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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Pharmacist

💰 $80,000 - $150,000

HealthcarePharmacyClinical

🎯 Role Definition

A Pharmacist is a licensed healthcare professional responsible for ensuring safe, accurate dispensing of medications, providing evidence-based clinical recommendations, counseling patients and caregivers, and maintaining pharmacy operations in accordance with federal, state and organizational policies. The role requires a deep knowledge of pharmacotherapy, drug interactions, dosing adjustments, controlled substances regulations, sterile and non-sterile compounding standards, and strong collaboration with interdisciplinary care teams to support optimal medication outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Pharmacy Intern or Pharmacy Technician with relevant clinical or retail experience.
  • Recent PharmD graduate completing PGY-1 residency or clinical rotations.
  • Clinical pharmacist resident or pharmacy practitioner transitioning from institutional roles.

Advancement To:

  • Senior Pharmacist / Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
  • Pharmacy Manager / Supervisor
  • Pharmacy Director or Regional Pharmacy Operations Lead
  • Clinical Coordinator, Ambulatory Care Lead, or Medication Safety Officer

Lateral Moves:

  • Pharmacy Informatics Specialist
  • Compounding/ Sterile Processing Specialist
  • Ambulatory Care Pharmacist or Clinical Education Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Verify and accurately dispense prescription medications, ensuring correct drug selection, dose, route, frequency, and duration while complying with state and federal pharmacy laws and controlled substance regulations.
  • Perform comprehensive medication reviews and medication therapy management (MTM) for patients with chronic conditions, documenting clinical findings, recommendations, and follow-up plans in the electronic health record (EHR).
  • Counsel patients and caregivers on medication administration, side effects, interactions, adherence strategies, and over-the-counter product selection to improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce adverse events.
  • Collaborate proactively with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to resolve clinical issues, recommend dosage adjustments, therapeutic alternatives, and participate in interdisciplinary discharge planning to ensure continuity of care.
  • Conduct prospective drug utilization review (DUR) to identify potential drug-drug interactions, therapeutic duplications, dosing errors, allergies, and contraindications prior to finalizing prescriptions.
  • Maintain and oversee pharmacy inventory management including ordering, receiving, rotating stock, expiration monitoring, controlled substance reconciliation, and reducing shrinkage while meeting budget and formulary goals.
  • Prepare, compound, and verify sterile and non-sterile preparations in accordance with USP <797>/<800> standards, institutional policies, and infection control protocols, including IV admixtures for inpatient and outpatient infusion services.
  • Administer immunizations (influenza, pneumococcal, COVID-19, shingles, travel vaccines) and document vaccinations in state registries and patient records, while counseling patients on vaccine benefits and contraindications.
  • Lead and participate in medication safety and quality improvement programs, investigating medication errors, implementing root cause analysis, and developing corrective action plans and staff education.
  • Interpret laboratory data, renal/hepatic function, and therapeutic drug monitoring results to optimize dosing for antimicrobials, anticoagulants, insulin therapy, and specialty medications.
  • Ensure accurate third-party billing, adjudication of prescriptions, prior authorization management, and effective communication with payers to reduce delays and ensure patient access to medications.
  • Maintain compliance with DEA, FDA, state board of pharmacy, and facility policies for controlled substances, including registries, triplicate forms, secure storage, and diversion prevention strategies.
  • Train, mentor, and supervise pharmacy staff including pharmacy technicians, interns, and support personnel, delegating responsibilities appropriately and ensuring competency through ongoing education and performance assessments.
  • Manage pharmacy workflows and staffing models to meet service-level standards during peak volume times, including float coverage, weekend scheduling, and contingency planning for drug shortages.
  • Participate in formulary management, therapeutic interchange programs, clinical guideline development, and pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committee meetings to support evidence-based medication use.

