people across the world every single year. A pharmacist is responsible for the dispensary of medication to people in need, and ensuring that none of the medications interact which could be harmful. They are also able to create medications for specific requirements, and work in many different environments and capacities. The skills and role requirements for a pharmacist are various, but there are definitely a set number of skills that a pharmacy would look for before employing a graduate. These skills would help to determine if the prospective pharmacist has the skills needed to be successful in this field. Because it is regarding your employability, it is crucial to ensure that you can exhibit these skills to a pharmacy and potential employer, to allow for as many employment opportunities as possible.
What are pharmacy skills?
Pharmacy skills are the attributes that a graduate should have which will determine their success in the industry. Just like certain careers require certain types of people to be successful, it is the same in the pharmaceutical industry. According to Canadian Pharmacy, pharmacists suit a certain type of person with a set of attributes that makes them ready to take on the job and the environment, and these are the pharmacy skills that’s pharmacies are looking for in graduates.
Attention to detail
Being a pharmacist requires a significant amount of attention to detail. You will be working with a lot of documentation regarding patient information, history, and medication information. All of these are extremely important, as you must be able to ensure that drug interactions do not occur in medications that are prescribed and used by patients. This can lead to terrible results, and as such, attention to detail is very important. Moreover, you are responsible for inputting data and information into databases filled with medical information, and attention to detail is obviously important here.
Great communication and interpersonal skills
Great communication is vital in the pharmaceutical industry. You will need to be able to communicate to people who do not have any medical knowledge, in very simple terms, how a medication will work and how to take it. This information can determine whether or not they take the medication correctly, and as such, the way you communicate it must be simple and quick, as well as straightforward. Interpersonal skills are also required to understand the patients and where they are coming from. This way, you can empathise with them while still providing accurate and clear information on how to take their medication and what not to do.
Strong academic results
Pharmacy is a competitive field, and to really stand out to pharmacies and potential employers, you should have strong academic results. You will likely be going up against some of the smartest people in the school, and strong science and mathematic skills are definitely necessary to succeed in school and in employment. Having strong academic results also shows that you are willing to work hard, and shows that you have the academic proficiency to succeed in the practical field of pharmacy.
There are a number of attributes you should have if you want to stand out to pharmacies and employers. These attributes include attention to detail, great communication and interpersonal skills as well as strong academic results. These will surely make you stand out amongst the crowd, and can guarantee employment in conjunction with your qualifications. Pharmacy can be a competitive field, but as long as you hold these attributes, you will be a successful candidate and pharmacist in the future.