Secondary Functions

  • Conduct medication reconciliation at admission, transfer, and discharge to prevent omissions, duplications, and adverse drug events across the continuum of care.
  • Support clinical research and trials by preparing study medications, maintaining regulatory documentation, and ensuring Good Clinical Practice (GCP) compliance when applicable.
  • Provide patient education materials, adherence tools, and follow-up outreach to improve long-term medication adherence and chronic disease control metrics.
  • Develop and deliver continuing education and in-service training for pharmacy and nursing staff on new therapies, safety alerts, and changes to institutional protocols.
  • Serve as a resource for community outreach and health screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose) to support public health initiatives and increase patient engagement.
  • Assist in implementation and optimization of pharmacy information systems (PIS), e-prescribing workflows, and clinical decision support tools to improve accuracy and efficiency.
  • Participate in pharmacy accreditation surveys, internal audits, and inspections by regulatory bodies, preparing corrective action plans and reporting progress to leadership.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Licensed Pharmacist in good standing with state board; active pharmacist license and federal controlled substance registration (DEA).
  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree or equivalent clinical training; PGY-1 or PGY-2 residency preferred for clinical roles.
  • Medication dispensing and verification expertise including e-prescribing, manual Rx review, and barcode verification systems.
  • Strong knowledge of pharmacotherapy across therapeutic areas (cardiology, infectious disease, oncology, endocrinology, anticoagulation).
  • Proficiency with pharmacy information systems (PIS) and EHR platforms—examples include PioneerRx, QS/1, Cerner, Epic, Meditech—and clinical decision support.
  • Sterile and non-sterile compounding skills with working knowledge of USP <797>/<800> standards and aseptic technique.
  • Immunization certification and experience administering and documenting vaccines in state immunization registries.
  • Experience with medication therapy management (MTM), prior authorizations, formulary management, and payer adjudication processes.
  • Controlled substances management, DEA compliance, and experience with state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs).
  • Ability to interpret lab results and perform therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for drugs with narrow therapeutic indices.
  • Competence with inventory control systems, procurement processes, and formulary cost-containment strategies.
  • Familiarity with quality improvement methodologies, root cause analysis, and medication safety reporting systems (e.g., ISMP, local incident reporting).

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective patient counseling and interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Acute attention to detail and high levels of accuracy in dispensing and documentation.
  • Strong clinical judgment and problem-solving skills to prioritize patient safety and therapeutic outcomes.
  • Empathy, cultural competence, and patient-centered approach to care delivery.
  • Leadership, mentoring, and team-building abilities to develop pharmacy staff and improve operational performance.
  • Time management and multitasking skills to manage competing priorities in high-volume settings.
  • Adaptability to changing workflows, new technologies, and evolving clinical guidelines.
  • Professionalism, integrity, and commitment to maintaining patient confidentiality and regulatory compliance.
  • Teaching and presentation skills to deliver education to staff, students, and community groups.
  • Resilience and stress-management skills to function effectively in fast-paced clinical environments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from an accredited program and an active pharmacist license in the practicing state. Equivalent credentials with significant relevant experience may be considered in some settings.

Preferred Education:

  • PharmD plus completion of PGY-1 residency (preferred for hospital/clinical roles); PGY-2 specialization (e.g., ambulatory care, critical care, oncology) or board certification (BCPS, BCOP) is advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Pharmacy (PharmD)
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Clinical Pharmacy
  • Healthcare Administration (for managerial tracks)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • Entry-level: 0–2 years (new PharmD graduates or interns)
  • Mid-level: 2–5 years (retail/hospital clinical experience)
  • Senior-level: 5+ years (clinical specialization, supervisory or management experience)

Preferred:

  • 2+ years of direct patient care experience in the relevant setting (retail, hospital, ambulatory, specialty pharmacy)
  • Experience with sterile compounding (if applicable), immunization programs, prior authorization workflows, and clinical documentation in an EHR.
  • Leadership or precepting experience and demonstrated involvement in quality improvement, medication safety, or formulary committees.
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